World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkey rules out any censorship against TV series that tells Gaza offensive last year due to Israel.

Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip in December and January killed nearly 1500 Palestinians, including children and women. 

Turkish State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, who is responsible for state-run broadcaster TRT, said on Thursday the Turkish government does not intervene in a TV drama. 

TRT is sponsoring the 13-episodes series with the motto "7 countries, 7 headliners". 

Anadolu news agency quoted Arınc as saying that, "any stance of Turkey against Israel is out of question." 

"Separation" underlines that the believe will not dissappear in the holy territory which becomes symbol of the humanitarian joint place for both Palestinians and Israelis without discrimination between Muslims or Jews. 

First episode, titled "Palestine in Love and War", was shot in the first qibla (direction of the Muslim prayers) Al-Aqsa mosque and the most important place for Jewish believers, Wailing Wall. 

Other episodes of "Separation" was shot in Armenia, Chechnya, Iran, Ozbekstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan alongside Turkey. 

The show's producer, Selcuk Cobanoglu, told Reuters, "If the Israeli government is disturbed with this, it means they are disturbed with the reality when we go there and eyewitness what is happening there." 

"No intervention" 

Commenting on a tv series called "Ayrilik" (Separation), Arinc said, "If Israel has reacted against the TV series, we will talk to them on the matter. The TV series does not have any political target." 

Earlier in the day, Israel's Foreign Ministry summoned acting Turkish Ambassador to Israel over the TV series aired on state-run Turkish broadcaster TRT. The new TV series showed soldiers shooting down a smiling girl and a baby held up by his father above his head. 

When a journalist said, TV series Separation has led to a "crisis" with Israel. Our ambassador was summoned to Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Will the government assume any stance against this", 

Upon the questions, Arinc said, "as the state-run broadcaster, we will not want the series to lead to a diplomatic problem. We consider the TV series as scenario." 

Turkish official also rules out any censorship against the series. 

Asked if the TV drama would be stopped from broadcasting or any scenario change would be in question, Arinc said, "we do not think of it. The Turkish government does not intervene in a TV drama. Moreover, Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) controls TV broadcasts."