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Roj TV: Kurdish writer Rojan Hakim's
petition to Danish PM
11.5.2006
By ROJAN HAZIM
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To: Prime Minister
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Christiansborg
Prins Jørgens Gård 11
1218 København K
Dear Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen
In spite of the fact that Turkey is a candidate
country for EU membership, and has started accession
talks the 3rd of October this year, Olli Rehn, the
EU commissioner in charge of enlargement, recently
reported that Turkey still needs to implement
reforms on a number of specific and significant
areas. As it is today the Kurds do not hold the
right to express themselves freely. Identifying
yourself as a Kurd is still risky bussines, and
poses a grave risk to your life.
Due to article 42 in the Turkish Constitution which
bans the teaching of any mother tongue other than
Turkish, no teaching or eduacation in Kurdish exists
in Turkey. Equally, publishing and broadcasting in
Kurdish is practically prohibited. Radio stations
and tv stations established by Kurds are not allowed
to air programs using the Kurdish language. In other
words, one cannot speak Kurdish in Turkey without
facing significant obstacles or flat out being
punished.
Thus Turkey's usual anti-Kurdish policies based on
the denial and rejection of the Kurdish identity
continue on full scale.
A Kurdish diaspora of considerable size can be found
in various european countries. Approximately one
million Kurds live within EU's borders. And in a
democratic system like the EU the Kurds naturally
and rightfully consider themselves as Kurds and live
in peace with their national identity. The Kurds
have organized themselves and have become integrated
in European life, and because of their need for
social and cultural acitivities they have become
involved in the media bussines. The Kurds of today
are on a broad basis publishing newspapers and
broadcasting radio or television programs in
Kurdish. One of these channels is ROJ TV, which is
established in full accordance with danish
legislation. One thing is the fact that Turkey does
not allow Kurdish broadcasting within its own
borders, Turkey does not even tolerate the
democratic states of Europe allowing it.
The number of Kurds who actually read and write
Kurdish is not overwhelming. This is exactly why the
electronic media are incredibly important
instruments in developing and protecting the
language, while maintaining the cultural formation
and the authentic Kurdish folklore, but most
importantly protecting the Kurdish identity.
Television is especially effective in daming up the
Turkish assimilation of the Kurds.
Television is the most significant means of
education for every Kurd, whether it be in
Kurdistan, Turkey or in the diaspora. In this
context it becomes clear why the Turkish government
pursues to terminate ROJ TV. Any Kurdish activity is
being labelled by Turkey as terrorist activities,
and with this approach the authorities are in fact
harrasing the Kurdish population.
The Kurds are a people of victims. Not only are they
being robbed of their human rights and their
national rights in Turkey, the Turkish government
also puts its claws in the Kurds living in EU member
states. The Kurdish people only wishes to be able to
express it self within the framework of the EU
democracies. If this request is being rejected as a
result of political pressure from the Turkish state
it will trumatize the Kurds.
The Turkish government is currently putting a
pressure on the Danish authorities in order to get
ROJ TV's broadcasting license cancelled. Denmark is
among the countries in which the freedom of press is
upheld the best. But Turkey wants to export its
antidemocratic and despotical regime to the
democratic states of the EU.
Denmark, whose capital has given name to the
democratic norms of the Copenhagen Criteria, should
resist the pressure. 50 million Kurds all over the
world hope that the Danish government will stand up
for the Copenhagen Criteria, reflecting democracy
and humanisme, and not give way for the Ankara
Criteria which symbolize despotism and antidemocracy.
As a Kurdish writer in Denmark and a member of the
Danish Writers Association I hope that your
government will not deviate from the path of legal
principals and justice, not allowing ROJ TV, the
television station of the Kurdish people, to be
closed. ROJ TV is the voice of the Kurds. I am
asking you to listen to the prayer and appeal for
conscience of the Kurdish people.
Kindest regards,
ROJAN HAZIM
Kurdish writer in Denmark
13 November 2005
rojtv.blogspot com
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