Turkey’s second oldest private TV station, Flash TV, an entertainment outlet, has announced a self-imposed suspension of broadcasting for two months, claiming heavy political pressure.
A Flash TV executive told Türktime on Friday that due to “unbearable political pressure” they had decided to suspend broadcasting for a period of time. The demolition of the headquarters of the 28 year-old TV station was recently ordered by a court in Bursa province.
Turkey shut down nearly 200 media outlets after a July 2016 failed coup, and pressure on the media has been mounting since then. Most of the closed media outlets were accused of “coup” or “terrorism” links.
Flash TV, however, has kept its entertainment coverage alive while having only an evening news bulletin, which was considered relatively critical in the overall political environment of the country.