In Turkey, the writers of a popular TV show have been forced to change the plot of their series "1 Erkek 1 Kadın" (One Man, One Woman), due to pressure from Turkish TV’s watchdog, Hurriet Daily News has reported.

The Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has compelled the writers to have their lead characters, an unmarried couple, to tie the knot “in the interests of promoting greater morality.”

The marital status of Zeynep and Ozan, the lead characters in the show, has triggered criticisms in the past with RTÜK “accusing the writers of encouraging extramarital affairs.”

The episode of the wedding will be broadcast next week.

Müge Turalı, the general director of the show said that the original story made no clear mention of the characters’ official marital status.

"It is a format adaptable to the culture and social values of the host country," Hurriet Daily News quoted Turalı as saying. "In some countries they never got married. In others, like Lebanon, they were a married couple from the start."

"1 Erkek 1 Kadın" is originally a Quebec comedy television series, which tells the everyday life story of a couple. It is one of the most successful Quebec television shows, with a concept exported to more than thirty markets around the world.