DJ in hot water for airing song
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Radikal
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 17, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - A prosecutor in the southern province of Adana has filed a lawsuit against the producer of a radio channel, charging him with separatism for airing a song in Kurdish, daily Sabah reported.
Turkish pop star Ajda Pekkan sang a song in Kurdish as part of the "Güldünya" concert to promote a hotline to prevent domestic violence against women. The concert and the hotline were sponsored by the daily Hürriyet, the flagship of the Doğan Media Group, which also owns the Daily News. The Adana prosecutor charged Mehmet Arslan, producer of the Dünya radio station, with separatism for airing the song.
Pekkan first sang the song "Keçe Kurdan" on March 10 at Istanbul’s Türker İnanoğlu Maslak Show Center and received an ovation.
Dünya Radio airs a mix of Turkish and Kurdish songs on its afternoon program. The prosecutor, however, objected to the lyrics and launched an investigation. Some of the lyrics translate as: "Girls, stand up and make your voices heard to the world. É Girls, we want to go forward together toward the light. É Lift your head, Kurdish girl. É What about homeland, what about freedom."
Long prison term
The prosecutor is seeking a prison term of up to three years for Arslan based on Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for "inciting public hatred based on regional differences." The indictment says the lyrics Ğ "Girls, we want you to come to war with us" Ğ are a clear incitement of people to commit crimes against each other.
Arslan is set to appear in court Thursday and make his case in front of a judge.
Pekkan first sang the song "Keçe Kurdan" on March 10 at Istanbul’s Türker İnanoğlu Maslak Show Center and received an ovation.
Dünya Radio airs a mix of Turkish and Kurdish songs on its afternoon program. The prosecutor, however, objected to the lyrics and launched an investigation. Some of the lyrics translate as: "Girls, stand up and make your voices heard to the world. É Girls, we want to go forward together toward the light. É Lift your head, Kurdish girl. É What about homeland, what about freedom."
Long prison term
The prosecutor is seeking a prison term of up to three years for Arslan based on Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for "inciting public hatred based on regional differences." The indictment says the lyrics Ğ "Girls, we want you to come to war with us" Ğ are a clear incitement of people to commit crimes against each other.
Arslan is set to appear in court Thursday and make his case in front of a judge.