Kurdish television networks broadcasting from Europe Stêrk TV, Ronahi TV and News Channel could be shut down at Turkey's request. The network authorities said, “They want to shut us down because we report on the oppression and massacres geared towards the Kurdish people,” and protested European companies’ cooperation with Turkey.

Kurdish television networks Stêrk TV, Ronahi TV and News Channel are stationed in Denderleeuw town in Belgium, close to capital Brussels. Eutelsat wants to shut them down. Eutelsat’s excuse is the ridiculous complaints by Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

 

Shutting down Kurdish television networks is nothing new. The same Eutelsat had used similar excuses to shut down Med Nuçe by the end of last year, on Turkey’s demand. But the shut-downs are not just this, there is more history. The first Kurdish television network that started broadcasting over satellite in 1995 was MED TV, which later faced pressure and was shut down. Successive Kurdish television networks like Medya, Roj and Nuçe faced the same pressure and were shut down, in an attempt to rid the Kurdish people of their right to access news. This situation has continued uninterrupted for 22 years, and today Stêrk TV, Ronahi TV and News Channel are attempted to be shut down with the same excuses with no legal basis.

The Kurds read this as part of the AKP’s all-out attack on them. Speaking to ANF, Stêrk TV producer Güistan İke, Bunyad Cizirî from Ronahi TV and Stêrk TV reporter journalist Rêşad Sorgul said, “We are under attack because we report on the attacks and massacres against the Kurdish people. European companies act as accomplices,” and stressed that they will protect the Kurdish people’s right to access news.

“EUTELSAT IN CAHOOTS WITH TURKEY”

Gülistan İke said the decision by Eutelsat is political and that this decision was made in cahoots with the Turkish state. İke mentioned last September’s decision on Med Nuçe and added: “Even though they had licenses, the broadcast of Med Nuçe and Newroz networks were shut down illegally. Eutelsat continues to be in cahoots with Turkey. And now they want to shut down Stêrk TV, Ronahi TV and News Channel in a similar decision. This decision is political, the Turkish state is behind it. The Turkish state’s attacks on Rojava and Southern and Northern Kurdistan also continue in the international area.”

“STÊRK TV IS THE NATIONAL CHANNEL FOR KURDS”

İke stated that Stêrk TV is the national channel for Kurds and that they reported on cultural, social, political and diplomatic developments that are relevant to Kurds. İke said they based their broadcast on international broadcasting principles as a network and continued:

“There is only one thing that turns us into a target, and that is the broadcasts we make regarding the fascist practices of the Turkish state against the Kurdish people. Today there is great tyranny. And we act with the perspective to seek the truth and report correct and neutral information. And this disturbs them, so they attack. There is no other excuse for this.”

Gülistan İke stated that the network will be fighting within democracy and the law against these attacks, and called on the European democratic circles and the Kurdish people to stand with them.

“RONAHİ TV IS THE VOICE OF THE ROJAVA REVOLUTION”

Bunyad Cizirî spoke on behalf of Ronahi TV and said that this wasn’t Turkey’s first attempt. Cizirî continued: “Everybody knows very well that dozens of television networks and newspapers have been shut down in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan. These attacks are a continuation of that.”

Cizirî stated that Ronahi TV is the voice of the Rojava Revolution and added:

“All minorities and different identities in Syria see themselves in Ronahi TV. Those who want to shut down Ronahi TV are serving ISIS. They are serving the Turkish state and the chaos in Syria. Whenever the Turkish state decides to carry out a massacre, they attempt to shut down the media first. Shutting down Ronahi TV will mean that there will be new massacres to come. These massacres won’t just be against the Kurdish people but against all peoples.”

Bunyad Cizirî criticized European states harshly and said: “At every chance they get, Europe says Turkey is not free in terms of press and media. But when it is the Kurds in question, they stay silent. This is hypocrisy. They know very well that we make all our broadcasts according to international law.” Cizirî called on international media institutions to support them.

“WE WILL PROTECT OUR NETWORKS”

Rêşad Sorgul has been a reporter and presenter in Kurdish televisions for over 20 years. Sorgul has witnessed several networks being shut down. He protests the decision like other TV workers, but Sorgul doesn’t think the events are separate from the situation the Kurds are in. He said:

“This tradition that started with MED TV has turned into a media network today. This is a great development. The attacks are a result of the policies against the Kurdish people.

In 22 years, many Kurdish networks were shut down without legal or lawful rationale. First one of these was MED TV, and it continued with the other networks. None of these shut-downs can be explained with any lawful rationale. They are solely connected to the political developments of the time. It is similar for Stêrk TV , Ronahi TV and News Channel.”

Sorgul said these attempts won’t affect the Kurdish people and added: “They will accelerate their attempts to stop our people’s struggle and to shut down our institutions. But at this point, they can’t accomplish anything. Because the Kurdish people are stronger than ever and they have stronger and greater opportunities. And that is the reason behind such attacks.”

Rêşad Sorgul reiterated that the Kurds have a large media network and said: “The Kurdish and free media network has grown and developed beyond our estimates today. They are capable of rivaling our adversaries. Thus, the Kurds won’t accept these attacks. We will no longer say, ‘If they shut us down we will open another’. We will protect our existing networks. We won’t let them be shut down. Everybody should have hope, because the Kurds are not the same as before.”