Turkish Airlines pulls ads from US media as Ankara-Washington row escalates

A large number of Turkey’s most well-known brands have joined forces to protest Washington’s hostile policies against their country by pulling their ads from prominent U.S.-based social media platforms amidst an escalating row between the two NATO allies

A campaign launched on Twitter with the hashtag, “ABDyeReklamVerme,” meaning “Don’t advertise with the U.S.,” went viral on Twitter in Turkey as more companies pledged to suspend their advertising activities on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

In a tweet posted on Tuesday, media consultant of Turkish Airlines Yahya Üstün announced that Turkey’s national carrier will take part in the campaign and pull its ads from U.S. social media websites in protest.

“We, as Turkish Airlines, are on the side of our government and people. Instructions with regards to this issue were given to our agencies,” the tweet read.

As the list of Turkish businesses taking part in the boycott grows, Turkish communications giant Türk Telekom and supermarket chain Çağrı also announced that they’re taking part in the campaign.

Hamdi Ateş, Turk Telekom's corporate communication head, said the company has told ad agencies not to include its ads in U.S. outlets.

"The Turk Telekom family is joining the #NoAdsinUS campaign, standing on the side of our state and our people. We have told our agencies," he said on Twitter, using the Turkish hashtag #ABDyeReklamVerme.

Robert Murdoch-owned FOX television channel also came under fire for its support of anti-Turkey policies and Islamophobic propaganda as Turkish social media users called on their fellow countrymen to boycott the media mogul’s channels and newspapers.

Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions on Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül for not releasing American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday ramped up his attack on Turkey by doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively.