A broadcasting company with links to the Al-Rafidain TV network, which has been blocked in Egypt over ambiguity concerning its stance on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has opened in Turkey, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Turkey.

WSJ Turkey on Wednesday reported that the Turkey-based company, which launched with TL 200,000 in capital, appears to be registered in İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) records; its sphere of activities is listed as TV programming and broadcasting.

The company was founded on Tuesday, the WSJ said, noting that the phone number provided by the company is the same as the phone number of the company that does the accounting work of Al-Rafidain.
Al-Rafidain is best known for its administration’s stance against former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and for its pro-Sunni broadcasts.

On June 24, Reuters reported that Egypt barred three private Iraqi TV stations from its main satellite system in response to complaints from Iraq that their coverage was provoking sectarian tensions.

Reuters said: “Al-Baghdadia, Al-Rafidain and Al-Hadath TV stations were all barred from the state-owned Nilesat, which broadcasts across the Middle East and North Africa. … The channels have covered the onslaught by Sunni insurgent group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant extensively and carried statements from the al-Qaeda offshoot.”

However, statements made at the time by Egyptian officials did not directly link the decision to block the three stations to complaints from Baghdad.

WSJ Turkey said its attempts to reach the new TV station’s management have failed. The accounting company that works with Al-Rafidain told the newspaper, “We have been told that there will be broadcasts here. They are in the phase of being set up right now.” The daily also reported that the station so far hasn’t applied to Turkey’s media-watchdog, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK).