Turkey’s TELE1 TV channel has been blacked out for five days starting today (September 1), following a decision by Turkish media watchdog Radio and Television Board (RTÜK).

The ban relates to a segment aired in late-July on the channel, in which TELE1’s executive editor Merdan Yanardağ discussed 2016’s failed coup d’etat attempt.

In his remarks, Yanardağ described the failed putsch as “an Islamist coup attempt,” and continued saying: “The responsible party for this coup is the ruling AKP government.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has ruled Turkey since 2002.

The Gülen movement, an ally-turned-rival of Erdoğan’s AKP, has long been blamed for having orchestrated the coup attempt in 2016.

The blackout decision from RTÜK described Yanardağ’s comments as ‘inciting the public to hatred and........

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