Ankara aims concern over broadcast at Denmark

Saturday, February 24, 2007

FULYA ÖZERKANANKARA - Turkish Daily News

Turkey has launched a diplomatic move to express its concerns over a Danish television station's airing of propaganda for Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), further exacerbating existing tension over another Denmark-based TV station.
A 45-minute television program recently aired on Danish station TV-2 – first established as a state TV station in Denmark and later privatized – included an interview with Murat Karayılan, as well as snapshots from the daily lives of PKK members.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources told the Turkish Daily News on Friday that Ankara cannot remain silent on such a sensitive issue and that it has already conveyed its uneasiness – over Denmark-based pro-Kurdish broadcasts – via the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen at the level of the Danish authorities.
Denmark-based ROJ TV has been a source of tension between Turkey and Denmark for the last three years with Copenhagen remaining insistent on not withdrawing its broadcast license or pulling the plug on the station. The pro-Kurdish channel also began broadcasting in Sweden last May via a cable television network. Ankara is pressing for the closure of ROJ TV and has stressed that on several occasions to Danish authorities.
Denmark has launched an enquiry into whether ROJ TV has links to the PKK and refuses to take action until their investigation is complete.
But sources from Copenhagen told the TDN that they don't see any linkage between the matter of ROJ TV and the recently aired program, saying that Denmark has considered the two issues as different cases. The same sources also said there is freedom of expression in Denmark and that they will evaluate the issue after watching the program in question

Bianet - "Controversial Ban on Radio Station in Turkey":

Radio and Television Supreme Council ruled for a complete ban on the Voice of Anatolia radio station on grounds that it continiously broadcasted programmes that would cause discrimination and hatred among people of different ethnicity in the country.
ISTANBUL / 13 February 2007 / by Ayca Orer
Radio and Television Supreme Council banned the broadcast of Anadolu'nun Sesi (Voice of Anatolia) Radio.
The Council based its decision on grounds that the radio has continued diffusing programmes which "impelled the society to violence and ethnic discrimination as well as aiming at discriminations among peoples on differences of region, language, religious sects, social class or race".
We'll start to all possible legal procedures to revindicate this ruling, said the representatives of the radio station.
The station had been penalized with a temporary interception of broadcast for 30 days in 2004 for broadcasting a song by the dissident Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya.
Ankara 12th Administrative Court disapproved the RTUK ruling after three days but the same court witheld with the original penalty following the trial.
Source : Flash bulletin

Renewed investigation of Kurdish TV-station

The public prosecutor has asked the police to investigate once
again the Kurdish TV-station ROJ-TV, which Turkey and the
USA claim is funded by the Kurdish organization
PKK. This happens after the Copenhagen Police twice already
within the latest 18 months has been investigating and submitted
the politically controversial case to the public prosecutor Karsten Hjort.

The public prosecutor has not been of the opinion, that the matter had been adequately clarified and also new pieces of information have been presented, says local attorney Jens Rasmussen.

The Kurdish separatist movement the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) has been put on the list of terrorist organizations of the European Union (EU), but ROJ-TV has denied receiving funds from the PKK.

The Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) fears that the protracted investigation of the Kurdish TV-station is due to political pressure from Turkey and the USA.
/ritzau/

Translated from Danish language

Yet another investigation of Roj-TV

14.01.2007 15.10 dr.dn Denmark 's Radio Interior

The public prosecutor once again asks the Police of Copenhagen to investigate the Kurdish Roj-TV station, which transmits from Denmark.

The public prosecutor did not find that the matter had been adequately clarified and also new pieces of information have been presented, says district attorney Jens Rasmussen. Turkey and the USA claim that the TV-station is funded by the Kurdish organization PKK and have therefore called on Denmark to ban it.

Two fruitless investigations

But despite two investigations within the latest 18 months the police has not found anything which the public prosecutor found would warrant a lawsuit.

When the Copenhagen Police i 2005 - the first time - submitted the case to the public prosecutor they did so with a reference to "its principled character and the public interest".

In case the renewed police investigation should bring forth results, which the public prosecutor finds fit to be taken further it will ultimately be up to the Attorney General Lene Espersen to evaluate the indictment.

The Red-Green Alliance fears pressure from abroad
The spokesperson of international affairs of the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten), Rune Lund fears that the protracted investigation of the Kurdish TV-station could be due to pressure from Turkey and the USA.

Rune Lund has therefore asked the minister of foreign affairs to inform about the extent of meetings between the Danish ministry of foreign affairs and the USA.

Translated from Danish

Jay Jonroy's David & Layla in 23 International Love films festival

In Mons – Belgium

In " Le Festival International du film d'Amour de Mons – 23eme edition" which is featuring various internationally known love films, Jalal Juwanroyi [ Jay Jonroy] is participating with his humorous and to certain circles controversial film " David & Layla".
The film depicts the existing prejudice between different "cultures" and pinpoints the reality of life ,which could be changed through dialogue and understanding.

On Tuesday 13 February the Kurdish director Jonroy met his audience at Imagis film Centre in Mons , describing how he tries to reconcile the cultures by letting his characters in the film to speak out their prejudice against each other.

In an interview extended to ROJ TV Jay Jonroy stateted" This is up to the audience to judge the work according to their point of view; but the important aspect is universal understanding which must be deduced from it". Jay Jonroy appears in a show on ROJ TV shortly.