Turkish shows silently disappear from OTT platforms amid India-Pak tensions

Amid ongoing political tensions and border conflict between neighbouring countries India and Pakistan, the entertainment sector is doing its part to keep Pakistan’s entertainment industry at bay. Since the escalation of tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) declared a ban on Pakistani artists working in India, as well as the removal of the neighbouring country’s OTT content.

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Additionally, on Friday, FWICE, along with All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), issued press releases asking to boycott shooting in Turkey and also its artists from working in India. Turkey has been a long-standing supporter of Pakistan. FWICE also appealed to streaming services for the removal of Turkish content from its platform. Zee5 has quietly adhered to the notice, pulling down its Turkish shows section.

An insider informed Mid-Day, “We’ve been monitoring the sentiment for weeks. While there is no government directive, we made a business decision to avoid a potential backlash. These titles, a part of the Zindagi bouquet, were doing well in Tier-1 and -2 cities, but the risk of reputational damage outweighed the benefits."

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Streaming service Amazon MX has circulated an internal memo pausing the acquisition of fresh Turkish content on its platform. An insider shared, "We haven't received any formal instructions or advisory from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. As of now, no content has been removed, but we have paused new acquisitions from Turkish production houses."

Turkish dramas like Ertuğrul, Feriha, Masum, Golden Boy, Love is in the Air, and EndlessLove have long had a considerable audience in India, with shows also circulating in YouTube.

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