The Diyarbakir Bar is preparing to go to court to demand the cancellation of the regulation on Kurdish broadcasts, prepared by the Turkish television watchdog RTUK. The regulation went into effect on Sunday after it was published in the official Gazette.

"We find it very worrying that this regulation brings so many heavy conditions to the usage of a language that people living in Turkey, speak daily," said Bar Association head Sezgin Tanrikulu.

Tanrikulu said the regulation did not say how the Kurdish broadcasts would be done, but instead was prepared to say how they could not be done.

"The case we opened last year against the previous regulation is still ongoing," said Tanrikulu. "But with the new regulation, the old one is now out of effect."

The regulation is more backward than the law

According to Tanrikulu, the law that went into effect on July 15, 2003, was aimed at removing the limitations of the regulation. But the regulation that went into effect on Sunday has been prepared with the same censoring mentality, Tanrikulu said.

"A very special limitation that says, "there can be no broadcasts in any language other than Turkish," was not included in the previous regulation. But this limitation is article 4 of the new regulation," said Tanrikulu.

According to Tanrikulu, with this article, which was not included in the previous regulation or the law, one cannot establish an organization that will broadcast in a language other than Turkish.

No Kurdish broadcasts for children

The Bar's head said that with the time elements of the regulation, organizations may only broadcast programs that target adults, and added that the Justice and Development Party government made new laws but failed at amending regulations to match the laws.

Tanrikulu said the following about the new regulation:

* No broadcasts can be made with the aim of teaching a language other than Turkish. We think this is very harsh.

* Organizations have to provide the Radio and Television Supreme Board (RTUK) with daily, monthly and yearly schedules of programs in any language other than Turkish and get the board's permission. This article is very hard to comply with.

* The language profile determination criterion, which aims at showing how many people speak the broadcasted language, is deceiving.

* Although the law does not include criteria on national broadcasts, the regulation says local and regional organizations may not broadcast programs in languages other than Turkish. The regulation is against the law.

* Besides, while there is no time limitation in the law, the regulation brings time limitations. Think about it, organizations will only be allowed to screen a 90-minute movie in the form of a series. (EO/EA/NM)..