Photo: Rita Ronchetti

Translated by Ana Moretti

The discussion on free media as a trench warfare for the people without a state was on the agenda of the meeting about the right to communication, which took place this Saturday morning (16). Yilmaz Orkan, Vice-President of International Relations and Development at KON-KURD (Confederation of Kurdish Associations in Europe), indicated the need to have the violence and censorship against Kurds laid bare by alternative media. According to him, following the WW1, his country was divided into four parts, one of which is now under Turkish dominion.

Orkan affirmed that the Internet is forbidden for Kurds, as a way of preventing their claim for independence to be heard. The repression led to the murder of 66 journalists of one agency, known as "free and present", and the 147 years conviction of its director. In an attempt at breaking through the media enclosure, the movement created a TV channel in Denmark. However, "the Kurdish government stepped in through NATO (North American Treaty Organization) and conquered its shutout".

He highlighted that the two articles about the Kurdish people published on Ciranda International of Shared Communication led to an increasing quest from people interested in learning more about their reality. Thus, he recalled the importance of international solidarity, including in the field of free media. The audience agreed and emphasized the strenght of democratic communication as a trench warfare for the people without a state, which include the Saarawis and Palestinians, who have been living under yoke for decades. This is the fundamental way of bringing down stereotypes and making known the everyday oppression and humiliation they face.