BBC Radio’s Turkish Service Ends Broadcasts After 72 Years

After 72 years of unceasing broadcasts, BBC Radio’s Turkish service held its final broadcast on Friday. The Turkish service will continue news coverage on the Internet and television, reports Today’s Zaman.

In its final broadcast, the Turkish service shared the memories and views of its former contributors, including journalists, reporters and politicians.

Commenting on the Turkish service’s history, Turkish President Abdullah Gül said the service had made interesting and lively broadcasts, and at times delivered news quicker than many newspapers, TVs or other radio stations.

Gül said he had always been a good listener of the Turkish radio service, especially during his university years and when he had worked abroad.

Sharing his views on the service’s broadcasts, Turkey’s ninth president, Süleyman Demirel, also said that BBC Radio’s Turkish service had always been a role model in terms of fair and reliable newscasting.

The BBC World Service, which started broadcasting in 1932, included Turkish among its languages seven years later.

The decision to shut down BBC Radio’s Turkish service came after the British government’s decision to slash public spending as part of preliminary austerity measures the coalition government has undertaken. The government cut BBC World Service’s budget by nearly 25 percent.

The Turkish service is among the broadcast services that are affected by the corporation’s restructuring process.