Associations and platforms, continuing their work to have Kurdish recognized as an official and educational language, organized various events in many cities for the new school year.
Agirî (Agri)
The Kurdî-Zan Ararat Kurdish Language and Culture Association in Agirî organized a march from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) building to Tahir Elçi Street. During the march, slogans such as “Bê ziman jiyan nabe” (There is no life without language), “Zimanê me rûmeta me ye” (Our language is our honor), and “Bijî zimanê Kurdî” (Long live Kurdish) were chanted.
Participants carried a banner reading “Bingeha Aşîtî û Civaka Demokratîk bi fermîyeta zimanê Kurdî tê avêtin” (The foundation of peace and a democratic society lies in the official status of Kurdish) as well as placards stating “Kurdî nasnameya me ye” (Kurdish is our identity), “Perwerdehiya bi Kurdî” (Education in Kurdish), and “Her dem Kurdî her der Kurdî” (Kurdish always and everywhere). DEM Party MPs Nejla Demir, Heval Bozdağ, and Sırrı Sakık also joined the march.
In a statement on Tahir Elçi Street, Kurdî-Zan Ararat Co-chair Serhat Yılmaz said that it is the most natural right of the Kurdish people to receive education in their mother tongue, adding, “Pressures on Kurdish are directly aimed at Kurdish identity. Even today, the fact that a mother is prevented from speaking Kurdish in parliament shows that this mentality has not changed. Without changing this mindset, social peace and unity are impossible.”
Şırnex (Şırnak)
In the Cizîr (Cizre) district of Şırnex, the Birca Belek Language and Culture Association, the Cûdî Language and Culture Association in Silopiya (Silopi), and the Şırnex branch of Eğitim Sen organized a march and press statement.
In Cizîr, a crowd gathered in front of Birca Belek, joined by DEM Party MPs Mehmet Zeki İrmez, Ferit Şenyaşar, Beritan Güneş Altın, municipal co-mayors, and representatives of democratic mass organizations, and marched to Art Street. The banner “Em perwerdehiya bi Kurdî dixwazin, ma perwerdeyê bi Kurdkî wazenê” (We want education in Kurdish, Kurdish education cannot be blocked) was carried, and placards demanding Kurdish as a language of education were displayed while Aram Tigran’s song “Zimanê Kurdî” was performed.
Speaking on Art Street, Birca Belek Association executive Rojger Nuh Ant said that constitutional guarantees for Kurdish are necessary for lasting peace. Emphasizing that the Kurds’ most fundamental demand is for Kurdish to be the official language of education, Ant called for the removal of obstacles.
DEM Party MP Beritan Güneş Altın said, “Today millions of children could not start school in their mother tongue. Every child deprived of education in their mother tongue falls behind in life. This is a crime against humanity and has been going on for a century. The Peace and Democratic Society Process must put an end to this shame. The state must take concrete steps immediately. A democratic society can only endure through the mother tongue.”
The statement concluded with a call to participate in tomorrow’s march and vigil in Besta against the ongoing ecocide in Şırnex, led by the Democratic Institutions Platform.
Amed
MED-DER and the Amed branches of Eğitim-SEN gathered in front of the Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of National Education for the right to education in the mother tongue. Banners reading “Em perwerdehiya bi Kurdî dixwazin” (We want education in Kurdish) and “Perwerdeya zimanê zikmakî mafê hemû gelan e” (Mother-tongue education is the right of all peoples) were displayed. Many people attended, and the Kirmançkî text was read by Eğitim-SEN Branch 2 Co-chair Serhat Kılıç, while the Kurmancî text was read by SES member Elif Turan.
The statement emphasized that mother-tongue education is a fundamental right for the Kurdish people, saying, “Blocking this right means denying Kurdish identity. Failure to recognize the mother tongue is the biggest obstacle to peace. Equality-and justice-based brotherhood is only possible if the right to education in the mother tongue is legally guaranteed.”
Lastly, Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Serra Bucak highlighted the importance of the mother tongue, saying, “It is the most natural right of the Kurdish people to receive education in their own language. Children’s education in their mother tongue opens the way for a more just and peaceful system. An honorable peace is possible by respecting one another’s rights and laws. Recognizing Kurdish as a language of education from preschool to university will contribute to the construction of peace.”
The action ended with slogans and applause.
Wan (Van)
Led by the Association for the Development of Kurdish Culture and Language (KURDİGEH), a press statement was held in front of the Van Provincial Directorate of National Education under the slogan “We want education in the mother tongue.” A banner reading “Statûya Kurdî perwerdehiya bi Kurdî” (Kurdish status, education in Kurdish) was displayed, with frequent chants of “Bê ziman jiyan nabe” (There is no life without language), “Zimanê me nasname ye” (Our language is our identity), and “Bijî statûya Kurdî” (Long live Kurdish status).
DEM Party, DBP, TJA, Van MP Mahmut Dindar, and many civil society organizations participated.
Reading the press statement, Mesut Kerdîş said that education in the mother tongue is a non-deferrable human right: “We do not want to lose our identity in schools. We want education in our mother tongue. Kurdish must be granted legal status, and obstacles must be removed. Even if the Speaker of Parliament says, ‘No request has been made,’ we have been voicing this demand for years. Education in the mother tongue is a matter of our future. Our struggle will continue until these rights are recognized.”
Calling on all Kurdish parties, institutions, and the public, Kerdîş said, “Let’s turn our homes into Kurdish schools, let’s voice our demand for education in Kurdish louder,” urging for a stronger struggle for the Kurdish language.