Press release
On the 3
rd
of October 2016 at 10 am the signal of the Kurdish ChannelMed-Nuçe based in
Belgium was removed by Eutelsat SA, a French satellite provider, on Turkey’s request.
Turkey claims that the content of our channel is not in the line with public order and with the
laws which regulate TV distributions inEurope.
On the 29
th
of September our channel received the first email from Eutelsat asking to
terminate broadcasting which is distributed by the Belgian Company BBS. On the 2
nd
of
October we received the second email demanding to stop broadcasting on the 3
rd
October at
10 am. Eventually on October the 3rd the signal of Med-Nuçe was removed without any
sufficient and legal reason.
Interrupting the spread of a TV channel reminds the repressive and arbitrary measures in
Turkey. The Turkish government has recently shut down about twenty TV channel and Radio
stations. Including Zarok TV, cartoon channel in Kurdish for children; TV 10, particularly
targeting to the Alevi community; Jiyan TV, broadcasting ina particular dying Kurdish
dialect i.e., "kirmancki"; Hayat TV that reveals the working conditions and the workers'
struggle in Turkey and IMC TV, pro-leftist channel with an alternative and independent
editorial board. Besides interrupting the spread of these channels, the Turkish authorities have
forcibly sealed the door and captured the goods of channels.
Med-Nuçe has been broadcasting since 2013 in Kurdish and Turkish. In 2015 the channel
altered its format and became non-stop news channel. Since then it has been broadcasting
only in Turkish. Till the day on which the stream was interrupted, Med-Nuçe started its
broadcasting at 6:00 and continued its broadcasting in live till 00:00. The channel reported
news every hour and had 26 genuine program focusing not only on the Kurdish issues but
also on women, labor’s conditions, environment, different identities, local and international
political discussions.
The Med-Nuçe TV channel broadcasts via satellite Hot Bird which is one of the few
independent and alternative sources in the countries like Turkey where the majority of the
media are under a great repression making Turkey one of the biggest prison for journalists.
Since the declaration of Emergency Rule following the July 15
th
coup attempt, over 200
journalists have been targeted for detention, more than 100 journalists were arrested, dozens
of media organizations were shut down and as a result of those actions at least 2, 308
journalists have lost their jobs.
According to the 2016 World Press Freedom Index, released by RSF, Turkey is ranked 151
out of 180 countries. Under these conditions, the main motivation of the Turkish authorities is
turning all alternative voices down and making the serious critics be invisible. Along with all
other channels and media organizations, the interrupting the broadcasting of Med-Nuçe is just
a reification of authoritarian course of Turkish Government.
After all, there are so many questions waiting for proper answers:
-Does The French company Eutelsat is really in line with European laws?
-Is the request of the Higher Council of Audio-visual in Turkey (RTÜK) is sufficient for the
suspension of a TV channel that broadcasts from Europe?