Walt Disney Co faces backlash over decision to cancel Ataturk documentary, Turkey's governing party expresses criticism

Turkey’s governing party has expressed criticism towards Walt Disney Co’s Disney for reportedly deciding not to broadcast a documentary series about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, on its streaming service.

The chairman of Turkey's television watchdog RTUK, Ebubekir Sahin, announced an investigation into the matter, calling Ataturk the country's "most important social value." The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) had earlier called on Disney to cancel the show, accusing it of glorifying a Turkish dictator and genocide killer. Disney Turkey had initially announced that the Ataturk series would be aired soon.

Turkish and Armenian news reports claimed that Disney had decided to cancel the series due to lobbying activities by ANCA. In response, Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party (AKP), called Disney's reported decision a "shame" and accused the company of giving in to pressure from the Armenian lobby. However, Walt Disney Turkey stated that it had revised its distribution strategy and would air a special version of the documentary on the FOX television channel in Turkey, followed by separate screenings of two films in theaters. It remains unclear whether the Ataturk films will be made available on the Disney streaming service.