Derya Ren

 

URFA - Aynur Gezgör, who collected 6000 signatures alone in Urfa within the scope of the petition initiated by the Kurdish Language Platform and the Kurdish Language and Network to make Kurdish the official language, called for support by saying "Everyone should speak Kurdish against the policies of the system".

 

The petition launched by the February 21 Language Commission, established by the Kurdish Language Platform and the Kurdish Language and Network, on February 22, demanding Kurdish to be the official language and language of instruction continues. While thousands of signatures have been collected across the country so far, the campaign will continue until May 15. Aynur Gezgör, who is the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Urfa central Haliliye district executive, has collected more than 6000 signatures so far alone within the scope of the campaign in Urfa and its districts.

 

'Isolation has spread all over the society'

 

Referring to the importance of the petition, Aynur noted that isolation is the basis of all attacks. Noting that the isolation spreads to all segments of the society, not only in prisons but also the isolation affects the names of villages, mountains, and districts, Aynur said: "We could not even write the names of our children in the 1980s. At that time, Esat Oktay's soldiers were saying 'Speak Turkish' in Diyarbakır prison. They never allowed us to speak Kurdish. Therefore, we could not send our children to school at that time. They even changed the names of our villages and streets into Turkish."

 

'Speak your mother tongue'

 

Aynur called on the Kurdish people to support a campaign and stated that she has collected more than 6000 signatures across Urfa with the efforts she has made so far. Noting that the Kurdish people closely see and do not accept the assimilation policies of the state, Aynur emphasized that the Kurdish should not be confined to homes only. Aynur said, "We have collected 6000 signatures so far, but this is not enough, the target I set is a number close to 20,000 signatures. I invite the Kurdish and Turkish people to sign. Kurmancî and Kirmanckî be the language of instruction and the official language. We want the Kurdish language to be the language of instruction in schools. A language spoken by millions of people is ignored. It is my call to all Kurds, speak your mother tongue. We want it to be spoken everywhere, not only at home, but also in streets, schools, cafes, districts, and cities."

 

'Turkish was taught by force'

 

Reminding that the establishment of a commission for a campaign in Turkey and the region, Aynur saying they want to reach the goal of the petition launched on February 22, calls for support to the campaign as follows: "We demand that our children receive education in their language at school. We were taught Turkish at school by force. Speak our language in our homes. Let's not speak Turkish. Let's make Kurdish the official language by collecting our signatures".