Statement on the Belgian police attacks against Roj TV

On 04/03/2010, a police force ordered by the Interior Ministry of Belgium raided the office of KNK and Roj-TV's broadcasting corporation.

Tens of intellectuals, journalists, writers, patriot individuals from Kurdistan were detained. The police raids resulted in huge damage to both establishments and many people were injured.

At 5am this morning, the offices of ROJ TV were raided by the Belgium Police along with several other addresses in Belgium. 30 people were arrested including Mr Remzi Kartal, Mr Zubeyir Aydar and Mr Eyep Duru. Though we understand that ROJ TV has not been closed down none of the journalists have yet been allowed back into the building and transmission has ceased for the time being. ROJ TV is the mouthpiece of the Kurdish community in Europe and is seen as a beacon of hope for all those who seek the resolution of the Kurdish Question.

“Freedom of expression must be extended once and for all to the Kurdish press,” Reporters Without Borders said today, reacting to the 21-year jail sentence which a court in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, has passed on Ozan Kilinç, the owner and editor of the country’s only Kurdish-language daily, Azadiya Welat.

The Party of European Socialists (PES) condemns the decision taken by the Constitutional Court of Turkey on Friday 11 December 2009 to ban the DTP, one of the main opposition parties in the Parliament. As part of this ruling, 37 members and executives of the party were banned, including its leader, Mr. Ahmet Turk. Although 19 members of the party still sit in the Parliament, they have lost their official group status and consequently have only a marginal role.

The Presidency of the European Union expresses its concern in relation to the decision by the Constitutional Court to close the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and ban a number of its democratically elected representatives from political activity. While strongly denouncing violence and terrorism, the Presidency recalls that the dissolution of political parties is an exceptional measure that should be used with utmost restraint.