European satellite network drops second Kurdish TV's broadcast

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The French satellite provider Eutelsat dropped on Tuesday the broadcast of the Kurdish channel, Newroz TV.

In a statement on its website, the Sweden-based Newroz TV said Eutelsat decided to halt its broadcast after receiving a direct request by Turkey's Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK).

Turkey accuses Newroz TV of spreading propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that the European Union (EU) designates as a terrorist group.

The channel will continue airing on the Egyptian Nilesat which is available only in the Middle East and not Europe.

Launched in 2008, Newroz TV broadcasts news and entertainment in various Kurdish dialects and Persian language, specifically targeting an audience in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat).

This is the second time in less than two weeks the French satellite drops a Kurdish channel off its frequencies.

On October 3, Eutelsat halted the broadcast of MedNuce TV, a Belgium-based Kurdish news channel that is also accused by Turkey of propaganda for the PKK.

A day later in Turkey, police units raided the studios of pro-Kurdish IMC, and pro-Alevi Hayatin Sesi TVs in Istanbul and forcibly cut their transmission.

Turkey has been under a state of emergency since the failed July 15 military coup attempt.

The Turkish authorities had earlier in September took down 12 TV channels from the national satellite network Turksat with accusations of “doing propaganda for terrorism."

One of the channels closed was Turkey’s Kurdish children’s channel, Zarok TV  that would exclusively broadcast cartoons.

Even prior to the June 15 state of emergency, Turkey was deplored by international reporters rights groups for criminalizing journalism.

In 2012,Turkey jailed more journalists than any other country in the world. 

Editing by Ava Homa