Matchmaking TV shows ’immoral’, ’damage family values’: Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate

Screenshot from Turkey's Flash TV's "Luck of the Draw" May 2014 when 62 year-old Sefer Calinak revealed to the host he had killed his first wife and a former lover

Turkey's state-run Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) "slammed" matchmaking television shows in its Friday sermon on February 3, reported Hurriyet Daily News.

According to the report, Diyanet stressed the shows were encouraging immorality and damaging family values.

Hurriyet cited Diyanet's sermon as saying there is an "alarming level" of 131,830 divorces and 109,987 children suffering from separation, without giving any time period or stating the impact these television shows has had on marriages in Turkey. 

Matchmaking or dating television shows are popular in Turkey but equally attract a lot of criticism. In February last year, Hurriyet reported 10,691 complaints made against such shows over the period of a year, which resulted in the Higher Board of Radio and Television slapping fines on affected channels. 

Part of their popularity lies in their shock value. In 2014, a 62-year old man who appeared on dating show "Luck of the Draw" was asked to leave the show by its host after he revealed murdering his former wife and a former lover, attracting international media attention.

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