Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan before addressing his lawmakers in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. Turkey's opposition party leaders on Tuesday asked Erdogan to resign and demanded an investigation into Erdogan for alleged corruption, a day after the disclosure of audio recordings purportedly of him ordering his son to dispose of vast amounts of cash amid a graft probe. Erdogan met with Turkey's intelligence chief shortly after voice recordings of two people — alleged to be Erdogan and his son Bilal Erdogan — circulated on the Internet.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan before addressing his lawmakers in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. Turkey’s opposition party leaders on Tuesday asked Erdogan to resign and demanded an investigation into Erdogan for alleged corruption, a day after the disclosure of audio recordings purportedly of him ordering his son to dispose of vast amounts of cash amid a graft probe. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A television station linked to opponents of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkish authorities have withdrawn its license to broadcast nationally just days before crucial local elections.

Fatih Karaca, head of the media unit of Ipek group of companies, said Thursday Turkey’s radio and television watchdog revoked the license of KanalTurk television, citing a 2010 court decision.

He maintained that the decision against the station — which is linked to a movement led by U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen — was “politically-motivated.”

The move comes amid a deepening feud between Erdogan and Gulen’s movement, which Erdogan accuses of orchestrating allegations of corruption to discredit the government ahead of Sunday’s elections.

The watchdog says the station can only broadcast regionally.

Comments