Only six Iraqi young Kurds run the Turkish's TRT6 Sorani dialect section
The viewing audience of TRT 6 TV channel has increased dramatically since the establishment of a Sorani dialect section.
TRT 6 is a channel of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation and is Turkey's first national Kurdish language television station. It broadcasts in the Kurmanji, Sorani and Zazaki dialects, offering programs aimed at all ages and social circles. TRT 6 programs include news, films, documentaries, sports, drama series and music programs, as well as programs targeted specifically at women and children.
Since most of the Kurds living in Turkey do not speak in the Sorani dialect, TRT 6 channel started broadcasting its programs initially in Kurmanji and Zazki dialects only. Unlike Turkey, the standard language dialect in Iraqi Kurdistan Region is Sorani which is also the predominate dialect used throughout the media. With view to serving people who speak with the Sorani dialect, TRT 6 decided to allocate timeslots for broadcasting of its programs in the Sorani dialect for the first time on June 17th 2012.
Only six young boys, all from the Iraqi Kurdistan region, work in the Sorani section of the channel. All the youths are fluent in both Turkish and Kurdish Sorani, since they have finished their high school in Salahaddin and Ishiq, colleges where students study in Turkish and English.
"I decided to work in TRT 6 after realizing Turkey has already started changing its standpoint towards Kurdish people. I was tested and passed the test to work in the channel. So I found working in the channel as a good chance to serve my people and improve my skills as well," said Hemin Othman Muhammad, a staff member of the channel.
Muhammad said when he was hired for the channel he told the manger that he doesn't want to be involved in political issues and wants to publish the news without taking sides.
"I never use the 'terrorist' word when addressing the PKK. If I feel one day I am obliged to use this word I may have my own say and attitude. I want to serve my nation and myself too," Muhammad added.
When the channel started publishing its programs in the Sorani Dialect, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani congratulated the staff workers. Many BDP parliament members who refused to talk to TRT in the past, now freely talk to TRT 6. This led to the channel attracting a lot of viewers, not only in Turkey but in all the countries where Kurds reside.
Right now the channel has allocated a daily slot of 20 to 25 minutes to show political and social news in Sorani Dialect. The channel is expected to add more to time for sports news and weather forecasts in the near future.
Due to staff shortages, all staff members are obliged to do more than one job. Awat Baban, is another one who works in the channel as news reader and editor. Usually the staff workers get news from a newsroom and translate them from Turkish to Sorani Kurdish.
Although people all over the world have different perspectives towards the channel, many think that the Turkish government has taken a good step toward openness and directness.
"Some don't like the channel since it is run by the government. Some like it because it is the first Kurdish channel. But I personally see a lot of good things in it, because the channel has already gained a lot of spectators," Baban noted.
Baban used to translate books before going to Ankara to work at TRT 6. He says he enjoys working in Turkey because of two reasons. Firstly, it is a good experience for his profession. While serving Kurdish people and language is another aim of Baban by working at TRT 6.
According to Baban, sometimes Soran dialect programs in TRT 6 have more spectators than programs presented in other dialects. "Our manager told us already that the rating system of the TV has shown programs broadcasted in Sorani dialect has raised dramatically," revealed Baban.
Most of those working in TRT 6 are originally from Sulaimaniya province except Sanger Hamad Zandi, who is from the Kurdish capital city of Erbil. Zandi graduated in Agriculture College in Erbil's Salahaddin University and due to his excellent Turkish language skills he was hired to translate news for TRT 6.
Zandi said TRT 6 was not watched by people in Erbil and Sulaimaniya provinces, and the other Kurdish provinces in Iran, but after opening the Sorani section, the channel is watched everywhere nowadays.
"I see this channel in general and Sorani section in particular as a bridge between Kurdistan Region and Turkey. The relations between these two sides have got a lot better since the section opened. Many activities from Iraqi Kurdistan Region nowadays are shown in TRT 6," Zandi said.
According to Zandi, another benefit from Sorani section is the tendency of Kurmanji people to learn the Sorani dialect. "I have seen Kurmanji Kurdish people who speak good Sorani dialect now due to watching TRT 6 perpetually. There are no Sorani Kurds in Ankara, but I see some speak with Sorani."
If the channel has encouraged the viewers to learn Sorani, it has also made the staff workers learn about Turkish culture.
"I have learned a lot since I started working in TRT 6. This channel is like an umbrella under which people from different parts of Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan can exchange their ideas and can learn about each other's culture and lifestyle," Zandi explained.
© The Kurdish Globe 2013
