Turkish police raid pro-Kurdish TV as US reacts to crackdown

ISTANBUL, Turkey (Kurdistan24) – Turkish police units in Istanbul raided the studios of pro-Kurdish IMC, and pro-Alevi Hayatin Sesi TVs and forcibly cut their transmission on Tuesday.

Turkey's Government had earlier dropped both channels from the national satellite network, accusing them of "spreading terrorist propaganda," said Kurdistan 24 bureau in Istanbul.

IMC TV's transmission was cut after police officers entered its control room, as a presenter and his co-workers continued to work in the studio.

After cutting the TV's transmission, police forced out journalists and other employees from the IMC premises and sealed the doors.

The Government empowered police and judiciary under a state of emergency after the failed July 15 coup attempt by the army.

HDP CO-CHAIR'S HUSBAND ARRESTED

A few hours later, the Istanbul police raided the leftist Ozgur Radio station and arrested 20 of its employees.

Among the arrested was the co-chair of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Figen Yuksekdag's husband, Sedat Sengoglu, said Kurdistan24 Istanbul.

Criticizing the intensified government crackdown on Kurdish and opposition media, the other HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas said, "instead of police, a minister would be visiting those media outlets today if they had sold their honor."

"They shamelessly attack me for not being able to give speeches in my mother tongue. Then they go and shut down Kurdish children's channel," continued Demirtas who was speaking at his party's weekly meeting at the Turkish Parliament on Tuesday.

Last week, Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) dropped the broadcast of 12 TV stations, mostly Kurdish, including a children's channel.

'NOT A US ISSUE'

Meanwhile, US Department of State reacted to the Turkish crackdown on Kurdish media by saying media's freedom was "enshrined in Turkey’s own constitution."

At a daily press briefing on Monday, the Director of State Department's Press Office Elizabeth Trudeau said the closure of a Kurdish children's TV in Turkey was not "a US issue."

"This is an issue, in fact, for the Turkish people" added Trudeau, emphasizing "the importance of freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of access to information," according to an emailed transcript of the briefing.

Editing by Ava Homa