Turkey's Anger Over Cancellation of 'Atatürk' Series by Disney Plus

Disney Turkey announced that it will not broadcast its documentary series about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey, on the Disney Plus streaming platform. This announcement has sparked outrage in Turkey, with the country's broadcasting watchdog stating that it will investigate the reasons behind Disney's decision. Local Turkish media and some Armenian sources claim that the cancellation of the series was due to pressure from American Armenians and their lobbying efforts with Disney, who view Atatürk as responsible for the mass killing of Armenians. Atatürk served as an officer in the Ottoman army at the time and is believed by some to have played a role in the Armenian massacres of 1915. Abubakar Şahin, head of Turkey's broadcasting watchdog, stated on social media that the High Council of Radio and Television intends to initiate investigations 'based on public information' regarding Disney Plus's decision to not air the series. Atatürk, who led Turkey's independence struggles in the years following World War I, became the country's first president and is highly respected in Turkey, where disrespect or insult towards this historical figure is considered a crime. Disney Turkey had previously announced that the Atatürk series would be aired on Disney Plus on October 29, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. The Armenian National Committee of America expressed gratitude to supporters of its campaign against Disney Plus on Monday, stating that the Atatürk series would not be aired on the platform. In a statement released on Wednesday by Fox News, which is owned by Disney, the company announced that 'Atatürk' would be released as two films for television and cinema on October 29 and December 22, respectively. The statement did not clarify why the program's broadcast format changed from a television series, nor the reasons behind the cancellation of the series on Disney Plus. Ömer Çelik, spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, called Disney's capitulation to 'Armenian lobby pressure' and the cancellation of the Atatürk series 'shameful.' Çelik described Disney Plus's action as 'disrespectful' to the values of the Republic of Turkey and its people. It is estimated that around 1.5 million people died in what is widely recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey denies the 'genocide' of Armenians, claiming that the deceased were victims of civil war and unrest, and that the alleged figures are inaccurate. This report is based on an Associated Press report.