MED-TV: Kurdish Television
kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu
kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu
Wed May 17 18:31:15 BST 1995
Reply-To: kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu
From: Arm The Spirit <ats at etext.org>
Subject: MED-TV: Kurdish Television
Kurdish TV from Britain is nationalist voice
By Aliza Marcus
ISTANBUL, May 15 (Reuter) - It's showtime in Turkey and the latest television
programme to hit the crowded airwaves favours documentaries about village life
and children's game shows. But despite the ponderous -- some would say boring
-- nature of the broadcasts, British-based MED-TV has its intensely loyal
viewers, and all because the language of choice is Kurdish.
"Every night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. you can find me right here, in front of the
television," said a Kurdish businessman, chuckling as children draped in the
red, yellow and red colours of Kurdish nationalism danced across the screen.
"Imagine, for the first time in history, we have our own television, which is
being broadcast to Kurds all over the world," he said.
Turkish officials are less than pleased about the British- licensed MED-TV,
which uses satellite technology to beam from London into Turkey and evade
Turkish laws forbidding broadcasts in Kurdish.
Turkey, worried MED-TV is being used by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
guerrilla group to promote demands for Kurdish autonomy or independence in
Turkey, has asked Britain's licensing agency to monitor broadcasts.
"I think this goes against the European conventions on television and human
rights, because it stirs up racial hatred and is against the territorial
integrity of Turkey," said an official with Turkey's Radio and Television High
Commission.
Whether it is linked to the PKK or not -- MED-TV officials say a wide variety
of groups and businessmen are financially backing the channel -- the broadcast
certainly gives the guerrillas another route to spread their message.
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, based in Syria or Lebanon, recently joined a debate
by telephone with other Kurdish groups on MED-TV. He said he was fighting for
Kurdish rights but not a separate Kurdish state.
More than 15,000 people have died in the rebels' 11-year-old battle in Turkey's
mainly Kurdish southeast.
But the television tension is more than a spat over programming. It reflects
both the problems Turkey has in suppressing Kurdish identity in the age of
technology and open borders, as well as the growing role of the usually
wealthier and better educated Kurdish diaspora in Europe.
Kurds in Europe, made up of many who say they fled repression in Turkey, are
becoming a powerful lobby against Ankara's attempts to deny Kurdish cultural
rights at home.
Kurds set up a 65-seat parliament-in-exile in The Hague in April which includes
members of the PKK and the non-violent Democracy Party (DEP) banned in Turkey
last year.
Ankara recalled its ambassador from the Netherlands and embargoed the import of
new Dutch military sales in a row over the assembly which Turkey says is an
undemocratic PKK front.
"Turkey has been getting very upset with Europe, but instead of lashing out
they should be trying to foster a positive environment," said a Western
diplomat.
The Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly voted on April 26 to suspend
Turkey if Ankara did not clean up its human rights record while Bonn stopped
military aid when Turkish troops moved into northern Iraq in March to wipe out
PKK bases.
Turkey's long-hoped for customs deal with the European Union could be blocked
by Euro-MPs if Ankara does not address human rights concerns, including the
jailing of six Kurdish MPs.
By promoting Kurdish culture, Kurdish language and by association Kurdish
nationalism, MED-TV runs counter to Turkey's attempts to suppress Kurdish
identity.
Kurdish-language education is not allowed in Turkey and books about Kurdish
history are often banned under the charge of disseminating separatist
propaganda.
MED-TV officials acknowledge the broadcasts are aimed to develop a sense of
identity among Kurds and say it's about time Kurds had their own TV show.
Western historians estimate there are about 20 million Kurds in Turkey and
neighbouring countries.
"This television will be a different voice, and with shows also in Turkish we
can reach Turks as well so they can learn about Kurdish people," said Ahmet
Akkaya, a Turk who is the Belgium-based spokesman for MED-TV. "Why shouldn't
Kurds have their own television?" he told Reuters by telephone.
MED-TV officials stress the international approach of the broadcasts, designed
to appeal to Kurds not just in Turkey, but also in Iraq, Iran, Syria and
throughout Europe. "This will be one step in helping Kurds develop a common
cultural identity after being forced apart by the borders of the 20th century,"
said Akkaya.
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