A state prosecutor has banned Turkey's largest pay-TV platform from broadcasting channels close to an archenemy of President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, heightening concern about press freedom weeks ahead of an election. Digiturk is the third platform to ditch channels close to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen on the orders of the Ankara prosecutor, including news services Bugun TV and S Haber, a children's channel, and four other general interest stations. Erdogan, who wants the ruling AK Party to win back a majority in a snap Nov. 1 parliamentary election, accuses Gulen of seeking to overthrow him by means of a "parallel structure" of supporters in the judiciary, police, the media and other institutions. Gulen has denied such charges and Erdogan's opponents say the moves are an attempt to silence opposition before the polls. "This is the AK Party's effort to silence opposition media in the run-up to the general election," Ismet Demirdogen, an opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) member of the Radio and Television watchdog RTUK, told Reuters. The ban on the children's channel drew ridicule and ire on social media. "This decision is a blow to Arthur the rabbit and Yumi the clever truck, who have supported a civilian coup," said one tweet, referring to two children's TV characters. It was retweeted hundreds of times. Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition said Thursday it hoped Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants would announce a halt to hostilities soon to ease security concerns ahead of the election. Such a move would prevent the ruling AK Party from exploiting the security situation to impose restricted military zones, debunk AKP allegations that people vote for the HDP under PKK pressure, and ease security worries, he said.
