No: 235, 21 August 2015

BBC, the broadcasting organization of the United Kingdom gave coverage to written and visual propaganda of the PKK terrorist organization, in a reporting dated 20 August 2015.

Giving such coverage to an organization designated as terrorist by many countries including the EU member States is an overt support to terrorism.

This broadcast that attempted to portray this illegal organization designated and classified as terrorist by the EU countries, including the United Kingdom, as if it were an innocent organization merely engaged in a struggle with another terrorist organization, in a manner that encourages joining the PKK ranks cannot be accepted by any standards. The coverage has also violated in this sense the relevant resolutions of the UN and the Council of Europe. It is an offence to praise or encourage terrorism.

PKK terrorist organization has murdered 64, injured 350 and kidnapped 16 people within the past month alone; sabotaged railways and dams, attacked transportation infrastructure and vehicles.

Terrorist organizations feed on the support and display of such irresponsible and hypocritical approaches vis-a-vis terrorism. The said broadcast is a concrete manifestation and proof of such an attitude.

It is expected that the BBC apply a similar broadcasting policy regarding the PKK terrorist organisation similar to the one it follows on the IRA which recently carried out a bomb attack against a police station in Northern Ireland.

Such broadcasts constitute furthermore a grave violation of the rights of victims of terrorism.