Kurdish channels still experiencing broadcasting attacks
Kurdish channels still experiencing broadcasting attacks
Three Kurdish television channels RojTV, Newroz and MMC have been scrambled for two weeks in Turkey and Iraq, in the midst of uprisings in the Middle East. RojTV, popular among Kurds in both countries, condemned the interference as piracy and pointed to the Turkish government as responsible.
Kurdish television RojTV, which has been in the crossfire of the Turkish state since its inception, said that Turkey scrambled the signal chain in the Kurdish region.
Transmissions of RojTV, Newroz TV and MMC are scrambled in Diyarbakir, the capital of Kurdistan in Turkey for two weeks. In other Kurdish cities like Sirnak, Mardin, Van, Bitlis, Hakkari, Erzurum, Kars, Igdir, Mus, Ardahan and Agri, the signal of these three channels has been blurred for a week. The signals are also scrambled in Iraqi Kurdistan, the scene of violent clashes since February 17.
"Roj TV is covering developments in Kurdistan and the Middle East, including upsetting the AKP government, the ruling party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, "said Roj TV, in a statement.
"The government wants to silence the Kurdish media to hide the repression against the Kurdish people and to manipulate public opinion. We condemn these attacks and we consider them as futile attempts" to silence Kurdish television.
The Kurdish Firat news agency, based in Amsterdam, is also a victim of cyber-attacks from Turkey since February 12. Firat News Agency, widely known in Turkey, is in the crossfire of the authorities, since 2005. Its website has been banned on at least four occasions, which led the agency to change several times its domain names.
RojTV, a Denmark-based Kurdish television, broadcasts programmes in Kurmanji, Sorani, Zazaki, Turkish, Arabic and Aramaic. It began broadcasting in 2004 from Belgium to 78 countries in Europe, the Near and Middle East.
Newroz TV, popular among Iranian Kurds, broadcasts programmes from Europe in Kurmanji, Sorani, English and farsi. The channel is available in 78 countries.
MMC TV (Mesopotamia Music Channel) is the first Kurdish music channel. It broadcasts mainly music videos. Viewers can send text messages which are then displayed on the screen. The channel is available in 78 countries.
Kurdish television RojTV, which has been in the crossfire of the Turkish state since its inception, said that Turkey scrambled the signal chain in the Kurdish region.
Transmissions of RojTV, Newroz TV and MMC are scrambled in Diyarbakir, the capital of Kurdistan in Turkey for two weeks. In other Kurdish cities like Sirnak, Mardin, Van, Bitlis, Hakkari, Erzurum, Kars, Igdir, Mus, Ardahan and Agri, the signal of these three channels has been blurred for a week. The signals are also scrambled in Iraqi Kurdistan, the scene of violent clashes since February 17.
"Roj TV is covering developments in Kurdistan and the Middle East, including upsetting the AKP government, the ruling party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, "said Roj TV, in a statement.
"The government wants to silence the Kurdish media to hide the repression against the Kurdish people and to manipulate public opinion. We condemn these attacks and we consider them as futile attempts" to silence Kurdish television.
The Kurdish Firat news agency, based in Amsterdam, is also a victim of cyber-attacks from Turkey since February 12. Firat News Agency, widely known in Turkey, is in the crossfire of the authorities, since 2005. Its website has been banned on at least four occasions, which led the agency to change several times its domain names.
RojTV, a Denmark-based Kurdish television, broadcasts programmes in Kurmanji, Sorani, Zazaki, Turkish, Arabic and Aramaic. It began broadcasting in 2004 from Belgium to 78 countries in Europe, the Near and Middle East.
Newroz TV, popular among Iranian Kurds, broadcasts programmes from Europe in Kurmanji, Sorani, English and farsi. The channel is available in 78 countries.
MMC TV (Mesopotamia Music Channel) is the first Kurdish music channel. It broadcasts mainly music videos. Viewers can send text messages which are then displayed on the screen. The channel is available in 78 countries.
