BY MEHMET Y. YILMAZ
HURRIYET- The government decided yesterday to ban all radio and television broadcasts about the recent terrorist attack in Hakkari. A Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) statement said the ban is meant to maintain the morale of security forces and prevent broadcasts which hurt the public's moral values. Obviously, in a democracy, it's not right to ban radio and TV broadcasts without a court order. But while we defend media freedom, radio and TV stations should also show restraint. The rush to air unconfirmed reports, a provocative style which has raised public tension, and pseudo-experts' outlandish interpretations have all been rampant. We should always keep in mind that we're going through a tough time and that provoking and agitating people is the last thing anyone should do now. Turkey isn't facing this problem for the first time. We've been living with these terrorist attacks for nearly 20 years. We have never surrendered to terrorism, and we won't now. We should be more careful than ever to avoid creating an atmosphere ripe for provocateurs who are ready to exploit this and commit irrevocable actions.
In this country, many people spend most of their time at coffeehouses. There are many unemployed people, and so these coffeehouses produce `coffeehouse philosophers.' These philosophers claim to know everything, from the economy to the military, from engineering to football, medicine, architecture, etc. They have an opinion on each and every issue and as they speak convincingly, people at surrounding tables nod their heads in approval. Actually, they are like columnists, just like us. Maybe a reason for the large number of columnists at our newspapers is the meeting of this oral coffeehouse culture with our written culture. The situation we're facing now presents unique opportunities for these kinds of people. Now I wonder how many people are making strategic analyses and discussing military plans, just like our TV and radio stations and newspapers. Of course, these philosophers aren't criminals. But let me warn the people who listen to those coffeehouse conversations: Please don't believe everything these chatterboxes say!"