MERCATOR :: News

June 2004

LANGUAGE LEGISLATION IN THE TURKISH MEDIA IS BEING FINALLY IMPLEMENTED (Turkish Daily News)

The first TV broadcasts in minority languages in Turkey took place on Monday 7th, on channel 3 of the public Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT3). The programs will include news, music and documentaries. Broadcasts in “local languages and dialects” will include Bosnian (Serbo-Croatian), Kurdish (Kirmachi), Circassian and Arabic. Broadcasts in Laz and Kurdish (Zaza) will soon follow. According to regulations, broadcasts will be at most 60 minutes a day and five hours a week on the radio and 45 minutes a day and four hours a week on TV. TRT will inform the media about the broadcasts. Broadcasts in “local languages and dialects” will be made from TRT3 and Radio-1, and will be made on weekdays, with Bosnian on Monday, Arabic on Tuesday, Kurdish (Kirmanchi) on Wednesday, Circassian on Thursday and Kurdish (Zaza) on Friday. TRT General Director Senol Demiroz said he hoped these multicultural broadcasts, in accordance with the principles set out by the Constitution, would benefit the country. Meanwhile, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) has speeded up the preparations for control of broadcasts in the expectation that soon private channels will start broadcasting in “traditional local dialects and languages”. Concerning the laws regulating the radio and television institutions, the most important document is the Constitution. On the basis of the Constitution, audio-visual broadcasting in Turkey is regulated by the "Law on the Establishment and Broadcasting of Radio Stations and Television Channels" No. 3984 passed in 1994 and amended in August 2002 This law has certain restrictions on the subject of providing a balanced distribution in broadcasts. According to these, the private radio stations and television channels have to include education and culture programs as well as taking care for the Turkish language with the objective of preserving Turkish and supporting the proper use of Turkish by the society. In accordance with article 4 of this law “the broadcasts shall be in Turkish language. However, it may also be broadcast for the purpose of teaching foreign languages, which may have contribution to the formation of universal culture and scientific works or transmitting music or news in those languages”. This law was developed through the regulation on the Language of Radio and Television broadcasts, adopted in December 2002.