Court Lifts The RTÜK Ban on Local Radio

Jurisdiction Lifted the Sanction on Kurdish Language Program

The broadcast ceasing verdict for one month period, ruled to "Radio World" in connection with the program titled "Kurdish Language and Literature" which was broadcast in Kurdish is lifted by jurisdiction. Broadcaster Öziç has been acquitted who prepared this program to protest the privileged right of non-Turkish broadcasting only to TRT (state radio and TV).

One month broadcast ceasing verdict ruled to "Radio World" by the Superior Committee of Radio and TV (RTÜK) in connection with the program named "Kurdish Language and Literature" which was broadcast in Kurdish has been lifted by Administrative Court.

In the decree of 3rd Administrative Court of Ankara, it is stated that since the general information on Kurdish and Kurdish music took place within Turkish broadcast, it does not include any criminal act and the subject verdict is against the laws.

On June 12th RTÜK had sanctioned Adana based radio for one month of broadcast ceasing due to "Broadcasting against the existence, the independence, the indivisible integrity of the state with the country and against Atatürk's principles and revolutions"

Broadcaster Sabri Ejder Öziç who prepared the "Kurdish Language and Literature" program to protest the privilege of TRT in "broadcasting non-Turkish languages and dialects" as per the first book of instructions published by RTÜK on August 2nd 2002, was trialed for imprisonment between 3 to 6 months, according to Turkish Criminal Law (TCK) articles 526 and 36 and has been acquitted. Broadcaster was charged by "Acting against the orders of authorities."

During his trial which took place in Adana 3rd Public Court, Öziç said that "Giving this privilege of broadcasting to TRT would be against the principle of equality".

Because TRT did not show interest to broadcasts in these languages, RTÜK has prepared a second book of instructions on January 25th 2004 to give the broadcasting rights in these languages to private and national broadcasting organizations. The Chamber of Lawyers in Diyarbakır and local media had sued against this book of instructions at the Council of State.