Bullying Behaviour
I haven't had much good to say about the BBC of late, but I take my hat off to Auntie Beeb - for standing up to the bullying behaviour of the Turkish Government.
The other night the BBC suspended its partnership with NTV after the private Turkish TV channel refused to air the Turkish version of the BBC's World Agenda programme - which criticised the handling of the protests in and around Istanbul's Taksim Square.
Previously Turkey’s state television regulator shut down one channel that gave continuous live coverage of the protests from Taksim Square - at an early stage.
Hayat TV went off air “for broadcasting from abroad without a licence” - the Radio and Television Supreme Council said in a statement - yet the channel was providing its coverage from within Turkey.
Unlike most other Turkish news channels which initially ignored the nationwide mass protests that erupted at the end of may - and appeared on TV pictures across the world.
But the Supreme Turkish TV State Regulator decided to shoot the messenger last week - by imposing a heavy fine on Hayat TV and three other stations that had covered the protests for apparently - “encouraging people to violence”.
Baloney, of course - yet that's what passes for freedom of speech in Turkey these days.
At the same time another arm of the Turkish State - the Health Ministry - has demanded a list of the names of all doctors who treated demonstrators from the Turkish Medical Association (TBB) - the physicians’ association said yesterday.
'Now what ever would they want that for, all of a sudden?' - you might be tempted to ask?
A spokesperson for the TBB - Osman Ozturk said:
“We were notified that an investigation has been launched into the improvised clinics that treated the protesters.” - before adding that the TBB was told to “immediately” give up the names of the medical workers and their patients - but had vowed not to co-operate.
Good for them and the BBC - let's hope the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan, starts listening a little more to the peaceful and progressive elements within his country - and a lot less to religious zealots who seem so intent on controlling other people's lives.
