NICOSIA, Cyprus, June 27 (UPI) -- An anchorman on a television news program in Cyprus wore tape over his mouth during a broadcast to protest restrictions on press freedom.
The Turkish Cypriot broadcaster, Channel T, had been criticized by members of the Democrat Party-National Forces for airing an interview in which a party and Parliament member said he was bribed by the party for his vote and bribed to give up his seat in Parliament. Legal action was launched by the party against the broadcaster, claiming its news reporting was biased, the Istanbul, Turkey, newspaper Today's Zaman reported Thursday.
To protest the legal action, anchorman Nazmi Pinar applied two pieces of black tape to his mouth, in the shape of an X, staying silent on the air for 20 seconds. He later defended the channel, saying it would continue to broadcast on the Turkish Cypriot press and for press freedom, the newspaper said.
