Kurdish language not allowed in Courts
Kurdish language not allowed in Courts
While AKP government praising itself for abolishing the ban on Kurdish language, defendants who responded the judge in Kurdish were forcibly pushed out by gendarmerie. Kurdish was also described as an “unknown language” in the courts records, like it was done in 1991 when the first Kurdish female MP Leyla Zana took her oath in Kurdish. It looks the official approach towards Kurdish has not changed much since.
61 defended Kurds including those 46 who were arrested on 17 June 2009 within the scope of the operation against Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (KCK) were before the court in Diyarbakir, on Thursday.
In the course of the hearing held before Diyarbakir Heavy Criminal Court Nr.6 defendants responded the questions of the judge in Kurdish which annoyed the court board composed of three judges.
Although the court forced the defendants to answer in Turdish the defendants insisted on responding in Kurdish. The court then decided the defendants to be forcibly taken out of the room by gendarmerie. Upon this the defendant lawyers also left the room by saying it is not possible to defence themselves under these circumstances.
Kurdish is still “unknown language”
In the hearing records the following statements is written: “During the identification the defendants responded in a language other than Turkish. Despite the fact that the defendants have been repeatedly warned by the chief judge to speak Turkish they insisted on speaking in an unknown language as if they were making fun of the court.”
The audience also protested the racist approach of the judge however they faced the same fate with the defendants. The witnesses also reported that the defendants were subjected to mistreatment while being taken back to the prison. The hearing was adjusted 14 October.
No Kurdish allowed at court
On the other hand Izmir Heavy Criminal Court Nr.8 rejected the request from 18 defendants members of Democratic Patriotic Youth Assembly (YDG-M) who wanted to defence themselves in Kurdish before the court. While 3 non-Kurdish speaking defendant testified before the court the demand of the others were rejected on account of the defendants are fluent in Turkish.
61 defended Kurds including those 46 who were arrested on 17 June 2009 within the scope of the operation against Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (KCK) were before the court in Diyarbakir, on Thursday.
In the course of the hearing held before Diyarbakir Heavy Criminal Court Nr.6 defendants responded the questions of the judge in Kurdish which annoyed the court board composed of three judges.
Although the court forced the defendants to answer in Turdish the defendants insisted on responding in Kurdish. The court then decided the defendants to be forcibly taken out of the room by gendarmerie. Upon this the defendant lawyers also left the room by saying it is not possible to defence themselves under these circumstances.
Kurdish is still “unknown language”
In the hearing records the following statements is written: “During the identification the defendants responded in a language other than Turkish. Despite the fact that the defendants have been repeatedly warned by the chief judge to speak Turkish they insisted on speaking in an unknown language as if they were making fun of the court.”
The audience also protested the racist approach of the judge however they faced the same fate with the defendants. The witnesses also reported that the defendants were subjected to mistreatment while being taken back to the prison. The hearing was adjusted 14 October.
No Kurdish allowed at court
On the other hand Izmir Heavy Criminal Court Nr.8 rejected the request from 18 defendants members of Democratic Patriotic Youth Assembly (YDG-M) who wanted to defence themselves in Kurdish before the court. While 3 non-Kurdish speaking defendant testified before the court the demand of the others were rejected on account of the defendants are fluent in Turkish.
