Teacher Simge Yardım, who joined the “Walking to Freedom with Hope” march, said it was organized to socialize the demand for peace and to highlight the right to education in one’s mother tongue. Yardım stated that the education system in Turkey has been based on a monolithic ideology since the foundation of the Republic, which has deepened assimilation policies imposed on various peoples.

The march, launched by the Free Women’s Movement (TJA) on October 1, continues with determination. On its fourth day, hundreds of women held a spectacular march in Adana, where they were welcomed with flowers by the Peace Mothers and concluded the day with an enthusiastic rally. Chanting “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (“Woman, Life, Freedom”), the women once again voiced their demands for freedom alongside Abdullah Öcalan.

Women from different regions and professions across the country are participating in the march. Among the 250 women walking for social peace is teacher Simge Yardım, who marches for the right to mother tongue education and to contribute to the construction of peace. Like the others, she is preparing to reach Ankara with determination and hope.

The right to mother tongue education is indispensable for a democratic society

Teacher Simge Yardım emphasized that the right to education in one’s mother tongue is indispensable for building a democratic society. She pointed out that the education system in Turkey is built on a monolithic ideology, which has deepened assimilation policies imposed on different peoples.

Yardım stated that the march, which began in Diyarbakır (Amed), was shaped entirely around the demand for peace, and explained: “We are walking from Diyarbakır to Ankara under the common demand for peace. One of our main demands, of course, is the recognition of the right to mother tongue education. For many years, Turkey’s education system has been carried out through a mentality that prioritizes uniformity. Since the foundation of the Republic, we have been faced with an education system built upon and deepened by an assimilation policy based on monism. Today, the same mentality continues to shape the education system.”

Yardım also stressed that these policies are a major obstacle to democratization and continued: “When we consider the peoples of Turkey, the non-recognition of the right to education in one’s mother tongue, which forms the basis of building a democratic society, creates a serious barrier to children’s access to education. The denial of this right is a deliberate state policy. Because we know that for children who cannot receive education in their own language, this situation becomes a tool of assimilation.”

A system that destroys memory and culture

Simge Yardım underlined that the denial of the right to education in one’s mother tongue creates not only pedagogical but also social destruction and stated: “For peoples who cannot receive education in their own language, this means erasing their memory, history, and culture. To destroy a people’s language is to destroy that people. This policy has been maintained in Turkey since the foundation of the Republic. The imposition of Turkish as the only official language has led to alienation from one’s mother tongue and abandonment of its use, especially among the children of Kurds and other peoples of the country.”

Education policies must be shaped on the basis of peace

Simge Yardım stressed that the right to education in one’s mother tongue is directly linked to the peace process and said: “One of the main demands of our march today is the right to mother tongue education, because it is one of the essential foundations for building a democratic country and a democratic society. Wherever we speak of peace, we emphasize that the right to mother tongue education must be recognized. The official implementation of this right also means the institutionalization of peace. Education policies as a whole must change. Especially for girls and for students whose mother tongue is different, the curriculum should not be based on uniformity but on peace. If we want to build a democratic society, education must be grounded in peace and equality.”

Women are the pioneers of peace

Simge Yardım highlighted the role of women in the peace process, stressing that women stand at the heart of this struggle and said: “In this period, one of the most fundamental duties is to socialize peace. As women, we are the ones who experience the deepest impact of war. That is why we are also at the forefront of the peace process. But our call is not only to women; it is to all peoples, to all youth, to the whole society. The socialization of peace will also pave the way for democratization.”

The requirements of a democratic society must be fulfilled

Yardım stated that peace and the right to education cannot be considered separately, concluding her words as follows: “The more we embrace peace and the more we remind each other how much we need it, the easier it will be to build it. The right to education in one’s mother tongue is the foundation of peace. Parents must also insist that their children receive education in their own language. Assimilation policies must be abandoned, and the requirements of building a democratic society must be fulfilled.”