About TRT-6

The opening of the Kurdish language television channel TRT-6 has surprised me as much as everyone else. There are many comments about it in internet; I do not refer to them. I just explain two aspects, which I find of importance:

The opening of Kurdish language channel in a state television is a good step. However, it does not mean that there would be now freedom of expression in Turkey or that Kurdish language would be free. Now the state can use Kurdish but not the Kurds. The level of repression of Kurds has lowered from genocide level (linguistic genocide is one form of genocide) to ordinary level of an authoritarian state. This is one-step towards the normalization of situation.

I have not yet watched TRT-6 programmes. If the programmes are same poor quality than other TRT channels, the government's hopes that Kurds could be bought by Turkish soap operas in Kurdish language are in vain. If the state would have done this at the beginning of the 1980s, it might have succeeded. However, resisting three decades towards oppression has changed the Kurdish nation. They are not just Kurdish speaking Turkish citizens; they are different kind of nation than the Turks. They cannot be brainwashed by cheap entertainment programmes the same way as the Turks unfortunately can be.

Secondly, I wonder what the generals think about Erdogan’s election channel and prime minister wishing Happy New Year for his Kurdish-speaking citizens. TRT-6 is a big victory for Erdogan in the fight against the Deep State. The law that students can wear headscarves in universities (despite this law might not yet be followed in practise) is a big step in breaking the Kemalist rule that state and religion are separated; the existence of TRT-6 in practise admits that Turkey is bi-lingual country.

The next step must be that Roj-TV will be legal in Turkey and all writers and journalists, who are in Turkish prisons, must be free immediately. Then it is fair play and TRT can make competition with Roj-TV about the viewers. Now TRT-6 is for its potential audience just one more guard in their prison, one more institution to deny their identity as a nation. By using softer methods than TSK.