AHEPA Supreme President, Savas C. Tsivicos, has penned an open letter to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos concerning the platform’s decision to limit the availability of the “Famagusta” TV series outside of Greece. This move reportedly came after pressure from Turkish authorities.
“Famagusta” is a Greek-Cypriot series that narrates the events of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Tsivicos voiced his unease in response to reports that the Turkish Radio and TV Supreme Council (RTUK) succeeded in curtailing the show’s reach beyond Greece’s borders.
In his letter, Tsivicos highlighted the issues with Turkey impacting global broadcasting decisions. He acknowledged Netflix’s compliance with censorship laws in respective countries but emphasized that Turkey should not influence global content availability.
He stated, “If Netflix chooses to honor RTUK’s request to remove ‘Famagusta’ solely in Turkey, as it has for past requests, that’s one matter. However, Turkey lacks the authority to dictate the content accessible to a global audience on Netflix.”
By conceding to Turkish demands, Tsivicos argued that Netflix is indirectly supporting Turkey’s move toward more authoritarian governance and spreading misleading information about its historical invasion of Cyprus. He emphasized the importance of allowing “Famagusta” to accurately honor and remember the events that occurred 50 years ago.