Discussion:
Outlawed PKK threatens TRT’s Kurdish TV employees
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rich murphy
2009-02-10 02:11:51 UTC
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http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=166446

Outlawed PKK threatens TRT's Kurdish TV employees

10 February 2009, Tuesday
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

The future of the state-owned Kurdish language station, TRT 6, which
began broadcasting on Jan. 1, is being threatened by the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has become increasingly vocal
about its objections to the new channel. It has recently been revealed
that the PKK has threatened Kurdish performers, intellectuals and
other individuals seeking employment with the station.

The PKK has been conducting propaganda efforts to discourage people
from watching TRT 6, which has already become the most popular
television station in the predominantly Kurdish Southeast; however,
every single employee at the channel has received threats from the
PKK, police intelligence has revealed. The same problem was
experienced in Europe, where the Kurdish channel is now available via
the Türksat 3A satellite. The PKK terrorist organization has released
a statement in European countries in which it said watching the
channel was an act of "betrayal." "No Kurd who sees himself as a Kurd
and takes pride in this should take part in this channel or serve it
in any way," the statement said.

According to various accounts, the PKK has been threatening Kurdish
performers who have made plans to host programs on the channel. It has
been successful in forcing some performers to back out of their plans,
but not everyone has submitted to their demands. Popular Kurdish
singer Rojin announced that she had received threats but that she had
decided to go ahead and host a show as planned after consulting with
her mother.

The PKK has been trying to intimidate Kurdish performers, threatening
to prevent them from putting on concerts in Europe if they appear on
TRT 6. The channel has been unable to find any performers other than
Rojin and Nilüfer Akbal to host programs due to these threats.

In addition to artists and performers, the PKK has declared Kurdish
intellectuals supporting TRT 6, including Servet Kocakaya, Muhsin
Kızılkaya, Mehmet Metiner and Ümit Fırat, "the Kurds of the state."
One of the leaders of the PKK, Cemil Bayık, threatened: "Now those
like Mehmet Metiner and Ümit Fırat are mumbling something. Just sit
where you are, know your place and immediately give up doing what you
are doing."

The PKK says in its statements that the Kurdish channel is a form of
"special warfare" being used by the government and calls on Turkey's
Kurds not to watch its shows. PKK chief operative Murat Karayılan, in
a similar call to the people of the Southeast, said Kurdish broadcasts
were "an obvious game of juggling."

In a recent statement, the PKK also said two planned Kurdish studies
departments for the University of Diyarbakır and Mardin Artuklu
University were also tools of psychological warfare.

TRT 6, which has not yet begun broadcasting any live programming, has
struggled to hire personnel. Station head Sinan İlhan told Today's
Zaman that this problem has now been "solved, for the most part." It
has mostly hired Kurdish-speaking employees from other TRT channels.

Heavy criticism from DTP

Despite its initial welcoming response to the launch of the station,
the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) has also begun to
express suspicion about the new channel following the PKK's reaction.

DTP Muş deputy Sırrı Sakık, highlighting the difficulties TRT 6 was
having finding employees, said: "They are looking for Kurds with no
criminal record to hire for Kurdish TV. A Kurd who does not have a
criminal record does not have anything to do with being a Kurd; he
doesn't have such a demand [for Kurdish-language television]." He
dismissed TRT 6 as a tool of state manipulation.

Hasip Kaplan, the DTP's Şırnak deputy, said the Kurdish channel was
only an investment for the upcoming municipal elections. Kaplan also
said the channel was a failure because it started its broadcasts
without consulting with any Kurdish organizations or institutions.
d***@rocketmail.com
2009-02-10 03:38:32 UTC
Permalink
Post by rich murphy
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=166446
Outlawed PKK threatens TRT's Kurdish TV employees
10 February 2009, Tuesday
ERCAN YAVUZ  ANKARA
The future of the state-owned Kurdish language station, TRT 6, which
began broadcasting on Jan. 1, is being threatened by the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has become increasingly vocal
about its objections to the new channel. It has recently been revealed
that the PKK has threatened Kurdish performers, intellectuals and
other individuals seeking employment with the station.
What did the PKK specifically threaten them with?
Post by rich murphy
The PKK has been conducting propaganda efforts to discourage people
from watching TRT 6, which has already become the most popular
television station in the predominantly Kurdish Southeast; however,
every single employee at the channel has received threats from the
PKK, police intelligence has revealed. The same problem was
experienced in Europe, where the Kurdish channel is now available via
the Türksat 3A satellite. The PKK terrorist organization has released
a statement in European countries in which it said watching the
channel was an act of "betrayal." "No Kurd who sees himself as a Kurd
and takes pride in this should take part in this channel or serve it
in any way," the statement said.
So what exactly was the specific threat if the Kurdish employees
decided to work for the channel?
Post by rich murphy
According to various accounts, the PKK has been threatening Kurdish
performers who have made plans to host programs on the channel. It has
been successful in forcing some performers to back out of their plans,
but not everyone has submitted to their demands. Popular Kurdish
singer Rojin announced that she had received threats but that she had
decided to go ahead and host a show as planned after consulting with
her mother.
According to what accounts? Did popular Kurdish singer Rojin give any
details as to the nature of the threat she received? Which performers
said they were forced to back out?
Post by rich murphy
The PKK has been trying to intimidate Kurdish performers, threatening
to prevent them from putting on concerts in Europe if they appear on
TRT 6. The channel has been unable to find any performers other than
Rojin and Nilüfer Akbal to host programs due to these threats.
How did the PKK say it would prevent them putting on concerts in
Europe? Did they say they intended to use bombs, blockades, or
boycotts of sponsors?
Post by rich murphy
In addition to artists and performers, the PKK has declared Kurdish
intellectuals supporting TRT 6, including Servet Kocakaya, Muhsin
Kýzýlkaya, Mehmet Metiner and Ümit Fýrat, "the Kurds of the state."
One of the leaders of the PKK, Cemil Bayýk, threatened: "Now those
like Mehmet Metiner and Ümit Fýrat are mumbling something. Just sit
where you are, know your place and immediately give up doing what you
are doing."
Give up doing what they're doing or else what?
Post by rich murphy
In a recent statement, the PKK also said two planned Kurdish studies
departments for the University of Diyarbakýr and Mardin Artuklu
University were also tools of psychological warfare.
So insulting university study programs is an act of terrorism?

I'm sorry, but the only evidence of 'terrorism' you present is that
the PKK has been declared a 'outlawed terrorist organization' by the
Turkish government. From what I know of Turkish 'law,' insulting that
country and its institutions is a criminal offense. Insulting
glorious Turkish patriotic propaganda is repeatedly described as
terrorism in the paragraphs above.

Turkish propaganda is so primitive. Does Turkey really think that any
Westerners would be persuaded by such vague accusations of terrorist
activity? From what I can tell, the PKK's criminal act is daring to
speak when it has been officially told to shut up by the Turkish
government.

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