Dutch TV website blocked in Turkey after envoy's murder

THE HAGUE: The internet site of Dutch public broadcaster NOS has been blocked in Turkey after it showed online images of the assassination of the Russian ambassador, the company said Wednesday.

"Sources in Ankara have indicated to NOS that it is linked to the images of Monday's assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara," the broadcaster said on its site NOS.nl.

It said the Turkish telecommunications authority BTK may have decided to block the site because of the images of the shooting. "Whoever tries to visit the NOS site receives an error message," it added.



"We are doing everything we can to ensure the site is restored and becomes accessible again," a spokesperson for the broadcaster Marieke Quant said.

In full view of press cameras, off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, pumped nine bullets into ambassador Andrei Karlov at an art gallery in Ankara on Monday before being killed by police in a shootout.

The dramatic footage showed Karlov stumble and crash to the ground as Altintas brandished his automatic pistol at terrified onlookers cowering behind cocktail tables.



The gunman shouted "Don't forget Aleppo", vowing those responsible for events in Syria would be held accountable.

The footage was taken by Turkish public television TRT and then distributed to NOS via Eurovision, which exchanges radio and television programmes among European broadcasters.

"Many medias around the world showed the NOS video in their news programmes. And on social media in Turkey, the NOS video went viral," the Dutch TV said.

Turkey has been often accused of trying to stifle social media access to tense situations, including recent attacks on Turkish cities and after this summer's failed coup.

"Most of these blockages last a few days," NOS said.