Turkish TV network accused of stoking social tensions with pork dinner scene

A primetime Turkish TV show has ignited a fierce online debate this week after a scene showing pork being served to a visibly conservative, Muslim-looking family went viral, prompting criticism that the episode was deliberately stoking social tensions.

The controversy erupted following a scene from the ATV network series, Aynı Yagmur Altında, which translates in English to Under the Same Rain. In the show, a host family serves pork to newly arrived guests who appear to be religiously observant.

While the characters are not explicitly identified as Muslim, many viewers argued that the visual cues, headscarves, conservative dress and religious mannerisms, along with the fact that the show’s story takes place in Turkey, made the implication obvious.

The show began airing on 9 February, and its second episode, which aired on Monday, included the controversial scene. 

For many social media users, the backlash was not centred on religious doctrine itself, but rather on what they described as a culturally implausible and insensitive scenario.

A viral post from the Turkish Orthodox Society read, “Even in religious circles in Turkey, there is the reality of 'Muslims who drink alcohol'. But, with rare exceptions, even in secular circles, there is no reality of 'eating pork'. Even we, Christian Turks, very rarely eat pork. And we would never serve pork or alcohol to our Muslim neighbours. Who are the people writing these scenarios?”

Many online agreed with the statement, amplifying that the issue was not eating or serving pork itself, but rather an agenda of creating greater polarisation within conservative Muslim society in Turkey. 

'Unnecessarily divisive'

The series itself is not primarily about religion. Its plot follows Rosa, a young woman whose story begins in London, where she attends a pro-Palestine protest before returning to Turkey. The show explores themes of illness, activism, identity and cross-cultural relationships, including Rosa's connection to a man she meets during the protest.

The pork scene appears within this broader narrative, but it has quickly overshadowed much of the show’s intended storyline.

Hem senaryoyu yazanların hem de böyle bir senaryoya itiraz etmeyip rol alanların kendi toplumlarından bihaber kişiler olduğunu gösteren bir fragman. Son derece kalitesiz ve düzeysiz bir dil ve içerik de cabası.
Türkiye’de marjinal bir grubun dışında kimse domuz eti yemez, yese… https://t.co/qmVwl55ouq

— Deniz Ülke Kaynak (@DenizUlke) February 17, 2026

Translation: a trailer that shows both the scriptwriters and those who took part in such a scenario without objecting to it are people unaware of their own society. On top of that, the language and content are extremely low-quality and vulgar. In Turkey, outside of a marginal group, no one eats pork, and even if they do, they would not serve it to others. The screenwriter has either deliberately tried to provoke social polarisation or there is a serious issue of judgment and standards. Just before Ramadan, ATV has managed to get people talking about it; if they see that as a success, of course.

Others argued that the issue went beyond the scene itself, framing it instead as part of a broader cultural and political struggle playing out through entertainment media.

Critics pointed out that the series airs on ATV, a channel owned by Turkuvaz Media Group, which is widely seen as aligned with the Turkish government and conservative circles.

Serhat Albayrak, chairman of the board at Turkuvaz Media, is the brother of Berat Albayrak, former Turkish energy minister and son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Some questioned why a network perceived as pro-government would depict a scenario that many interpreted as humiliating or marginalising visibly religious characters.

Social media users had abundant answers and commentary on the issue. 

Bu bir “hikâye tercihi” değil, toplumsal fay hatlarını bilinçli biçimde kaşımak, dindar-seküler karşıtlığını körüklemek.

Yazıklar olsun, bunu yazana da, yönetene de, oynayana da, yayınlayana da. Allah hepinizin belasını versin. https://t.co/GRroJQ2wuW

— Ayşe Baltacıoğlu-Brammer (@BrammerAyse) February 17, 2026

Translation: this is not a “storytelling choice”, but a deliberate scratching at social fault lines and an attempt to inflame the religious–secular divide. Shame on those who wrote it, directed it, acted in it, and broadcast it.

The debate quickly expanded beyond the show itself, touching on long-standing tensions between secular and conservative segments of Turkish society. Over the past two decades, cultural productions, from TV dramas to talk shows, have often mirrored and amplified political fault lines.

The show’s production company, Baba Yapim, rejected such social media criticism as "distortions" of the scene. 

In a written statement to Middle East Eye, the company said: "The scene in question was not written to praise Tülin's [the character serving the pork] condescending and hurtful attitude towards her guests; rather, it was written to show how this wrongdoing is rejected by her own family. Instead of creating conflict, our story brings together people from different backgrounds through our most fundamental values: 'respect for guests and human courtesy'."

Supporters of the series dismissed the outrage as overblown, arguing that fiction frequently uses uncomfortable scenarios to provoke discussion.

Some commentators accused the show of attempting to manufacture a sense of grievance or victimhood, suggesting the scene was crafted to reinforce narratives of religious discrimination.

Some accused the writers of trying to maintain the status quo for the current government by spreading division.

bu ülkede çeşitli dinlerden, anlayışlardan, inançlardan insanlar geldi geçti. siz hiç müslüman misafirine -özellikle- domuz eti yedirmeye çalışanı gördünüz mü? peki neden yapıyor bunu atv? çünkü bir kesimin saltanatının devamı için toplumun kamplaştırılması gerekiyor da ondan. pic.twitter.com/sMHtibFztM

— abdullah naci (@abdullahnaci) February 16, 2026

Translation: in this country, people of various religions, worldviews and beliefs have come and gone. Have you ever seen anyone – especially – try to make their Muslim guest eat pork? Then why is ATV doing this? Because for the continuation of one group’s dominance, society needs to be polarised, that’s why.

One person commented on how the incident bridged the divide between Turkish conservatives in the US and in Turkey.

Every day Conservatives in the US and Turkey seem more similar.

Now, it's "conservatives make up a totally impossible story to make themselves angry." https://t.co/ArF4WzECR4

— Alexander Thatcher (@ThatchEffendi) February 16, 2026

Social media users also noticed that the X account for the TV show has been deactivated in the last couple of days, after the airing of the controversial episode. 

As clips of the scene continued to circulate across X and Instagram, the controversy became less about dietary rules and more about identity politics, media ownership, and the perceived role of government-aligned broadcasters in shaping social narratives.

Whether the scene was a clumsy storytelling choice or a calculated provocation, the reaction underscores how even fictional moments can quickly evolve into flashpoints in Turkey’s deeply polarised public sphere.

This article has been updated to include production company Baba Yapim's comments.