ISTANBUL - An independent Turkish broadcaster was pulled off the air on Friday over allegations of "spreading terrorist propaganda," adding to fears the government is cracking down on the media, its general coordinator said.
Turkey's satellite provider Turksat halted broadcasts of IMC TV at the request of an Ankara prosecutor investigating whether the channel supported a "terrorist" group, Eyup Burc said.
"In Turkey, everything contrary to the official view is tossed in to the terrorism bag," Burc told Reuters, denying any ties with terror networks.
"This was clearly a political decision. The prosecutor has no legal right to seek our closure based on an allegation." No one was available at Turksat to comment.
The plug was pulled on IMC mid-broad cast during a live interview with Can Dundar and Erdem Gul, two prominent journalists who were freed pending trial earlier on Friday after spending 92 days in prison.
The two editors from the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet still face lifetime prison sentences for the publication of video footage purporting to show the state intelligence agency helping send weapons to Syria. "This was done deliberately, to send a message to the media: that Can Dundar and Erdem Gul may have been released due to the public outcry, but that doesn't mean the government is retreating from its course," Burc said.