Rozerin Gültekin

 

ISTANBUL - Speaking about the Kurdish Language Day, Remziye Alparslan, Co-President of the Kurdish Research Association, said: "On 15 May, we will express our demands more strongly with the slogan “Let Kurdish be granted status, let Kurdish be the language of education”. We hope that Kurds will experience a process in which they can live their lives with their own identity and language."

 

The assimilation policies against the Kurdish language have been deepened and continued by the government for years. Kurds continue to defend their identity and language in every field against policies targeting the Kurdish language. On 15 May 1932, Hawar, the first Kurdish magazine published in Latin letters in Damascus under the leadership of Celadet Ali Bedirxan, marked an important turning point for Kurdish language and literature. This date was recognised as a milestone for the Kurdish language. However, it was only in 2006 that this day was officially recognised as ‘Kurdish Language Day’. Since 2006, 15 May every year is celebrated as Kurdish Language Day.

 

On the occasion of 15 May Kurdish Language Day, Remziye Alparslan, Co-President of the Kurdish Research Association, made evaluations on the assimilation policies on the Kurdish language and the necessity for the Kurdish language to gain legal status.

 

‘Language is vital’

 

Remziye Alparslan said that language is a part of culture and added: "Kurdish is also a history and identity. If Kurds lose their language, it means that their history and identity will also be lost. Therefore, language is of vital importance; it must be used in all areas of life. Turkey and the philosophy founded on it is a monist philosophy. It advocates that only Turkish and Turks should remain. It aims to suffocate other identities. It wants to bring it to such a stage that it does not want any nation, any language to remain. It sees the existence of different peoples as a threat to its own existence. It has tried all kinds of ways to prevent and eliminate these differences."

 

‘Barriers blocked the way for different colours’

 

Remziye Alparslan reminded that the founding of Turkey was based on a single language and said "This monolingualism closed the way for all colours. It caused the disappearance of different languages in Anatolia. Kurdish broadcasts were not allowed for a long time. Later, after Kurdish broadcasts were allowed, speech was no longer allowed. The way was paved for different oppressions. Yes, although there may not be a direct oppression, there is criminalisation and humiliation. As a result of this criminalisation, an obstacle is placed in front of doing something in one's own language, receiving education and living one's life. The way is paved for people to change their faces into the dominant language, Turkish. Such assimilation policies have closed the way for the development of the language. This created a bad picture for the new generation."

 

Legal status and language of instruction

 

Remziye Alparslan said that granting legal status to Kurdish means recognising Kurdish as an official language and added: "One of the demands of the Kurdish people in every period is that Kurdish should be the language of education. Making Kurdish the language of education means ensuring its legal status. Ensuring legal status and being a language of education are interrelated. Therefore, the language must be recognised."