CPHPOST

Turkish authorities have sent a formal complaint to Denmark in the ongoing dispute over ROJ-TV-TV's transmission

The Turkish government has once again complained to Danish authorities about Kurdish television station ROJ-TV. The station has been accused by both Turkey and the US as being complicit in supporting and inciting terrorism.

The Danish Radio and Television Board received the latest complaint directly from the Turkish authorities in Ankara. The transmission of ROJ-TV in Denmark has been the focus of heated discussions between the Turkish, Danish and US governments over the past year.

In November 2005, police conducted a thorough investigation into ROJ-TV, but the station has been allowed to continue its broadcasts. That investigation is still ongoing.

ROJ-TV has continually denied all accusations by the Turkish government and claims the station has a right to its viewpoints.

'ROJ-TV is a Kurdish TV-station with Kurdish angles on the news, and it doesn't care for the Turkish government,' said station manager Tahsili Zonoozi.

Turkey has consistently argued that ROJ-TV is nothing more than a propaganda outlet for the armed Kurdish organisation PKK, which stands on the US' terror list.

The Turkish government believes the broadcasts show a transgression of Danish laws against spreading hate relating to sex, race, religion or nationality. The complaint also asserts that ROJ-TV has broken a Danish law aimed at protecting minors from programmes which harm their 'physical, mental or moral development, including programmes containing pornography or unmotivated violence'.

Accompanying the complaint were outtakes from several ROJ-TV broadcasts transferred to DVD by the Turkish authorities.

Discussions on the subject have been at the highest levels. PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly criticized the Turkish government for their handling of the situation. He lashed out at the Turkish government for bringing charges against 56 Kurdish mayors, who had sent a letter to him requesting that ROJ-TV be allowed to continue operating in Denmark.

In November 2005, Turkey 's prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, walked out of a press conference with Danish Rasmussen, because he allowed ROJ-TV to cover it.