News in Kurdish on Su TV

The Turkish channel Su TV has launched the broadcast of a daily news bulletin in Kurdish. The program can be received via satellite, internet or D-Smart every night at 7.30 pm.

Su TV stands for multicultural and multilingual broadcasts. Program coordinator Mehmet Demir explains, "Currently, the media organs have to take a decision: Will they align with peace or will they shout for war? We will do broadcasts for peace".

"TV channels like atv and Kanal D should also start broadcasting in the languages represented in this country", Demir suggested.

Starting with the Kurdish news bulletin to take up multilingual broadcasts, the TV channel is now also preparing for a program in Armenian.

Unbiased approach

Su TV General Coordinator Nazan Özdemir and İbrahim Genç, responsible for the Kurdish News, introduced the new broadcast in yesterday's press conference:

Genç announced, "We started to provide a possibility for the different people to get to know each other and to emphasize that their problems have a common ground". Genç continued, "We will follow a unifying and constructive policy, keeping an equal distance to everyone, without censorship and by letting everybody speak".

Program coordinator Demir talked to bianet about the difficulty of establishing an infrastructure for the Kurdish broadcast:

"It was difficult to find qualified people. TRT Şeş [a state channel broadcasting in Kurdish] is still struggling in this aspect. We solved the problem by contacting Kurdish institutions".

Demir pointed out the difference between Su TV and TRT Şeş as follows:

"We set out upon the connectivity of the language. We are not broadcasting with an attitude of censorship. We are heeding the Kurdish language and culture. All developments within this context will be on our agenda".

Genç added, "Since we are a privately owned TV channel, the bulletin will not only consider the state but it will also deal with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and news regarding the PKK".

The Kurdish news bulletin initially went on air on 20 September. After a test broadcast of 3 days, the life program was launched.

RTÜK regulations

On 5 January 2004, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued the "Regulations about Radio and Television Broadcasts in Different Languages and Dialects Traditionally Used in the Daily Life of Turkish Citizens" which does not allow local media organs to broadcast any kind of children's programs in their mother tongue

The regulations allow for 1 hour per day of radio broadcast, maximum 5 hours per week, respectively 45 minutes of daily TV broadcast not exceeding 4 hours per week. Radio programs can be published only under the obligation of publishing the same program in a subtitled version on TV right after the original broadcast. The media institutions have to inform RTÜK in advance about the contents of the program, the format and who prepared it.

TRT Şeş went on air on 1 January and broadcasts in Kurdish 24 hours a day including children's programs. (BÇ/VK)