56 Turkish Mayors May Face 10-Year Imprisonment for Support of Kurd TV

20.06.2006 17:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey's Office of Prosecutor General has sent prosecution materials for mayors of 56 towns in the south-east of the country, which support a Kurdish TV channel. Heads of those towns, where Kurdish population forms a majority, have sent a letter to Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen asking not to close Roj TV, broadcasting for Kurds. They asked not to give in to Turkish Government's pressure.

Turkish authorities consider that town mayors, who signed the letter to Rasmussen, thus assisted Kurd rebels, specifically the Kurdish Working Party, banned in the country. In the opinion of Turkish officials, Roj TV is engaged in propagating that Party. In case the court announces mayors of Turkish towns are guilty, they may face 10 years of imprisonment. At a meeting with representatives of EU member states Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted that prosecution of mayors for that letter runs counter to values of the united Europe, Times Online reports.