The TV program “Azerbaijani Hour” will be off the air for some weeks as the Turkey-based Barish TV, on which the program was broadcast, has been shut down along with 15 other TV channels, the author and host of the program Ganimat Zahid has said. A coup d’état was attempted in Turkey on July 15. Turkish government claims that the coup was masterminded by Fetullah Gulen, who currently resides in the USA. In backlash to the coup attempt, scores of people were arrested or lost jobs in Turkey and lastly TV channels were closed down.
“In recent days, 16 TV channels, 3 news agencies, 23 radio stations, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 broadcasting companies were closed in Turkey. Barish TV, which aired the Azerbaijani Hour, is also among those shut down. All closed media organizations have to do with Fetullah Gulen, except for Barish TV, which has no relation to Fetullah or his congregation. Before airing the Azerbaijani Hour on a certain TV station, we have always analyzed their ownerships. Even a few months ago, when Fetullahists (Gulen supporters) bought the Can Erzincan TV, we told them that we were not going to work with them, and their answer was “we would not broadcast your TV program anyway, because we have common interests with Ilham Aliyev”,” Ganimat Zahid noted.
According to the TV host, the Azerbaijani Hour will continue to be streamed online for now and they will soon start to cooperate with a new channel.
The program will be available to viewers on Youtube, Facebook (Facebook pages of Azerbaijani Hour and Azadliq newspaper), as well as on azadliq.info and azerbaycansaati.tv websites.