Another victory against international terrorism!

LONDON, April 23,1999 (Reuters) - Britain effectively ordered the closure of a Kurdish television channel on Friday when the country's television watchdog permanently withdrew MED TV's broadcasting licence.

LONDON, March 22,1999 (Reuters) - A British television watchdog said on Monday it had ordered a Kurdish channel to cease broadcasting for 21 days after it showed calls for violence in Turkey.

MED-TV ceased broadcasting at 8 p.m. Central European Time

MED-TV is an example of modern day, hi-tech terrorism. Sponsored by PKK run drug smuggling and extortion rackets with the aims of providing dis-information and coordination of terror activities. PKK's terrorist actions are confirmed by its being on the top of various countries international terrorist organization lists as well Human Rights Watch reports.

The final revocation of its license follows a 21 day closure order which came after the British ICT's repeated warnings. As a result of a previous incident ICT had formally warned Med TV for breaches of its code on impartiality and inciting crime, and fined it 90,000 pounds ($146,400) in January 1998.  It said it warned Med TV last November it would lose its licence if it did not comply with the code and stop promoting violence and terrorism.

MED TV broadcasts out of British satelite networks but also has studios in Belgium where it has been summoned in February by Interior Minister Luc Van den Bossche  to a meeting where he warned them not to repeat broadcasts calling for violence against Turkey or Turkish institutions abroad.

"Some analysts suggest that Kurds may have been mobilised by broadcasts about Mr Ocalan's  arrest on MED TV, the London based Kurdish satellite channel which Turkey maintains is the mouthpiece of the PKK."

BBCNews  By Regional Analyst Pam O'Toole
Tuesday, February 23, 1999 Published at 22:39 GMT