56 TURKISH MAYORS MAY FACE 10-YEAR IMPRISONMENT FOR SUPPORT OF KURD TV

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.06.2006 17:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s Office of Prosecutor General has sent
prosecution materials for mayors of 56 towns in the south-east of the
country, which support a Kurdish TV channel. Heads of those towns,
where Kurdish population forms a majority, have sent a letter to Danish
PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen asking not to closeRoj TV, broadcasting for
Kurds. They asked not to give in to Turkish Government’s pressure.

Turkish authorities consider that town mayors, who signed the letter
to Rasmussen, thus assisted Kurd rebels, specifically the Kurdish
Working Party, banned in the country. In the opinion of Turkish
officials, Roj TV is engaged in propagating that Party. In case the
court announces mayors of Turkish towns are guilty, they may face
10 years of imprisonment. At a meeting with representatives of EU
member states Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted that prosecution
of mayors for that letter runs counter to values of the united Europe,
Times Online reports.