Circassians demand apology from Turkish TV channel

Circassian activists have held a protest action outside the "Halk.TV" Turkish TV channel, demanding an apology for statements about Circassians' involvement in child abuse.

The "Halk.TV" discussed the murder of an eight-year-old girl, whose body was searched for more than two weeks in the Turkish province of Diyarbakir. Several dozen girl's relatives were detained on suspicion of committing the crime.

Müjde Tozbey, an advocate and the chair of the "Children and Women First" Association, has suggested on air that the focus should be shifted from the province of Diyarbakir, predominantly populated by Kurds, to similar incidents that occurred in the past. She cited false information about an incident allegedly related to Circassians as an example.

Her statements were followed by those from Circassian public and political associations and a protest outside the TV channel after the author of the story refused to publicly apologize to the Circassians living in Turkey.

The Pluralist Democratic Party of Turkey, founded by ethnic Circassians, addressed the TV channel with a statement, noting that Tozbey's comment, which linked the events in Tekirdag with the Circassian nation, was perceived as "an unjustified statement that insults the Circassian community."

The Party has treated the Tozbey's position as "unacceptable" and such statements as "thoughtless."

"The TV channel must officially acknowledge that this incident has nothing to do with the Circassian nation," the Party said in its statement.