Dicle Fırat Journalists Association organizes workshop on Kurdish journalism

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), with the support of Mesopotamia Language Culture and Research Association (MED-DER), launched a workshop in Kurdish journalism on 21 February, International Mother Language Day.

At the opening of the one-week workshop on Kurdish language training and news writing in Kurdish, a statement was made at the association building.

DFG co-chair Serdar Altan said that they decided to start such a workshop on 21 February to celebrate Mother Tongue Day and added: “The problems experienced by the Kurdish continue today. Many words are said on such important days. In order to spread the language and to ensure that the Kurdish language has a place it deserves in the world, very important works are being carried out. As Kurdish journalists, we also have a place in these works. We are doing this workshop so that journalists can live and work in their own language.”

Altan continued: “We will also teach Kurdish in this workshop which will last one week. We will provide education in Kurdish and in Kurdish journalism. In this respect, our journalist friends will learn about journalism practices, news writing and patterns, technical writing, women’s journalism. They will receive training on many subjects. We asked MED-DER for help with these studies.”

MED-DER teacher Murat Bilgiç said that the first educational institutions of the Kurds were journalist organizations. “Journalists were the educators of the Kurds. Today, since there are no Kurdish schools, journalists continue their mission. I believe that these lessons will help them to fulfil this mission more strongly.”