The Kurdish service of Sveriges Radio (Radio Sweden) is being abruptly terminated in the wake of Sweden’s NATO membership getting the green light from Turkey, leading to speculation that the cessation might have been an concession agreed with Ankara.
Radio Sweden’s Kurdish service, operational since 6 January 2001 and offering content in both the Sorani and the Kurmanji dialects, is set to end on 31 March 2024, igniting debates on the intertwining of diplomatic agreements and minority language broadcasting rights.
Nasser Sina, a presenter involved in the establishment and first broadcast of the Kurdish radio, expressed the importance of the service for Kurds, stating, “This radio was very important for Kurds to find their identity.” Nishtman Irandoust, another radio employee, suggested that the decision to halt the Kurdish broadcast was made to appease Ankara and reciprocate for its support with NATO, indicating a political motive behind the move rather than financial reasons as officially stated by Radio Sweden CEO Cilla Benko, who cited cost-cutting measures.
The cessation of the Kurdish service, expected to conclude on 31 March 2024, ten days after the Kurdish national holiday of Newroz, is raising concerns about the impact on Sweden’s significant Kurdish population and the broader implications for minority language services in the country.
