TRT opening up to Turkic world with new station due March 21

ANKARA. March 17. KAZINFORM The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) will soon launch a new TV station, TRT Turk, for Central Asia and the Turkic world.

The station will be available to audiences in five Turkic republics, including Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. TRT-Tьrk will be officially launched on March 21 during the celebration of the Nevruz festival, with the participation of Turkish pop star Tarkan, though test broadcasts are already under way. The station will utilize Central Asian newscasters on all of its news programs. It will also broadcast old episodes of hit TV series, including "Ekmek Teknesi" and "Kurtlar Vadisi" the new episodes of documentary "Silk Road" and a reality show titled "Dagdayэz" (We Are on the Mountain). In addition, a song contest similar to Eurovision will be launched with the participation of contestants from Turkic republics. Nevruz celebrations from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan will be aired live on TRT-Turk at a studio to be set up at the Ankara Atatьrk Cultural Center on March 21. TRT-Turk will broadcast in the Turkish language; however, for live broadcasts, the languages of different countries in the Turkic world will be used. Developments in Turkic countries will be covered on the station, and occasional live broadcasts will be made from autonomous Turkic regions. In addition to Tarkan, famous Azeri singer Azerin, Uzbek artist Savara Nazarkhan and Aktan Isabayev will present a concert for the opening ceremony. The TRT-Tьrk?s reality show ?We Are on the Mountain? is expected to draw a great deal of attention. The show will follow a variety of celebrities as they spend a whole week in the mountains struggling against the elements. The station will also present live broadcasts of plenary sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries. Documentaries on sporting events in the Turkic world as well as pieces on soccer leagues of Turkic nations will be included on the schedule of TRT-Turk, which will also broadcast games of these countries? national teams. Cartoons will be offered with subtitles in Turkish. TRT-Turk will also feature a number of documentaries on the histories and traditions of Turkic countries. The station will also air travel shows in an attempt to attract tourism to Turkic nations; these shows are considered catalysts for the revival of tourism and the exchange of visitors between the countries in the Turkic world. TRT-Turk will provide information on current scholarships offered by the universities in Turkic republics, Kazinform refers to Today's Zaman.