One of the unshakable cornerstones of the free press, Radyoya Dengê Gel has brought its 23-year broadcasting journey to an end. The radio station that carried the memory of Kurdish media began its journey in 2002 under the name Radyoya Dengê Mezopotamya, continued under the names Dengê Kurdistan and Dengê Welat, and finally, as Dengê Gel, carried its voice from prisons to mountains across Kurdistan.
Adopting a broadcasting line based on Leader Apo’s paradigm of women’s liberation, ecology, and democracy, the radio was not just a music player but also a political and cultural school for the people. Reaching its audience with programs blended with politics, literature, history, and songs, Radyoya Dengê Gel left behind a great legacy. Thanking the people of Kurdistan and all its listeners, it ended its 23-year journey with the Kurdish national anthem “Ey Reqîp.”
From Dengê Kurdistana Serbixwe to Dengê Gel…
One of the coordinators of Radyoya Dengê Gel, Mustafa Rêzan, stated that the first radio broadcasting in Kurdish media began in October 1992 with Dengê Kurdistana Serbixwe and continued in 1995 with Dengê Mezopotamya. Emphasizing that Dengê Mezopotamya was part of the Kurdish people’s struggle against genocide and assimilation, Mustafa Rêzan said that in 2001 broadcasting continued in the heart of Europe, in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, but was ended in 2011 for various reasons. He noted that this journey continued in 2012 under the name Dengê Kurdistan, stressing that Dengê Kurdistan became a voice for the freedom of the Kurdish people against all forms of cultural and physical genocide. He added that despite pressure and censorship by the Turkish state, Dengê Kurdistan continued steadfastly until 2016, after which it went on under the name Dengê Welat, and from 2023 onward under the name Dengê Gel.
“It became the voice of the Kurdistan national revolution”
Saying, “This voice was the voice of the Kurdistan national revolution,” Mustafa Rêzan continued: “Like Kurdistan’s national television channels, the radio also had a great impact. It became the voice of resistance in the mountains and in prisons and carried that voice to all four parts of Kurdistan. Despite obstacles, it conveyed the voice of the revolution to the Kurdish people within the limits of its means. It also became the voice of the cries rising from the prisons. The Turkish state’s isolation, oppression, and repression in the prisons were extremely severe. Dengê Gel, carrying the legacy of the radios that preceded it, became the voice of resistance. For this reason, it created an important impact. It served as a bridge between prisons, mountains, and the people, and carried the truth to society.”
Stating that Dengê Gel ended its broadcasting life after completing its mission, Mustafa Rêzan said, “Despite its shortcomings and limitations, it reached an important threshold. Unfortunately, with technological development, the mission of radio is also diminishing. Digital media is developing, and publishing and broadcasting are evolving accordingly.”
“The free press is facing a new test”
Drawing attention to the fact that a new era has begun with the Peace and Democratic Society process, Mustafa Rêzan said: “With the steps taken by Leader Apo for peace and a democratic society, the Kurdish freedom struggle has entered a new phase. Undoubtedly, the role of the press and broadcasting is also changing. The character of the era requires this. It is clear that it cannot proceed with old methods and ways. The press is rebuilding itself with a new perspective in line with the new era. The Free Press is facing such a test. On the journey of truth, it must rebuild and reorganize itself.”
Radyoya Dengê Gel ended its broadcasting life with the Kurdish national anthem “Ey Reqîp.”