Military

DATE=6/9/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= TURKEY / KURDS

NUMBER=2-316580

BYLINE= AMBERIN ZAMAN

DATELINE= ANKARA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Kurdish Language Broadcasts Hit Turkish Airwaves for the First Time

INTRO: Ethnic-Kurds across Turkey tuned into the country's first ever Kurdish language television and radio broadcasts Wednesday. The broadcasts in the two Kurdish dialects, Kurmandji and Zaza, are part of Turkey's effort to join the European Union. From Ankara Amberin Zaman has details.

TEXT: For millions of Kurds throughout Turkey it was the moment they had dreamed of for many years -- recognition of their long banned mother tongue.

The half-hour-long program broadcast over Turkish state television was an innocuous mix of news, Kurdish folk songs and short reports on nature.

Still, the Turkish government was quick to use the opportunity to remind viewers that it had gone a long way towards satisfying the European Union's demand for more democracy and respect for human rights. The E.U. commission's ambassador to Turkey Hans Joerg Kretschmer was featured on the program praising Turkey for the reforms.

Until the early 1990s the Kurdish language was banned. Thousands of Kurdish activists and intellectuals were jailed for advocating free use of their own language, triggering harsh criticism from Turkey's European partners.

Turkish attitudes began to change in 1999, following the capture of Abdullah Ocalan --leader of the Kurdish rebel group known as the PKK. At around the same time, the E.U. formally designated Turkey as a candidate for membership.

Use of the Kurdish language began to spread through news publications and music cassettes. But it was not until two years ago that the parliament eased bans on broadcasting in Kurdish and teaching the ancient tongue as a foreign language.

Implementation of such reforms has been slow. A handful of Kurdish language courses opened their doors only last month because of a large number of bureaucratic hurdles. Wednesday's Kurdish language television and radio broadcasts came after months of arguing between the reformist government and conservatives in Turkey's state broadcasting company.

Many Kurds say they welcome the new broadcasts. But they also say for now they cannot compete with Kurdish language programs aired from Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq and Europe, among them a television channel run by supporters of the PKK. (Signed)

NEB/AZ/AWP