The media appears to have adopted a standard formula for reporting these particular Kurdish bombings: 1) There is no reference to the T-word (“terrorism” or “terrorists”) except where Turkish officials are quoted; 2) Kurdish groups are mentioned only in passing; 3) Kurdish groups are never referred to as “terrorists” but as “rebel groups”, “separatist groups”, or “militants”; 4) Even the PKK is never referred to as a “terrorist” group, only that it has been “declared” one by Europe and the US; and 5) Almost every report reminds you that “Islamic” groups have also carried out bombings in Turkey in the past. The CNN and BBC reports mentioned above conformed to all these rules.

Both the CNN and BBC reports generally played down the Kurdish aspect and certainly expunged any link to terrorism by conforming to rule 3 above. The Kurdish PKK was said to have launched an “armed rebellion against the Turkish state in 1984” to “carve out an independent Kurdish area”. There was no reference to terms like “insurgency”, which the media uses in Iraq to conform to the wishes of the Bush administration. Furthermore, the media has made a point of mentioning the reasons for the Kurdish war in Turkey, something usually avoided when any official (Muslim) terrorists attack. Agence France-Presse referred to “Kurdish separatists” and a “Kurdish rebel group” and its only reference to terrorism was when quoting the Turkish Prime Minister who declared the bombing a “terrorist attack” (the quotation marks were in the AFP report).3

A week earlier a blast at another resort left 20 people injured. A report from Agence France-Presse made no reference to the T-word.4 Reuters reported immediately (on 10 July) that Kurds were responsible for the bombing, but several other agencies hardly made any reference to Kurds at all.5 Reuters made reference to a “Kurdish rebel group” and a “separatist group” but there was no reference to terrorism. The term “rebels” is avoided like the plague when the media reports of events in Iraq.

Australia’s ABC news didn’t have much to say about the bombings. This is not really surprising from Australia’s ABC network, considering how it has lately become a blatant government propagandist tool, especially in how it whitewashes and cheerleads the American occupation of Iraq. While Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was reported to have condemned the bombing, it has received nowhere near the comment that bombings by the official terrorists receive. One wonders if he would have made any comment had a Britain not been killed.

The examples could go on but the gist has been presented here. The media has demonstrated a remarkable double standard in its reporting of this bombing attack in Turkey. Perhaps the bombing is an inconvenient one for the media, since the official “Islamic” and “Muslim” terrorists were not responsible. In relation to this bombing, the media had demonstrated again how it manufactures consent by presenting a particular bias in its news coverage.

Endnotes:

1 CNN, “Security tight after Turkey blast”, 17 July 2005. Found at http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/17/turkey.blast.reut/index.html

2 BBC, “PKK ‘behind’ Turkey resort blast”, 17 July 2005. Found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4690181.stm

3 Agence France-Presse, “Bomb blast in Turkish resort kills five in second attack in a week”, 16 July 2005. Found at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050716/ts_afp/turkeyblast_050716173751

4 Agence France-Presse, “Bomb blast at Turkish resort leaves 20 injured”, 10 July 2005. Found at http://fullcoverage.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050710/wl_afp/turkeyblast_050710162929

5 Reuters, “Kurdish bomb attack wounds 20 in Turkish resort”, 10 July 2005. Found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/10/AR2005071000314.html