CAIRO - The Egyptian opposition TV channel, "Mekameleen", which broadcasts from Istanbul, announced yesterday, Friday evening, the closure of its entire headquarters in Turkey, noting that the decision was due to "well-known conditions" in reference to the recent Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement and the approaching return of the suspended diplomatic relations. between the two countries since 2013.
The channel stated, in a statement published in Arabic and English on its official Facebook page, that it has been keen, since its inception 8 years ago, to be "a voice for the truth and a platform for all the people of Egypt to convey the full picture and a voice for the oppressed and the detainees."
And on the reasons for the closure, which was expected some time ago, after the Egyptian authorities asked their Turkish counterparts to close the Egyptian media platforms opposed to them in Turkey to restore relations again, she explained that the decision came according to “the conditions that are not hidden from anyone, and in order to ensure the continuity of its media message to convey the whole truth.” ".
The management of this channel decided to transfer its broadcasts, studios and all its work outside Turkey, "to launch a new start from all fields of the world," according to the statement.
She thanked Turkey's leadership and people for its "good hospitality over the past years."
The satellite channel stressed that it "will remain committed to its message and principles and will not stop performing it."
Egypt and Turkey began months ago to restore the crisis relations since 2013, and held two rounds of talks, but many files remained a stumbling block in the path of resuming relations, on top of which was the situation of the Egyptian opposition and the media platforms broadcasting from Istanbul against the policies of the Egyptian regime.
In March 2021, the Turkish authorities, according to media reports, instructed the opposition satellite channels broadcasting from Istanbul, "Watan, Al Sharq, Complement", to stop political programs and stop criticizing Egypt and its president, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, threatening penalties up to the closure of these channels. , a decision welcomed by Egypt at the time.
"Mekameleen" and "Al-Sharq" had suspended several programs during the past year, after several meetings between Turkish officials and the administration of the two channels, according to press reports, as Muhammad Nasser and Hamza Zobaa were absent from the screen of the complementary channel, while Moataz Matar and Hisham Abed stopped appearing. God on the East satellite.