Prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas told AFP she had asked the Copenhagen district court to withdraw Roj TV's broadcasting licence because it violated Danish regulations prohibiting support for terrorist organisations.

Police has frozen the controversial network's bank accounts, she added.

In August, she charged that an in-depth investigation beginning in 2005 into the network's programming had found it supported the PKK.

"We carefully examined a series of programmes on Roj TV, and our evaluation is that they have a character of propaganda for the PKK, which is a terrorist organisation," she said in a statement at the time.

The head of Roj TV, Imdat Yilmaz, told AFP Thursday he was surprised at the decision, arguing the station did "not do anything illegal and did not support terrorism."

He recalled that Denmark's radio and television surveillance body had previously deemed the network's programming respected regulations.

"We are also giving a voice to those who in the streets express their sympathy for the PKK and we cannot gag freedom of expression, of which Denmark is a fiery defender," Yilmaz said.

Roj TV started broadcasting via satellite in 2004 towards 68 countries.

Turkey has asked Denmark to shut it down, as has the United States.

The PKK is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by both the European Union and the United States.

It took up arms for self-rule in the Kurdish-majority southeast of Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed 45,000 lives.