White goods manufacturer Bosch has withdrawn a Mother's Day advertisement featuring a "dog motherhood" theme following criticism from government officials and Turkey's media watchdog.
The advertisement, set inside a Bosch store, featured a conversation between two women about motherhood. The plot revealed that the women were referring to their pets as children, using phrases such as "They are just children."
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) launched an investigation into the ad titled "A complete mother story."
RTÜK chair Mehmet Daniş stated on written statement that while compassion for animals is part of Turkish culture, stretching the concept of the mother-child bond for commercial concerns is unacceptable.
"Article 41 of our Constitution defines the basic elements of the family: mother, father, and child," Daniş said. He added that any positioning outside these devalues the concept of motherhood.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Göktaş also criticized the campaign.
She said on social media that while every form of love is valuable, motherhood is a value that should not be "trivialized for communication strategies."
"Motherhood is not a communication construct, but the carrier of a generation and a future," Göktaş wrote.
Bosch Turkey has removed the video from its social media accounts and official channels. The company has not yet released a statement regarding the decision. (VK)
