According to an official statement by Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), the controversial series ‘Famagusta’ will not be broadcast outside of Greece. RTÜK confirmed that, after discussions with Netflix, an agreement was reached to prevent the series from being aired in Turkey or in any other country. The series had already been broadcast on Greek television and was later licensed by Netflix.
RTÜK’s statement emphasised that the series, which portrays the events of the 1974 Turkish intervention in Cyprus, is seen as misrepresenting historical facts and presenting a negative image of Turkey and its military. The council stated that the portrayal of the Turkish army, which they claim brought peace and order to Cyprus, is unjust and unacceptable.
The statement reads as follow: “The production called “Famagusta” was met with a backlash by the Turkish public with its content against the “Cyprus Landing”, the epic of peace and heroism in our recent history. The “Cyprus Peace Operation”, which aimed to defend the rightful cause of the Turkish Cypriots and to rescue our oppressed compatriots, lived up to its name and brought peace to the island within the framework of the law. The heroic Turkish soldier brought peace and tranquility to Cyprus, the bloodshed stopped, and the tears of the oppressed were wiped away.
‘It is an unacceptable mistake that some circles, with malicious intent, have come up with a film that denigrates the Turks, our country and our heroic army while historical facts are evident. The production was previously broadcast on television in its country of origin and later licensed by Netflix.
“As the organisation that regulates and supervises digital broadcasting services in our country, our Supreme Board has held the necessary talks with the broadcaster Netflix and an understanding has been reached that the production will not be broadcast. The production in question will only be included in the Netflix catalog in the country where it was previously broadcast (Greece) and will not be included in Turkey or any other country’s catalog. Respectfully announced to the public“.
The decision means that the series will only be available in Netflix’s catalogue in Greece and nowhere else, reflecting Turkey’s sensitivity to the depiction of this period of history.
