TURKEY BANS TV, RADIO DATING SHOWS

4,000 more civil servants purged

ISTANBUL and more than 1,000 Turkish military personnel. It also reinstated 236 people to their jobs.

The second decree, among other things, banned radio and television programmes for “finding friends and spouses” by adding a clause to the article on protecting children in Turkey’s media law. The shows will not be allowed to air without TV content rating symbols.

Dating programmes draw high ratings and large advertising revenues, and have been a hot topic this year.

Petitions have called for their bans and lawmakers across the political spectrum have criticised the programmes as having a negative influence on families.

Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus described them as contrary to Turkish customs and religion.

The state of emergency that followed last summer’s coup attempt has allowed the Turkish government to rule by decrees.

Since then, more than 47,000 people have been arrested and 100,000 have been purged for alleged connections to terror organisations.

Turkey said United Statesbased cleric Fethullah Gulen orchestrated the coup attempt. He denied the allegations. AP