‘Keep Açık Radyo on air’ call

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) cut off the terrestrial broadcast of Açık Radyo yesterday, and the station held a press conference in the evening.

Listeners, programmers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and members of parliament attended the press conference held in front of the radio station's building in Tophane.

Açık Radyo founder and editor-in-chief Ömer Madra made a statement, saying: “Açık Radyo has been broadcasting to Turkey and the world on the FM band for 29 years and 11 months, and also via the internet for 22 years and 11 months. With this quality, it is a deep-rooted institution that is rarely seen anywhere else in the world.”

He continued his statement with the following words:

“When one thinks of Açık Radyo, one thinks of a sad song that could not find its due on any other medium; a magnificent monologue etched into your memory from radio theater; a great story made visible by literature; a medium that surrounds the colors and vibrations of humanity with sound. When one thinks of Açık Radyo, one thinks of a cry for peace that millions of people started in London and continued in Ankara; peasant women in Yırca, Cerattepe, and Akbelen clinging to their trees with all their might to protect them, or young people spilling out from in front of high schools into the squares to protest official climate policies that drive the living world to extinction under the yoke of fossil fuel companies. When one thinks of Açık Radyo, one thinks of a calm but determined radio station that has always been a podium and megaphone for the voices of the ecology struggle, social solidarity, and the struggle for rights. The voice of Açık Radyo is the voice of public interest. Since the day it was founded, Açık Radyo has broadcast for the 'public good' without considering the interests of any person or group. It draws its strength and resilience from this. Açık Radyo considers it its duty to discuss whatever is being debated in Turkey and the world public, whether in politics or in the fields of culture, art, and literature, with moderation and common sense, but completely.

Regardless of the technical or bureaucratic justification for the revocation of Açık Radyo's 'terrestrial broadcasting license' by the RTÜK decision, it is definitely an attempt to silence the voice of the public. It will go down in history as such and will always be remembered that way.”

AÇIK RADYO MUST REMAIN OPEN

Madra stated that the revocation of the terrestrial broadcasting license does not mean the radio station is closing, noting that there are different types of licenses for which the radio has the right to apply as a broadcaster, and that it is planned to continue broadcasting through one of these.

Furthermore, stating that the legal process against the penalty is ongoing, Madra concluded his statement by saying:

“While our society is surrounded on all sides by increasingly numerous spirals of violence, we have no choice but to listen to each other, imagine a common future, and build it together. We invite our listeners, supporters, and the public once again, but this time much more clearly and loudly, to speak up for Açık Radyo, for free broadcasting, and for free journalism. Please be the voice of your radio wherever you are and say it out loud everywhere: Açık Radyo must remain open.”