Turkey's government television broadcasting watchdog on Friday ordered a local TV station to stop airing the popular Japanese "Pokemon" animation series after two children injured themselves by leaping from the balcony of their homes allegedly in imitation of the Pokemon character.
News reports from Ankara said the television network ATV has challenged the order in court and plans to continue broadcasts pending a court ruling.
The ban, issued by the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council, would make Turkey the first country in the world to put "Pokemon" off the air. The animation series has been broadcast in some 60 countries.
According to news reports from Ankara, a 4-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl jumped from the balcony of their high-rise homes last month after watching the "Pokemon" series.
The incident shocked the Turkish public and prompted an investigation by Turkey's Ministry of Health.
A report from a Health Ministry experts panel concluded that the "Pokemon" character makes it difficult for young children to distinguish fiction from reality and renders them insensitive to violence.
Turkey's Health Minister Osman Durmus has reportedly asked ATV to replace "Pokemon" with another children's program. Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council is a government agency in charge of issuing TV licenses and verifying compliance of broadcasts with the public interest.