This article appeared in Yahoo.com and NTVMSNBC.com on November 19, 2001.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's media watchdog is considering banning television stations from airing pop singer Tarkan's latest music video in which he passionately kisses a model, the Milliyet newspaper reported Sunday.
The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RüTUK) is considering putting a ban on the video clip after receiving more than 100 phoned in complaints from viewers who thought it bordered on pornographic.
The video features Tarkan, the first Turkish singer to reach the European and Latin American music charts, in a passionate kiss with a young woman. The singer himself, who in the past has been criticised for his erotic style of dancing, said he couldn't understand what the fuss was all about. 
"What is worrying is that the kissing scene is being considered pornographic", Milliyet quoted Tarkan as saying.
It was not clear when the regulatory body - which has the authority to order subversive or "immoral" shows off the air - would reach a decision.
In an effort to head off any move to ban the video from television, Tarkan has issued a call to his many fans to lodge messages with RüTUK’s hotline supporting his right to perform in sexy video clips.
My comments: The video in question is Hüp. Here are some pics of the kissing scene. I don't understand why are the authorities trying to ban the video, since there are worse stuff on tv nowadays. -- L.S.
