The story of the Diyarbakir television channel and radio
The story of the Diyarbakir television channel and radio
The story of Gün TV channel in Diyarbakir is a story of resistance. The studios are in a building not far from the City Hall. They are tiny and the atmosphere inside is that of a friendly busy office. You are offered (always present) sweet çay served in tiny tulip-shape glasses and watermelon (something for which Diyarbakir is famous for). The offices are in a duplex apartment. So downstairs are the proper studios. For the television and for the radio. It's a busy morning and the radio is broadcasting a music programme taking telephone calls and song requests. "You know - says the young woman presenter - the prisoners are listening to the radio" and it is an important remark because visits are limited to first degree relatives only. And contact with the outside world is something vital for who is in jail.
These days at Gün TV there is also another reason to be proud of the work done so far despite the many difficulties. Indeed the channel hopes to start broadcasting on a satellite, which means to become visible to the whole country, and the world.
"Well, - says Diren Keser, the director - we hope to get there". He keeps it modest, but indeed this little fighting channel has been the voice of Amed (the Kurdish name for Diyarbakir) for the past ten years.
Life has been difficult. To be an independent media in Turkey is tough. To be an independent Kurdish media even tougher.
"Well, yes - says Keser - ten years passed but we are still struggling with the same difficulties. Penalties, ban orders, prison, harassment".
Gün TV has been broadcasting in Kurdish for several years now. And this has caused it many problems. At the beginning they could not have live programmes because they had no simultaneous translation facilities and they had to translate everything into Turkish.
Gün Radio has been taken to court many times, often for Kurdish songs. The accusation was for "inciting the public hatred and hostility or denigration" under Article 216 of the Penal Code.
It was 25 January 2004 when the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) amended Article 4 of RTÜK Law No. 3984 and Law No. 4471, so as to allow "the broadcast of traditionally used different languages and dialects used by Turkish citizens". Institutions wanting to broadcast in Kurdish were given permission two years later, but with a daily limit of 45 minutes and a weekly limit of four hours. All programmes must have Turkish subtitles. Radio stations are allowed one hour of Kurdish daily and five hours weekly, also with mandatory translation.
But life has not become easier for Gün TV and Radio. Indeed bans and investigations continued as usual. At one stage its morning news programme barred from broadcasting for six days after it was accused by the provincial election board of favouring the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). It was 2009. The decision cited article 4 of law 3984 on radio and TV institutions and broadcasts, which says that broadcasts must provide equality of opportunity to all political parties and democratic groups, must not broadcast one-sided programmes and must not violate certain broadcasting limitations in pre-election periods. The suspension was implemented on 15 March and the main news programme will not be broadcast until 21 March.
And then on, with this or that programme barred from broadcasting, its journalists detained, fines and bans. Today GünTv has between 25 to 30 people working, journalists, technicians, cameramen. Now Gün Tv is working on the referendum scheduled for 12 September. The referendum will ask people to vote in favour or against amendments to the Constitution. Positions among the parties are quite different, from a yes vote (the government party, AKP, Justice and Development Party) to a no vote and to a boycott call by the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party). "We are all set - says Diren Keser - and we are preparing special programmes and interviews".
These days at Gün TV there is also another reason to be proud of the work done so far despite the many difficulties. Indeed the channel hopes to start broadcasting on a satellite, which means to become visible to the whole country, and the world.
"Well, - says Diren Keser, the director - we hope to get there". He keeps it modest, but indeed this little fighting channel has been the voice of Amed (the Kurdish name for Diyarbakir) for the past ten years.
Life has been difficult. To be an independent media in Turkey is tough. To be an independent Kurdish media even tougher.
"Well, yes - says Keser - ten years passed but we are still struggling with the same difficulties. Penalties, ban orders, prison, harassment".
Gün TV has been broadcasting in Kurdish for several years now. And this has caused it many problems. At the beginning they could not have live programmes because they had no simultaneous translation facilities and they had to translate everything into Turkish.
Gün Radio has been taken to court many times, often for Kurdish songs. The accusation was for "inciting the public hatred and hostility or denigration" under Article 216 of the Penal Code.
It was 25 January 2004 when the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) amended Article 4 of RTÜK Law No. 3984 and Law No. 4471, so as to allow "the broadcast of traditionally used different languages and dialects used by Turkish citizens". Institutions wanting to broadcast in Kurdish were given permission two years later, but with a daily limit of 45 minutes and a weekly limit of four hours. All programmes must have Turkish subtitles. Radio stations are allowed one hour of Kurdish daily and five hours weekly, also with mandatory translation.
But life has not become easier for Gün TV and Radio. Indeed bans and investigations continued as usual. At one stage its morning news programme barred from broadcasting for six days after it was accused by the provincial election board of favouring the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). It was 2009. The decision cited article 4 of law 3984 on radio and TV institutions and broadcasts, which says that broadcasts must provide equality of opportunity to all political parties and democratic groups, must not broadcast one-sided programmes and must not violate certain broadcasting limitations in pre-election periods. The suspension was implemented on 15 March and the main news programme will not be broadcast until 21 March.
And then on, with this or that programme barred from broadcasting, its journalists detained, fines and bans. Today GünTv has between 25 to 30 people working, journalists, technicians, cameramen. Now Gün Tv is working on the referendum scheduled for 12 September. The referendum will ask people to vote in favour or against amendments to the Constitution. Positions among the parties are quite different, from a yes vote (the government party, AKP, Justice and Development Party) to a no vote and to a boycott call by the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party). "We are all set - says Diren Keser - and we are preparing special programmes and interviews".
