YouTube removes Erdoğan advisor’s video over hate speech

YouTube has removed a video of remarks by Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on hate speech grounds, BirGün newspaper reported on Friday. 

BirGün said the video by pro-government channel Ülke TV showed Altun speaking at an event marking the assassination of Turkish diplomats by the group known as the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA).

Altun gave the speech on April 24, the day that is traditionally used to commemorate the Armenian genocide. 

Turkey has long sought to push back against recognising the mass killing of ethnic Armenians in its territory during the final days of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. 

Reacting to YouTube’s decision, Altun accused the social media platform of “hypocrisy”. “We have seen once again that we need domestic and national platforms in the fields of media and communication,” he said. 

The presidential communications director has a history of making inflammatory remarks. He drew criticism in March for describing homosexuality as “hideous” and saying he would not allow same-sex relationships to be presented as normal.