US embassy cable - 04ANKARA3236

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 003236 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2009 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY BEGINS BROADCASTS IN KURDISH, OTHER 
ANATOLIAN LANGUAGES 
 
 
REF: A. 03 ANKARA 3974 
     B. 03 ANKARA 728 
     C. 02 ANKARA 6116 
 
 
(U) Classified by Polcouns John Kunstadter; reasons 1.4 b and 
d. 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: June 7 state-owned TRT broadcasting company 
began airing news and cultural programs on radio and TV in 
Kurdish and three other languages traditionally spoken in 
Anatolia, in a long-delayed GOT effort to comply with EU free 
speech requirements.  Contacts say PM Erdogan and FM Gul 
ordered that the broadcasts be made after nearly two years of 
bureaucratic delays.  Local media outlets are currently 
banned from making minority-language broadcasts, and 
regulations place time limits and other tight restrictions on 
programming.  Still, most observers praise the landmark 
broadcasts as a good beginning.  End Summary. 
 
 
------------------------- 
Historic Broadcasts Begin 
------------------------- 
 
 
2. (U) TRT June 7 began a series of TV and radio programs 
featuring Kurdish and three other non-Turkish languages 
traditionally spoken in Anatolia.  The broadcasts will be 
done in one language or dialect per weekday, as follows: 
Monday - Bosnian; Tuesday Arabic; Wednesday - Kurmandji (the 
predominant variety of Kurdish in Anatolia); Thursday - 
Circassian; Friday - Zaza (related to Kurdish). 
 
 
3. (U) These broadcasts, which include news and cultural 
programming, are the first of their kind for Turkey. 
Broadcasts in Kurdish and other languages have generally been 
restricted to music approved by the Culture Ministry.  The 
use of languages other than Turkish is perceived by some 
Turks as a threat to national unity; members of the 
Nationalist Movement Party have staged small protests against 
the broadcasts.  Kurdish is particularly sensitive, given the 
history of Kurdish separatist movements and the long, bloody 
conflict with the PKK.  Kurdish is also the language most in 
demand.  Latif Okul, head of the TRT Broadcast Supervisory 
Department, acknowledged some apprehension in a June 4 
meeting with us.  "This is what we've been directed to do.  I 
hope it is for the good of the country," he said.  TRT 
General Manager Senol Demiroz went on live TV June 4 to 
announce the language programming, which TRT has titled, "Our 
Cultural Richness."  Demiroz sought to reassure viewers the 
broadcasts would be non-threatening, concluding his remarks 
by saying, "the fact that we have a nation-state is not an 
obstacle to pluralist democracy." 
 
 
------------------------------- 
EU-Related Measure Long Overdue 
------------------------------- 
 
 
4. (C) The new programs represent a long-delayed GOT effort 
to meet an EU demand that Turkey lift restrictions against 
broadcasting in Kurdish.  In August 2002 (reftel C) 
Parliament adopted a reform measure allowing broadcasts in 
languages other than Turkish "used traditionally by Turkish 
citizens in their daily lives."  Previously, broadcasts were 
permitted only in Turkish and languages relating to the 
"formation of universal culture and scientific works," which 
was interpreted as excluding Kurdish and other languages 
found in Anatolia while allowing many world languages. 
Nationalist elements of the bureaucracy threw up obstacles to 
the reform.  The High Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) 
issued a highly restrictive regulation limiting broadcasts in 
other languages to TRT.  After much delay, TRT filed a 
successful legal challenge to the regulation on the grounds 
that RTUK lacked the authority to direct TRT programming. 
 
 
5. (U) To break the logjam, Parliament in July 2003 (reftel 
A) adopted legislation explicitly allowing private media 
outlets to broadcast in languages other than Turkish.  The 
subsequent RTUK regulation allows private stations to 
broadcast in these languages, but limits such broadcasts to 
national (vice local) stations until RTUK completes a 
viewer-listener profile determining local demand.  However, 
no private national stations applied for the broadcasts; a 
number of contacts told us demand for Kurdish and other 
languages is regional, making it cost-prohibitive for private 
stations at the national level to develop such programming. 
----------------------------- 
Broadcasts Tightly Restricted 
----------------------------- 
 
 
6. (U) In addition to the ban on local stations, the current 
RTUK regulation places other tight restrictions on the 
non-Turkish broadcasts.  For example: 
 
 
-- TV broadcasts are limited to 45 minutes per day, 4 hours 
per week; 
 
 
-- Radio broadcasts are limited to 60 minutes per day, 5 
hours per week; 
 
 
-- TV broadcasts must include Turkish subtitles; radio 
broadcasts must be immediately followed by the same program 
in Turkish; 
 
 
-- Programming must be directed at adults, and may include 
news, music, and culture; children's programming is 
prohibited; 
 
 
-- Programming aimed at teaching other Anatolian languages 
and dialects is prohibited. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Human Rights Advocate: Broadcasts Flawed, But Positive 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
 
7. (C) Husnu Ondul, president of the Human Rights 
Association, told us he is critical of the restrictions and 
other shortcomings, but is nonetheless encouraged by the 
landmark broadcasts.  Though TRT is diluting the Kurdish 
broadcasts with programs in other languages for which demand 
is much more limited, he sees value in having State radio and 
TV promote Turkey's cultural diversity.  The biggest problem 
is the prohibition against local broadcasters.  Ondul scoffed 
at the idea that RTUK needs to conduct a viewer-listener 
profile.  "The State keeps files on everyone -- they already 
know who speaks what languages," he said.  Still, he believes 
pressure will eventually build to the point where the State 
will have to make this opportunity available to local 
stations, at which point Kurds and other groups would be able 
to develop their own programming. 
 
 
------------------------------------- 
Broadcasts Prepared Under EU Pressure 
------------------------------------- 
 
 
8. (C) A number of our contacts told us TRT was required to 
begin the broadcasts quickly under instructions from PM 
Erdogan and FM Gul, after EU leaders pointed out that the GOT 
had not implemented the broadcasting reforms.  TRT's Okul 
denied this to us, but the broadcasts appear to have been 
hastily assembled.  The programming lasts for 35 minutes on 
radio and 30 minutes on TV.  It includes news, culture/music, 
sports, and a nature documentary.  Except for the 
culture/music section, TRT has repeated the same material 
with different languages dubbed in each day.  The news 
portion comprises outdated stories, which have already been 
broadcast in Turkish at least several days before.  Turkish 
Arabs reportedly said the Arabic programs were recorded in an 
unfamiliar dialect that they could not understand. However, 
comments from members of minority groups have been 
overwhelming positive, with the exception of the Chairman of 
the Bosnia Herzegovina Friends Foundation, who told reporters 
Turkish Bosnians do not want broadcasts in their native 
language. 
 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
 
9. (C) TRT and the Turkish State bureaucracy were dragged 
into making these broadcasts, and it shows.  Every effort has 
been made to limit the scope of the highly sensitive Kurdish 
broadcasts.  Still, as with many GOT reforms, this has to be 
viewed as a beginning.  For this to lead to true free 
expression for ethnic groups other than Turks, the State will 
have to allow local broadcasters to participate, and 
authorities will have to refrain from opening frivolous 
criminal cases against them when they do. 
 
 
EDELMAN