ANKARA - Turkey's moves to broadcast in different languages and dialects could not be underestimated, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday.
Following their meeting, Gul and Albanian Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami held a joint press conference.
Gul said that nobody had the right to underestimate Turkey's moves to broadcast in different languages and dialects.
There was no need for everybody to watch or listen to broadcasting in state-run TRT radio and television channels, Gul noted.
Gul said, ''whoever wants can listen, and whoever doesn't want won't listen.''
Private television channels could broadcast programs in different languages and dialects, but there were some rules for such broadcasting, Gul stated.
Gul added, ''Turkey knows well what it is doing. We have full confidence in our own people. Turkey has made significant reforms and taken significant steps.''
The state-run TRT radio and television channels started to broadcast programs in different languages and dialects used traditionally by Turkish citizens in their daily life on Monday.
The first program was aired in Bosnian with Turkish sub-titles. Announcers read internal and external news and sports news in the program named ''Our Cultural Heritage.''
Radio-1 and TRT-3 will broadcast programs in Bosnian on Mondays, Arabic on Tuesdays, Kirmanji on Wednesdays, Circassian in Thursdays and Zaza on Fridays.
The previous and current government passed laws to adjust to the European Union (EU). These laws included Turkey's commitment to start broadcasting in different languages and dialects.
The EU attached great importance to broadcasting in different languages and dialects in Turkey since it wanted to see that Turkey was implementing EU adjustment laws.
(BRC-AY) 09.06.2004