Open Radio’s founder stated that an on-air use of the phrase ‘Armenian genocide’ had been taken out of context.
One of many oldest radio channels in Turkey, Açık Radyo (Open Radio), whose license was revoked by the Turkish Radio and Tv Supreme Council (RTÜK) a month earlier than its thirtieth yr on air, stopped its terrestrial programming on Wednesday.
Open Radio founder Ömer Madra informed Euronews in an interview that regardless of hypothesis circulating on-line, the station’s license was revoked not due to the usage of the phrase “Armenian genocide” however as a result of the operators had did not droop their broadcast on 5 explicit days the regulator had ordered them to.
Madra defined that he and his colleagues weren’t correctly knowledgeable of the actual dates on which they had been purported to droop their broadcast, so that they continued as standard.
It was Madra who spoke the final phrases broadcast from the station:* “Open Radio will stay open to all sounds, colours and vibrations of the universe.”
Open Radio, which started broadcasting in 1995, was handed a superb of 280,000 Turkish lira (€7,500) and a five-day broadcast suspension after a broadcast on 24 April when a visitor used the phrase “Armenian genocide” whereas discussing occasions commemorating the 1915-17 atrocity, which stays a particularly controversial topic in Turkey.
Madra informed Euronews that following the sanction, they weren’t informed the precise dates once they needed to cease the broadcasting and didn’t obtain the digital discover concerning them as a consequence of software program and technical points.
The founder additionally underlined that RTÜK didn’t deem this clarification acceptable, and thus revoked the terrestrial broadcast license.
The a 79-year-old Madra described the final moments of the printed with a touch of disappointment.
“There have been 6 minutes left to modify off the printed,” he recalled. “Nonetheless, since we couldn’t increase 41 broadcasters to participate within the final broadcast, 41 folks stated just one phrase; ‘Whats up’. We closed by saying ‘hi there’ 41 occasions.”
On Thursday, October 17, the day after the license was revoked and the final broadcast was carried out, the station’s crew arrived at work as if for one more regular day. They switched on their computer systems and ready the studio tools as they did each day — however no broadcast may very well be transmitted.
Phrases taken out of context
Talking to Euronews Turkish in regards to the course of main as much as the cancellation, Madra insisted that the phrase “Armenian genocide” within the broadcast on 24 April was taken out of context.
“On that day, within the part of Açık Gazete, our primary information broadcast, through which Cengiz Akdar participated, an analysis was made in regards to the historical past of (Armenian genocide) commemorations and the purpose they’d reached.
“The next was stated: ‘Whereas the commemoration is being held right here below the safety of legislation enforcement, even (Armenian Prime Minister Nikol) Pashinyan didn’t utter the phrase ‘genocide’ at this time.'”
“The present attitudes of various political actors on the problem had been talked about and the next phrases had been spoken: ‘It’s the 109th anniversary of the deportations and massacres that happened in Armenian, that’s, Ottoman lands, massacres which can be known as ‘genocide’. As you understand, the Armenian genocide commemoration was banned this yr as effectively’.”
Following the usage of these phrases, RTÜK imposed the superb and suspension on the grounds of “inciting the society to hatred and hostility or creating emotions of hatred within the society,” in accordance with Turkish legislation.
ADVERTISEMENTMadra said that they haven’t solely appealed the superb but in addition begun to adjust to it.
“We nonetheless have our receipt for the primary instalment. Nonetheless, since we didn’t obtain an digital notification on the dates of the printed suspension, we continued our broadcasts as standard.”
Stating that the method is being carried out as if the station doesn’t care in regards to the penalty imposed on them by, Madra stated: “We despatched a petition saying ‘give us a brand new date’, because the broadcast suspension dates couldn’t attain as a result of notification drawback.”
“Though the textual content of the Supreme Council’s resolution was opened within the notification despatched electronically, the textual content indicating the closure dates couldn’t be opened as a consequence of a software program error within the digital notification system. Due to this fact, since we weren’t conscious (of the printed suspension dates), the choice couldn’t be carried out.”
ADVERTISEMENT“Then again, when the superb was included within the resolution, an utility was made to RTÜK for fee and the primary instalment was paid. They accepted this. We additionally obtained the receipt.”
Madra additionally stated that the primary broadcasting ban resolution was not imposed on all of Açık Radyo’s programmes however solely on the present that included the phrase “Armenian genocide” and the folks concerned with it.
Confusion and refusal
Explaining that RTÜK didn’t reply to their petition requesting a brand new date for the printed ban, Madra recalled that in July, RTÜK had in actual fact suspended the execution of the license cancellation.
“Within the lawsuit we filed in opposition to the penalty resolution, the twenty first Administrative Courtroom issued a keep of execution on the penalty till the administration’s defence was submitted. RTÜK additionally appealed to a better courtroom in opposition to the keep of execution resolution, however this was rejected by the upper courtroom. Consequently, RTÜK didn’t notify us on the license cancellation resolution.”
ADVERTISEMENTHowever on October 8, 2024, the twenty first Administrative Courtroom re-evaluated the case and cancelled the keep.
“Earlier than we might object to this, RTÜK instantly notified us of the choice to cancel the terrestrial broadcasting license it had beforehand taken and our license was cancelled,” Madra stated.
The way forward for Open Radio
Madra says he and his colleagues are hopeful that the cancellation of their terrestrial broadcasting license will probably be “at the very least briefly suspended”.
“We can not say 100%, however legally it is a nice chance,” he stated. “We are able to get our acquired rights again. Nonetheless, within the reverse case, we can not apply for a similar terrestrial broadcasting license.”
ADVERTISEMENT“Because the FM band in Istanbul could be very dense, no new license purposes might be made. There are numerous corporations that haven’t already been allotted a frequency and are ready in line. In such a case, we’d already be within the final place.”
Whereas acknowledging that there isn’t a clear timeline for the authorized course of, Madra nonetheless sounded hopeful.
“We hope to be again on air inside every week to 10 days,” he stated. “Nobody might be 100% certain. Even when we can not return to terrestrial broadcasting, within the worst-case state of affairs, we will proceed with digital broadcasting throughout the identical time frame, and it might even be just some days earlier than we get permission to modify to digital broadcasting.”
“After all, we had deliberate all of the preparations as of June. We’ve got made numerous preparations.”
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