Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday signed new legislation that mandates the review of all movies produced in the country before their release.
The law, considered by members of the arts community to be an attempt to censor the movie industry, went into effect on Wednesday after its publication in the Official Gazette.
According to the law, all movies will be reviewed by a number of councils. Applications for sponsorship by the state will also be evaluated by the same councils.
Any production that is not considered appropriate will not be released or marketed.
The law was signed during a meeting of celebrities at the presidential palace in Ankara on Wednesday.
Some figures in the arts criticized the meeting and its participants as an attempt to develop a good relationship with the country’s president.