Turkey's President Abdullah Gul has approved legislation allowing the country's state-owned radio and television network to broadcast in languages other than Turkish.
Mr. Gul signed the measure into law Wednesday after Turkey's parliament passed the bill earlier this month.
The law will enable the state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation to air broadcasts in non-Turkish languages, including Kurdish, a measure long sought by Turkey's Kurdish minority.
The move comes as Ankara attempts to implement reforms to enhance its European Union membership bid. The 27-nation bloc is pressing Turkey to push through several political and economic reforms.
In other news, the governor of Turkey's eastern Agri province,Mehmet Cetin, says Turkish security forces killed three Kurdish rebels in a clash near Mount Tendurek today. He says the forces were conducting an operation against members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
Turkey has stepped up military operations this year against the PKK, both inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.
The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey for nearly 25 years. The violence has killed more than 30,000 people.
The United States, Turkey and other countries classify the PKK as a terrorist group.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
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