A 30-day DEHAP punishment to Hakkari FM

RTUK gives a 30-day closure to Hakkari FM because of Democratic People Partys chair Suvagcis words. In the program he condemned the closing of the party, those missing while under arrest and he wants a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.

Erol Önderoğlu

Hakkari FM has been closed for 30 days by Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) because of an interview with Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) Hakkari chair Selahattin Suvagci, it has been announced.

Hakan Tas, manager of the radio station, has asked RTUK chair Fatih Karaca, for a 20-day postponement because of the Ramadan holiday but he has not received a response to his request.

Suvagci told Bianet he talked about the need to find a democratic solution to the Kurdish problem on the program. During the program, Suvagci talked about the disappearance of Ebubekir Deniz and Serdar Tanis while under arrest and that he had not been able to hear from them since that time. Suvagci himself has been arrested five times in the last five years, he said.

Tas said that station has been punished because of the show, Gundem, which aired on March 22, but that the radio station gave equal time to all party representatives before local elections. There was nothing on the show that would hurt the people, he said.

Who will give the news?

"We have to cover the news, not just the music on our radio station because there is only one radio station in our town," Tas said.

Hakkari FM has been given the 30-day closure under Code 3984, which will begin in early October.

Citing the code, the reason for the punishment was, "Provoking violence, terror or ethnic separatism," "inciting hostility among the people," and using broadcasting to "incite hatred." (EO/CC/YE)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.