Baydemir Questioned Over ROJ TV

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

Baydemir Questioned Over ROJ TV

Tuesday, June 13, 2006



Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir was questioned by local prosecutors on Monday over his involvement in a letter sent to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, calling on the Danish government not to close down the Kurdish language Roj TV station.

The letter was sent by 56 pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) mayors on Dec. 21, 2005.

Baydemir said in a written statement that he had told the prosecutor he was the one who had written the letter. He said they were also uncomfortable with Kurdish television broadcasting from overseas.

"We believe a Kurdish language television broadcasting in accordance with the law from within Turkey's borders would be better for Turkey 's European Union relations. The letter we sent said media organs should not be silenced and that the closing of Roj TV would not serve Turkish democracy."

The Diyarbakır Prosecutor's Office had initiated a criminal investigation into the sending of the letter. Apart from Baydemir, the 55 mayors who also signed it will be questioned.

Two Interior Ministry investigators had also submitted their report on the issue to the prosecutor's office.