HDP: “We will protect Kurdish language against any ban”

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP co-chair Responsible of Language, Culture, Art and Education Policies, Salim Kaplan, issued a written statement that has been published regarding the cancellation of Kurdish artist Mem Ararat’s concert in Ankara on the grounds that he “would sing in Kurdish”. The concert was cancelled by the AKP-run Keçiören Municipality.

‘Attacks have been going on for a century’

In the statement, made in Kurdish, it was emphasized that the oppression and attacks against the Kurdish language in Turkey continue to increase. Pointing out that there is an attempt to remove the Kurdish language from all areas, the statement added that the language was banned by the state authorities. “The massacre of culture and language that has been going on since the beginning of the century is still being carried out by the AKP and MHP mentality. The international laws that bound governments to defend languages ​​ are clearly violated.”

‘AKP and MHP mobilize themselves’

Pointing out that the AKP-MHP government’s approach to the Kurds and its policies towards the Kurdish language, culture, history and identity are parallel, the statement said: “We see that the AKP-MHP government mobilized itself to eliminate Kurdish gains. This mentality prevents both the right to education in the mother tongue, which is the most fundamental right.”

Concert, theater, event bans…

Noting that the Governorship, District Governorate and AKP-MHP municipalities have criminalized Kurdish in every field in recent years, the statement said: “Kurdish language and cultural activities and actions are defined as ‘terrorist’. Theater plays are banned on the grounds of ‘terrorist propaganda’, and concerts in Kurdish are cancelled by municipalities. The most basic rights of the Kurds are openly banned by this mentality.”

‘We will respond by speaking, reading and writing in Kurdish’

The statement, which emphasized that the hostility towards the Kurdish language is aggression and hostility towards the Kurds, concluded with the following words: “We know well the mentality that aims at language and culture massacre. For this reason, we do not accept attacks and bans against the Kurdish language and we condemn this mentality. Our fight against this mentality will increase even more. In order to end this mentality, we will protect our language more, and we will give the best answer to this mentality by speaking, reading and writing in Kurdish in all areas of life.”