The Kurdish Language and Culture Network has launched a campaign to promote the Kurdish language as an education and official language. The preparatory work for rallies has already begun in three Kurdish cities; Cizre, Van and Diyarbakır.
The Kurdish Language and Culture Network has announced that it would hold rallies in Cizre on June 3, in Van on June 4, and in Amed (Diyarbakır) on June 7 as part of the petition campaign it launched on February 22, which demands that Kurdish be an education and official language.
Members of Kurdish Language and Culture Network components and the rally organizing committee attended a press conference at the Amed Branch of the Chamber of Architects. The banners that read “Kurmanci and Dimilkî Kurdish should be an official and educational language” were displayed during the press briefing.
Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) co-chair Şilan Elmas Kan said that the petition launched by the Kurdish Language and Culture Network on February 21 demanding that Kurdish be an official language and language of education, continues both online and in paper form.
'ONLINE PARTICIPATION IS POSSIBLE VIA CHANGE.ORG'
Kan stated that the Kurdish Language and Culture Network has organized a series of new events as part of the campaign. “We will hold rallies in 3 cities of the region. We will hold rallies in Cizre on June 3, in Van on June 4, and finally in Diyarbakır on June 7. We will collect signatures during the rallies. Those outside of these cities can join the campaign via change.org. We have asked official permissions from the governorships in all three cities for the rallies, but no official response has been given yet.”
'WE INVITE OUR PEOPLE TO THE RALLIES'
Kan informed that 9 political parties and non-governmental organizations endorse the campaign. “The Kurds ensured their unity in their mother tongue. Kurds will collect millions of signatures and apply to all Turkish and international institutions and organizations. Mother tongue is legitimate, and it is a red line for the Kurds. Therefore, we invite all our people to join the rallies."
He noted that they will hold marches in case the governorships reject their applications.
Amed Organizing Committee head Hazım Bozkurt stated that they could not receive a response to their official application to Metropolitan Municipality regarding the rally banners.
