16 Kurdish language institutions: Kurdish should be a language of education

Kurdish language institutions made a statement criticizing the introduction of the Kurdish language as an elective course at schools in Turkey, saying, “Kurdish should not be instructed in elective courses; it should be a language of education.”

16 Kurdish language institutions made a joint statement in response to the instruction of the Kurdish language in "elective courses". The statement said that the denial, prohibition, assimilation, attacks and multi-faceted pressures against the Kurdish language have become pervasive. It added: “The Kurds, the Kurdish language and Kurdistan are left without status. We know well that a nation without status will be eliminated in time.”

'KURDISH LANGUAGE SHOULD BE GUARANTEED CONSTITUTIONALLY'

The statement pointed out that Kurdish "elective courses" were introduced to prevent Kurdish from being a language of instruction and becoming an official language.

“The Turkish state wants to conceal the assimilation policy against the Kurdish language, to confuse the Kurdish people and to cause disagreements among them. It carries out the heaviest attacks and massacres against the Kurds and the Kurdish values. The Turkish state should abstain from policies and actions aimed at deception. It should approach the Kurdish language as it approaches the Turkish language. Kurdish should obtain an official status and be a language of instruction from pre-school education to university. The Kurds should be educated in their own language that promotes their own truth and values, and this status should be guaranteed in the Constitution and internationally.”

The institutions that undersigned the statement are as follows: Destar Magazine, Mesopotamia Language and Cultural Research Association, Arsi Language and Cultural Research Association, Arsisa Language and Cultural Research Association, Botan Language and Cultural Research Association, Avesta Language and Cultural Research Association, Ferad Language and Cultural Research Association, Bırca Belek Language and Cultural Research Association, Anka Language and Cultural Research Association, Kurdish Literature Association, Istanbul Kurdish Institute, Amed Kurdish Institute, Stockholm Kurdish Institute, Brussels Kurdish Institute, Germany Kurdish Institute, Swiss Kurdish Institute.