European Union Must Organise a Campaign,demanding shutting down most TV stations in Turkey!

European Union must organise a campaign, demanding shutting down Most TV stations in Turkey!
Alan Dersimi
Independent Kurdish Journalist
28.09.2007

Every now and then Turkish media report that Turkish authorities raise their concern over ROJ TV to Danish Authorities. They accuse ROJ TV, which is the true voice of Kurdish people with all sort of heinous fabricated misdeeds.
Since the advent of television, some regulator bodies has been appointed to oversee the TV broadcasting code of conduct based on universal values stipulated in charter of Human rights and other related international conventions.
If one of these regulator bodies observe the Turkish satellite broadcastings, they will without slightest doubt hear statements and commentaries which are full of hatred and abuse against a culture and a people who constitute at least a quarter of Turkey's population. No one raise concern in this regard neither in Turkey nor in European countries. These are pure violation of internationally accepted values by Turkey. Possibly the odd interpretation of human rights is seen appropriate for the way the Turkish state is governed. Turkey sees this as self-evident to continue with their trampling upon universal principles.
While Turkey is adamant in their conduct, shamelessly want to export their repressive measures to Europe and give lessons to Denmark about its press freedom regarding closure of ROJ TV.
It is a legitimate democratic view to ask European Union to explain why they are so defensive and tolerant vis-à-vis Turkish pressure and unacceptable demands. It should not be that hard to translate the Media broadcasting regulation into plain Turkish and introduced to Turkish government. The Turkish government need to understand that TV broadcasting is regulated by law, and any offence or misconduct is watched over by concerned authorities in Denmark.
It is time to let Turkey know that demanding of ROJ TV's closure is not acceptable. The only authority which can judge the content of ROJ TV's programming is the Danish Radio and Television Board. Turkey can not continue its repressive and dictatorial manner to dictate how other country should run their internal affairs. A Europe media regulator shall set up an independent body to oversee TV broadcasting in Turkey to measure the respect for human rights and true meaning of Freedom of expression.

Trkiet vil af med Kurdisk tv-station i Danmark

Tyrkiet vil af med kurdisk tv-station i Danmark
Under FN's topmøde i New York forlangte den tyrkiske udenrigsminister, at Danmark lukker den kurdiske tv-station ROJ, der sender fra København.
Af Marie Hjortdal 26.sep 2007 kl.20:19

Tyrkiets udenrigsminister Ali Babacan har benyttet FN's generalforsamling til at appellere til den danske udenrigsminister Per Stig Møller (K) om en varm tyrkisk sag. Mellem møderne opfordrede udenrigsminister Ali Babacan ifølge den tyrkiske avis The New Anatolian sin danske kollega om at lukke den kurdiske tv-station ROJ, der opererer fra Danmark og sender via satellit. »Vi har leveret beviserne«Tyrkiet anklager tv-stationen for at sende propaganda for den kurdiske terrororganisation PKK. Herhjemme har Radio- og Tv-nævnet frifundet ROJ og har erklæret, at stationen ikke opfordrer til vold og uroligheder, men producerer traditionelle nyhedsudsendelser. I New York hævdede Babacan, at Tyrkiet har bevis for ROJ's støtte til kurdiske seperatister og dens forbindelser til PKK. »Vi har leveret beviserne for længe siden, og nu vil vi have jer til at reagere«, lød Babacans krav ifølge The New Anatolian. Ifølge avisen svarede Per Stig Møller, at sagen stadig bliver undersøgt, og at det tyrkiske styre må være mere tålmodigt. Strid i rettenStriden om tv-kanalen har ført til en retssag, der venter på at blive afgjort i Tyrkiet. Her kræver den tyrkiske stat 53 tyrkiske borgmestre fængslet, fordi de har sendt et brev til den danske statsminister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (V), hvor de beder ham om at frede stationen. Borgmestrene risikerer op til 15 års fængsel

Tyrkiet presser Per Stig for at lukke tv-station

Tyrkiet presser Per Stig for at lukke tv-station

26-09-2007 17:39Tyrkiets udenrigsminister har personligt forsøgt at presse Per Stig Møller til at lukke den kurdiske tv-station ROJ TV.De to mødtes til FNs generalforsamling i New York, og Tyrkiets udenrigsminister pressede Per Stig Møller hårdt for at få stationen lukket, meddeler flere tyrkiske medier.ROJ TV sender illegalt fjernsyn til den kurdiske del af den tyrkiske befolkning, primært kulturprogrammer, film og politiske diskussioner. Tyrkiet beskylder kanalen for at være separatistisk og for at stå i forbindelse med de illegale kurdiske parti PKK, der arbejder for kurdisk selvstændighed fra Tyrkiet."Vi leverede for længe siden beviser på kriminalitet, og nu må du tage affære," sagde den tyrkiske udenrigsminister Ali Babacan ifølge The New Anatolian til Per Stig Møller.ROJ TV sender via satellit fra København, og i tre tilfælde er kanalen tidligere blevet frifundet for tyrkiske beskyldninger om ulovligheder.Indtil 2002 var det kurdiske sprog forbudt i Tyrkiet, og først fra sommeren 2004 begyndte andre medier end ROJ TV at sende programmer på kurdisk. Myndighederne forlanger dog stadig, at kanalerne maksimalt må sende en times udsendelser om ugen på kurdisk

Turkish Foreugn Minister reproaches Danish counterpart over ROJ TV

Turkish Foreign Minister reproaches Danish counterpart over Roj TV
The fact that Danish authorities still haven’t withdrawn the broadcasting licence and pulled the plug on a Danish-based television station that Turkey says is a mouthpiece for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is creating problems in bilateral relations between Ankara and Copenhagen, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan warned during a meeting with his Danish counterpart. The meeting between Babacan and Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller took place on Monday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Babacan reiterated Turkey’s request for closure of Roj TV, which has been a source of tension between Turkey and Denmark for the last three years.
When Moeller voiced a long-used argument by Danish officials, saying that there has been an ongoing investigation into the issue, Babacan “reproached” the Danish minister and asked why the investigation had taken this long despite the fact that Turkish authorities long ago handed over to the Danish side documents and evidence proving the relationship of the station with the PKK, diplomatic sources told the Anatolia news agency on Tuesday.
(Source: Today’s Zaman)

Babacan calls on Denmark to ban ROJ TV

Babacan calls on Denmark to ban Roj TV
The New Anatolian / Ankara
26 September 2007
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan urged his Danish counterpart Per Stig Moller in New York to shut down a Kurdish language television channel operating from Denmark and which Ankara accuses of broadcasting separatist propaganda to Turkey's mostly Kurdish populated southeastern Anatolia region.The two met on the sidelines of a UN summit on Monday.The satellite TV channel in question, Roj TV, has been broadcasting from Denmark for several years. In the meeting, Babacan stated that Turkey submitted proof of Roj TV’s separatist line, as requested by authorities in Copenhagen. Turkey says the TV station is linked with the PKK organization.“We have provided this evidence long ago and we now want you to take action” Babacan said.Moller said that an investigation was still underway and asked Turkey to be more patient.Babacan’s statements came on the same day when the chief of the Turkish Army, General Ilker Basbug warned against what he said was the rise of ethnic nationalism in Turkey."We will not let the formation of artificial distinctions and the introduction of these topics lead the country to polarization” Basbug said in a speech in the Army war collegeHe also criticized the United States for what he said was not acting against separatist Kurdish militants operating against Turkey from northern Iraq. Babacan also held separate talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmet Ali Aboul Gheit, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The issue of Iraq and the Middle East peace process were high on agenda of the meeting between Babacan and his Egyptian counterpart Aboul Gheit. Aboul Gheit invited Babacan to Egypt, and Babacan accepted.Meanwhile, Babacan said at his meeting with NATO Secretary-General de Hoop Scheffer that Turkey is ready to make more contributions to NATO. On Tuesday Babacan met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Mahmud Zebari and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana on Tuesday.

Military Hypocrisy in Mothertongue Education Debate

Military Hypocrisy in Mothertongue Education Debate
General Basbug opposes education in their mothertongue for "some ethnic groups", but many military and other schools encourage education in a foreign language medium.
Bıa news centre
26-09-2007
Gökce Gündüc
General Ilker Basbug, commander of the Turkish Ground Forces, has said: "It is one matter to accept and respect the wish of some ethnic groups to learn their own languages in addition to Turkish; accepting education and teaching in these languages is a different matter altogether."
Speaking at the opening of the academic year for military schools, Basbug has thus added his voice to the debate on a civil constitution.
Military schools: Foreign languages a priority
His comments strike one as hypocritical if one examines the website of the Turkish Armed Forces, which describes the military highschool syllabus:
"Military Highschools comprise four years, including a year of [language] preparatory classes and the education is mostly in a foreign language."
For instance, pupils in the first year of Maltepe Military Highschool have 14 hours of English a week. This drops to nine hours a week in second and third grade, and seven hours in twelfth grade. In the same school, Turkish Literature and Language classes are taught five hours a week in the first three grades and is incrased by one hour in the last grade.
According to the Turkish Armed Forces website, the aim of the education at military schools is "to educate officer candidates who can adapt to the social, cultural, technological and academic conditions of the Science Age, who have a developed awareness of the law, who respect human rights and freedoms, who know at least one, but preferably two foreign languages, and who have been educated in different branches of engineering."
Civilian schools: 4-8 hours a week
Civilian schools also aim at at least four hours of foreign language education a week. In so-called Anatolian highschools, pupils have eight hours a week in the first two grades.
Foreign language medium teaching in private universities
Many private universities and some courses at state universities are also taught in foreign languages, forcing many students to take at least a year of language preparatory classes. It is thus hypocritical that "some ethnic groups" are not allowed to learn or teach their languages at schools.
While religious minorities have their own schools, in which the children can learn Greek, Hebrew, Armenian, etc., the teaching of Kurdish was finally allowed at private language courses, but with many hurdles put in the way of anyone opening a course.
Mothertongue: "A basic building block of identity"
In a book entitled "Language Rights during the EU Process", published by the Helsinki Citzen's Charter, Pulat Tacar defines mothertongue as "the first language an individual learns in his/her family or social environment. The mothertongue reaches the subconscious, counts as a basic building block of identity and is one of the most powerful connections between individual and society."
Tacar also differentiates between assimilation and integration, saying: "The priority for pre-modern countries is to form and protect a state. The leaders of these countries believe that if they do not strenghten the central state, the country will fall apart. This is why they interpret ethnic, linguistic and religious variety or differences as a threat to the country's unity and integrity. Assimilation tries to dissolve cultural variety through direct or indirect pressure."
Integration, on the other hand, is defined as "creating a social unit with another group, coming together in order to gain a super-identity". (GG/NZ/AG)

Babacan reproaches his counterpart on ROJ TV

Babacan reproaches his Danish counterpart on Roj TV controversy
The fact that Danish authorities still haven't withdrawn the broadcasting license and pulled the plug on a Danish-based television station that Turkey says is a mouthpiece for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is creating problems in bilateral relations between Ankara and Copenhagen,TurkishForeign Minister Ali Babacan warned during a meeting with his Danish counterpart. Per Stig Moeller
The meeting between Babacan and Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller took place on Monday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Babacan reiterated Turkey's request for closure of Roj TV, which has been a source of tension between Turkey and Denmark for the last three years. When Moeller voiced a long-used argument by Danish officials, saying that there has been an ongoing investigation into the issue, Babacan "reproached" the Danish minister and asked why the investigation had taken this long despite the fact that Turkish authorities long ago handed over to the Danish side documents and evidence proving the relationship of the station with the PKK, diplomatic sources told the Anatolia news agency on Tues-day.
26.09.2007

2 comments on: Turkey Tells Denmark"Shut It down"

2 Comments on : Turkey tells Denmark: “Shut It Down”
Skender said...
"Moller said that an investigation was still underway and asked Turkey to be more patient."What is there to investigate? Accusations of separatism? Since when is that a crime?
9/25/2007 11:02 AM
kepiblanc said...
The investigation is not about Turkey/Kurdistan but the Kurdish Radio Station - ROJ - which is accused of promoting terrorism - or so say the Turks. The outcome is a given: ROJ is protected by Danish law and will be allowed to carry on.
9/25/2007 11:28 AM

Source : http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2007/09/turkey-tells-denmark-shut-it down.html

Turkey Tells Denmark:"shut It Down"

Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Turkey Tells Denmark: "Shut It Down"
by Dymphna
AKI is reporting that Turkey is miffed with Denmark for broadcasting a Kurdish language television channel. Turkey claims it’s sending out “separatist propaganda” to Turkey’s Kurds.The report fails to mention that Turkey doesn’t permit the use of the language of the Kurds and has been squelching it for generations:
The request was made by Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan in his meeting with his Danish counterpart Per Stig Moller in New York, on the sidelines of a UN summit on Monday.The satellite TV channel in question, Roj TV, has been broadcasting from Denmark for several years.In the meeting, Babacan stated that Turkey submitted proof of Roj TV’s separatist line, as requested by authorities in Copenhagen.“We have provided this evidence long ago and we now want you to take action” Babacan said.Moller said that an investigation was still underway and asked Turkey to be more patient.
The news report says that Babcan’s statements were an echo of that of General Ilker Basbug, who is singing the age-old tune about “the rise of ethnic nationalism.”“Rise”? The Kurds have never given up in their quest for a Kurdish state. Remember the failed 1920 Treaty of Sèvres?- - - - - - - - -
The breakup of the Empire following World War I and the emergence of the modern Turkish state led to attempts on the part of the Kurds to secure their own nation state. There was no general agreement among Kurds on what its borders should be, due to the disparity between the areas of Kurdish settlement and the political and administrative boundaries of the region.The outlines of a “Kurdistan” as an entity were proposed in 1919 by Serif Pasha, who represented the Society for the Ascension of Kurdistan (Kürdistan Teali Cemiyeti) at the Paris Peace Conference. He defined the region’s boundaries as follows:“The frontiers of Turkish Kurdistan, from an ethnographical point of view, begin in the north at Ziven, on the Caucasian frontier, and continue westwards to Erzurum, Erzincan, Kemah, Arapgir, Besni and Divick (Divrik?) ; in the south they follow the line from Harran, the Sinjihar Hills, Tel Asfar, Erbil, Süleymaniye, Akk-el-man, Sinne; in the east, Ravandiz, Baskale, Vezirkale, that is to say the frontier of Persia as far as Mount Ararat.”
As it turned out, the Kurds got nothing, but they’ve never given up. And Turkey remains just as adamant about their removal, eighty years later:
“We will not let the formation of artificial distinctions and the introduction of these topics lead the country to polarisation” Basbug said in a speech in the Army war college.So every year, in the Spring, Turkey masses its troops on the northern Iraqi border to get rid of these "artificial distinctions" (as if culture and language are artifical) and skirmishes with the Kurds. The Turks usually end up with more casualties, but more Kurds are routed from their homes and their lives are disrupted. Meanwhile, in Turkey itself, the Kurdish language and culture of Turkey's own Kurdish citizens continue to be suppressed. It’s no wonder the Turks want Denmark to follow suit.Basburg doesn’t like the U.S. either: we’re not doing enough against the “separatists” in Northern Iraq to satisfy Turkey. Actually, I don’t think we’re doing anything about them at all. It’s not in the job description, and besides we have a full plate in Iraq already. The northern Kurdish areas are relatively and prosperous now that Saddam has been dispatched.If only the rest of Iraq were as quiet as the Kurdish areas. On the other hand, the foreign terrorists are in no hurry to go up against the Peshmerga soldiers. The terrorists may be violent and callously murderous, but they’re not stupid. They pick off the primitive tribes in northern Iraq like the Yezidis- the ones who are least likely to be able to defend themselves.If the rest of Iraq were like the Kurds in the north, we could go home

DTP PARLIAMENTARIAN ON ROJ TV

DTP PARLIAMENTARIAN ON ROJ TV

On Wednesday evening 12.september.2007 Bengi Yildiz the Kurdish Deputy of Batman participated in ROJ TV’s weekly show Rojev, and answered the questions of ROJ TV moderator Amed Dicle, as well as questions from viewers.
Many viewers from Batman area and other constituencies phoned in and put their questions to their elected deputy. The viewers put forward their desire that elected members of Democratic
Society Party (in its Turkish acronym DTP) should do their utmost efforts for finding a democratic solution for Kurdish issue in Turkey.
The show lasted 90 minutes.

Ros til Politiken.Men...

Ros til Politiken. Men…
Skrevet af Birgit Fleckner 12. Sep 10:46
Vigtig er også artiklen om de 53 borgmestre, der i Tyrkiet er tiltalt for at sende et brev til Fogh med opfordring til at lukke det kurdiske Roj TV. Vi husker alle Erdogan, der i vrede forlod et pressemøde i Statsministeriet, da han opdagede, at en journalist fra Roj TV var til stede.

Roj TV letter Trial Waites for Danish Answer

Roj TV Letter Trial Waits for Danish Answer
A trial concerning the letter that 56 mayors sent to Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen will continue after response from Denmark.
bıa news centre
12-09-2007
Erol Önderoglu
On 30 December 2005, 56 mayors had sent Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen a letter in which they asked for the Kurdish Roj TV channel to remain open. 54 of the mayors were of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and two of the Social Democratic People's Party (SHP).
Prison sentences demandedThe mayors are now on trial for "knowingly and willingly helping a terrorist organisation", or more precisely, for "helping the organisation by preventing the taking away of a visual propaganda medium of the terrorist organisation". The prosecution is asking for sentences of between 7.5 and 15 years for 53 mayors. Three mayors have been acquitted.The defendants are being tried under Articles 314/3 and 220/7 of the Turkish Penal Code.
Indictment: Roj TV threatens Turkey
The investigation into the letter was initiated by the Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on 2 January 2006. In the indictment which was prepared after a six-month investigation, it is said that Roj TV spreads "propaganda of the organisation".
The indictment also says, "Although the letter expressed a legal and democratic right, it ignored the fact that the organisational views of Roj TV contain broadcasts which threaten Turkey."
Denmark's answer needed
The court case was continued yesterday (11 September) at the Diyarbakir 5th Heavy Penal Court. In the short hearing, it was decided to ask for the original answer of the Danish Media Secretariate concerning the status of Roj TV. The court decided to write to the Ministry of Justice to ask for Denmark's answer. The hearing was postponed until 20 November.
The defendants were represented by their lawyers Muharrem Erbas and Sezgin Tanrikulu at the hearing. The lawyers argued that the hearing was more like a trial of Roj TV than of the defendants. (EÖ/AG)

SF overvager retssag mod tyrkiske borgmester

Inland
9. sep 2007 kl. 15:41

SF ender en observatør til Tyrkiet for at holde øje med retssagen mod de 53 borgmester, som skrev til Anders Fogh Rasmussen om tv-stationen ROJ.

53 borgmestre skal for retten i den østtyrkiske by Diyarbakir tiltalt for at have skrevet et brev til Anders Fogh Rasmussen. SF sender en observatør til Tyrkiet for at overvære retssagen mod 53 tyrkisk-kurdiske borgmestre, der risikerer 15 års fængsel, fordi de har sendt et brev til den danske statsminister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (V). I brevet opfordrede de den danske regering til at undlade at inddrage sendetilladelsen til den kurdiske tv-station ROJ, der sender via satellit fra Danmark.

Principiel betydning

Det er hovedbestyrelsesmedlem og folketingskandidat for SF Serdal Benli, som selv har kurdiske rødder, der rejser til Diyarbakir for at overvåge retssagen. »Denne sag har en enorm principiel betydning. Dels er den jo tæt knyttet til Danmark, dels er den ekstra principiel, fordi Tyrkiet gør sig forhåbninger om at blive optaget i EU. Hvis borgmestrene dømmes, må man sige, at landet bevæger sig væk fra demokrati, ytringsfrihed og en politisk udvikling, der er forenelig med Europas«, siger Serdal Benli. ROJ er ulovlig i Tyrkiet, men når alligevel ud til millioner af kurdere fra hovedkvarteret ved Rådhuspladsen i København. De tyrkiske myndigheder har flere gange bedt Danmark om at inddrage sendetilladelsen, da den ifølge tyrkerne laver propaganda for PKK.

Ingen belæg for terrorstøtte

SF’s partiformand Villy Søvndal, understreger, at ROJ er blevet tjekket igen og igen, uden at der er fundet det mindste belæg for, at tv-stationen tilskynder til terror. »De 53 borgmestre har benyttet deres ytringsfrihed i forsøget på at holde en kritisk tv-station i live og dermed sikre en vigtig røst i den tyrkisk-kurdiske konflikt«, siger Villy Søvndal. Retssagen mod borgmestrene, der er medlemmer Det Demokratiske Samfundsparti (DTP), er kun en ud af flere mod kurdiske politikere i Tyrkiet. Den er blevet udsat flere gange, men er nu berammet til tirsdag.