Education in Kurdish language seems unlikely in Turkey
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Long way to go before Kurdish becomes official language
Long way to go before Kurdish becomes official language
According to a study by the Turkish Parliament's research center, some changes should be made in the Constitution and in 18 relevant articles of law to enable the government to allow the use of an official language other than Turkish. The prospects of such changes, however, appear far away at the time being.
According to a study by the Turkish Parliament's research center, some changes should be made in the Constitution and in 18 relevant articles of law to enable the government to allow the use of an official language other than Turkish. The prospects of such changes, however, appear far away at the time being.
In Turkey there are many laws stating that the official language of the country is Turkish. In the case of allowing languages other than Turkish to be used, laws regulating political parties, elections and associations would need to be amended as they contain strong prohibitions on the use of any other language.
Parliament decided to conduct a study of official languages used in the world's parliaments after a controversy was sparked by a speech delivered by Democratic Society Party co-chairman Ahmet Türk, partly in Kurdish, during a parliamentary group meeting on Feb. 24, 2009.
The report was based on research into countries such as the US, France, Armenia, Algeria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Latvia. In many countries, only one official language is used, and this is stipulated by law. In some countries, such as Algeria, even computer hardware and equipment which does not allow printing in the Arabic typeface are forbidden from being imported. In India, Canada, Ireland and Finland two official languages are used. But even in such countries, there are still some strict rules about using two official languages. It seems the country most comfortable about its official languages is Canada.
No regulations exist in either the constitution or law about the official language in Germany but diverse German dialects are used. Belgium, whose official languages are Dutch, German and French because of its three-region state structure, and Switzerland, whose official languages are German, French, Italian and Romansch, were not in the scope of the research.
Here is the Parliament research center's summary regarding the countries' official languages and their usage:
Here is the Parliament research center's summary regarding the countries' official languages and their usage:
US: Although the English Language Unity Act has been drafted, this law is still being debated in Congress. No language other than English is used in official correspondence.
GERMANY: There is no definition of Germany's official language. No laws about official language exist as it is accepted that language should maintain its own development. There is a custom of using regional languages in the federal parliament.
ALGERIA: There is a special law to extend the use of Arabic. It is obligatory to use Arabic in all public corporations and associations and in the names of media organizations and in international agreements.
ARMENIA: According to its official language law, Armenia's official language is Armenian. Minorities living on the border of Armenia are free to use their mother tongue. The language used in education is Armenian, but minorities taking compulsory Armenian lessons are authorized to learn their mother language. For representatives of the country, knowing Armenian and using it in international meetings is obligatory, and public agencies are forbidden from communicating in any other language.
ESTONIA: According to the Republic of Estonia's language law, the official language is Estonian. All languages except Estonian are given the status of foreign languages. Public enterprises, local authorities and associations with an autonomous status are obliged to use Estonian. During the EU process, minorities were granted the right to use their mother tongue.
FINLAND: According to its language law, Finland's official languages are Finnish and Swedish. Law courts, government agencies, local authorities and autonomous organizations use both
Finnish and Swedish. The choice of how and which of the official languages will be used is determined by population density. Finnish is used in publishing and in legislation.
FRENCH: On the basis of the constitution and in accordance with the act concerning the use of the French language, French is used in official corporations and associations. It is obligatory to use French when a product is produced, named and exhibited and it is forbidden to use any other language in audio-visual advertisements. It is imperative to use French in meetings held in public areas and in public corporations and associations as well as public transportation vehicles. French translations of all kinds of magazines and news published in different languages are compulsory. French is the language of education and examinations. In addition to this, using a language other than French is restricted in the judicial sphere.
INDIA: According to the Official Languages Law, English and Hindi are the official languages. English is used in official acts and parliamentary activities. Correspondence between federated states which do not have Hindi as an official language and the central states which do are written in English. Hindi is used both in correspondence with countries which accept Hindi as an official language and with countries which do not, although translations are made in this case. In public associations and in parliament, both languages are used.
IRELAND: According to the official language law, while Irish or Gaelic is the priority language, English is accepted as a second official language. Official language authorities appointed by the president officiate over the use of Irish in public institutions to guarantee the use of the language.
CANADA: In Canada, the official languages are English and French. In parliamentary business, both languages are used, as they are in international correspondence and court procedures.
LATVIA: The official languages act states that Latvian is the official language. In respect of this act, in which there are some regulations about the protection of the language, minorities are not prohibited from using their mother tongue although it is compulsory for them to learn Latvian. It is obligatory to use Latvian in public enterprises but not in unofficial correspondence, communication and services which are religion-based.
LITHUANIA: According to the language laws of the Republic of Lithuania, the official language is Lithuanian. To use this official language is obligatory in official corporations and associations, courts and local governments. Those who do not know enough Lithuanian cannot work in public corporations. Within the scope of the Lithuanian Parliament, there is a Language Commission which checks public bodies to determine whether or not they are using Lithuanian.
POLAND: According to the Polish language act, the official language is Polish. Special laws exist to protect the Polish language, and it is obligatory to use Polish in public corporations and associations.
SLOVAKIA: According to an act of the Republic of Slovakia, the country's official language is Slovak. In religious ceremonies and rituals the language determined by the church or other religious associations is used. The government is obliged to teach Slovak to all citizens. The codification of the official language is the task of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
30 July 2009, Thursday
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
30 July 2009, Thursday
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
The Associated Press: Turkey works on plan regarding Kurdish conflict
The Associated Press: Turkey works on plan regarding Kurdish conflict
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's government said Wednesday it is prepared to grant more rights to the nation's Kurds in an effort to end the 25-year insurgency by Kurdish rebels.
But Interior Minister Besir Atalay provided no details of the plan and despite his conciliatory language the challenge of persuading thousands of Kurdish rebels to lay down their arms is likely to be long and difficult.
The rebels want an unconditional amnesty that includes their leaders, but the government has said it had no plans to expand laws that enable lower-ranking rebels to avoid prison by renouncing their past and sharing intelligence.
Kurdish activists have said imprisoned rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan will announce a "roadmap" to end the conflict ahead of Aug. 15, the date when the guerrillas first took up arms in 1984. They are fighting for autonomy in Turkey's southeast, and the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. Many of the insurgents' attacks are launched from hideouts in northern Iraq.
Turkey has refused talks with the rebel group _the Kurdistan Workers Party — but has acknowledged that military action alone will not end the conflict. The United States and the European Union have joined Turkey in labeling the group a terrorist organization.
"Come on and join this process, let's solve this problem that has cost so much and seized our future," Atalay said at a nationally televised news conference Wednesday. "We have the intention to take determined, patient and courageous steps."
He said the government was working on a plan to give more rights to Kurds, and he invited opposition parties and institutions to contribute to a national consensus.
Atalay did not give a timeframe for a Kurdish initiative, saying details would be disclosed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Under pressure from the EU, Turkey has granted greater cultural rights to Kurds, including the launch earlier this year of a 24-hour television channel broadcasting in the once-banned Kurdish language.
Private NTV television said Wednesday that the government's plan may include moves to allow the use of Kurdish names for thousands of villages whose names had been changed to Turkish, allow Kurdish prisoners to speak in their mother tongue during prison visits, expand Kurdish language broadcasts to private TV stations and set up Kurdish language faculties.
Some Kurds welcomed the government's initiative.
"We will fulfill our responsibilities," said Sirri Sakik, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party. "It is the common problem of everyone living in this country."
But the party's leader, Ahmet Turk, insisted that Turkey must end its military drive against the rebels.
"Operations must stop," Turk said. "The problem is multidimensional and no time should be wasted."
Mehmet Emin Aktar, the head of the Bar Association in the largely Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir, said: "No one has patience for more blood and tears."
Turkey's far-right Nationalist Action Party accused the government of offering concessions.
"This initiative threatens the future of Turkey. It is dividing the country along ethnic lines and preparing the ground for negotiations with the terrorists," said Oktay Vural, a senior lawmaker of the Action Party. "The more demands are met, the more they will ask for."
Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report.
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's government said Wednesday it is prepared to grant more rights to the nation's Kurds in an effort to end the 25-year insurgency by Kurdish rebels.
But Interior Minister Besir Atalay provided no details of the plan and despite his conciliatory language the challenge of persuading thousands of Kurdish rebels to lay down their arms is likely to be long and difficult.
The rebels want an unconditional amnesty that includes their leaders, but the government has said it had no plans to expand laws that enable lower-ranking rebels to avoid prison by renouncing their past and sharing intelligence.
Kurdish activists have said imprisoned rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan will announce a "roadmap" to end the conflict ahead of Aug. 15, the date when the guerrillas first took up arms in 1984. They are fighting for autonomy in Turkey's southeast, and the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. Many of the insurgents' attacks are launched from hideouts in northern Iraq.
Turkey has refused talks with the rebel group _the Kurdistan Workers Party — but has acknowledged that military action alone will not end the conflict. The United States and the European Union have joined Turkey in labeling the group a terrorist organization.
"Come on and join this process, let's solve this problem that has cost so much and seized our future," Atalay said at a nationally televised news conference Wednesday. "We have the intention to take determined, patient and courageous steps."
He said the government was working on a plan to give more rights to Kurds, and he invited opposition parties and institutions to contribute to a national consensus.
Atalay did not give a timeframe for a Kurdish initiative, saying details would be disclosed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Under pressure from the EU, Turkey has granted greater cultural rights to Kurds, including the launch earlier this year of a 24-hour television channel broadcasting in the once-banned Kurdish language.
Private NTV television said Wednesday that the government's plan may include moves to allow the use of Kurdish names for thousands of villages whose names had been changed to Turkish, allow Kurdish prisoners to speak in their mother tongue during prison visits, expand Kurdish language broadcasts to private TV stations and set up Kurdish language faculties.
Some Kurds welcomed the government's initiative.
"We will fulfill our responsibilities," said Sirri Sakik, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party. "It is the common problem of everyone living in this country."
But the party's leader, Ahmet Turk, insisted that Turkey must end its military drive against the rebels.
"Operations must stop," Turk said. "The problem is multidimensional and no time should be wasted."
Mehmet Emin Aktar, the head of the Bar Association in the largely Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir, said: "No one has patience for more blood and tears."
Turkey's far-right Nationalist Action Party accused the government of offering concessions.
"This initiative threatens the future of Turkey. It is dividing the country along ethnic lines and preparing the ground for negotiations with the terrorists," said Oktay Vural, a senior lawmaker of the Action Party. "The more demands are met, the more they will ask for."
Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report.
Kurdish Herald - The Independent and Resourceful Gateway to Kurdish News and Analyses
Kurdish Herald - The Independent and Resourceful Gateway to Kurdish News and Analyses
“Transforming Every House into a School”:Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur District, Diyarbakir - Turkey
Kurdish Herald Vol. 1 Issue 3, July 2009 - Interview conducted by Servet Tosun for Kurdish Herald in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
Diyarbakir, Turkey – Diyarbakir’s Sur District Mayor Abdullah Demirbas is one of the most significant figures with regards to his great emphasis on Kurdish culture and language. I visited him at his office to talk about his recent project called “Sere seve Cirokek u her malek Dibistane,” (A Story for each night and every house is a School).
Despite being deposed from his duty as a mayor for promoting “Multilingual Municipality Service,” he was re-elected by the people. Mayor Demirbas is persistently and passionately working for the preservation of Kurdish culture..
Kurdish Herald: What is the purpose of placing emphasis on preserving the mother tongue through your recent project? To whom do you want to reach out with your project? What are your expectations from it?
Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur District, Diyarbakir
Mayor Demirbas: As an educator and sociologist, I see the importance of culture and language. Educating a person with his or her mother tongue helps to develop his psychology and cognitivity. People who grow up freely can interact with their society more easily and are more functional. Therefore, forbiddances of any language or culture have negative consequences on a person.
Researches’ results have shown that a person who learns his or her mother tongue can learn a second language better and is academically more successful and compatible with his or her society. Municipalities have a mission of educating and informing society and preparing people for their future. An important part of this mission is to develop communication among people so that they can be a part of society. This would also help reduce the number of problems that occur with the process of urbanization [in Turkey].
For years, Kurds have been the victim of Turkish state ideology. People in Turkey (regardless of ethnicity) have grown up with a uniform way-of-life. Our Sur Municipality has initiated an alternative education model called “Transforming Every House into to a School.” In this project, ‘stories’ are our main tools. Stories have positive effects on the development of children. If parents tell stories to their children before they sleep, it can help shape the socialization of children. Stories propagate history and culture to the future generations. In so doing, stories disseminate good types of behaviors that are desired by all societies.
The Turkish state ideology has prohibited the Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, and other ethnic groups from learning their own languages at schools. If we wait for the state to take a step to allow us to learn our mother tongue at schools, it might be too late. We should realize that homes are only places where the state cannot easily occupy. With this project, we can show the Turkish state that nobody can stop us from learning our mother tongue, and we will always try to find alternatives against the state’s suppression. Therefore, our project’s theme is focused on the phrase, “Sere seve Cirokek u her malek Dibistane,” (A Story for each night and every house is a School).
Kurdish Herald: How did you come up with this idea? Which culture or ethnic group did you choose for the project other than Kurdish stories?
Mayor Demirbas: This project was initially prepared by a Kurdish writer, Selim Temo. It is a unique project in terms of its originality and its mission. It consists of 365 stories. We divided these stories by months and made them into 12 fascicules. Every night, each story tells us about life of an important Kurdish figure such as Ahmede Xani, Melaye Ciziri, Dr. Qasimlo, Mullah Mustafa Barzani, Abdulqadire Geylani, Seide Kurdi and others. We also included Armenian and Assyrian stories in these books. These stories will be published as fascicules and will be broadcasted in the near future. We will also make audio version of the stories with professional storytellers so that people can access them over the Internet. Stories will also be made available to people with hearing disabilities.
We planned and developed this project before I was confronted with the deposition of my official duty as a mayor at Sur Municipality in 2007 due to my “Multilingual Municipality Service.” Because of the deposition, our project remained unfinished. However, we started to work on it after I was re-elected by our people. We published a magazine called “Semamok” in five different languages and it contains short comical stories called “fikra,” puzzles and other stories.
As you know, the success of education should be measured with a long-term vision. We will see the results of this project in 10-15 years. People will educate their children with their own language and culture as free citizens so that they will be more productive in the future. With this project, we should not be limited to teach our children their language only by telling stories. We also intend to develop new interactions between parents and children, and families to neighbors so that it will help people integrate in the modern city life. In this sense, our city will witness positive outcomes from this model. As I mentioned before, not only does this project embrace the Kurds, but it also covers Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Turkmens, Arabs, Turks and other ethnic groups.
Kurdish Herald: Can you tell us the financial aspects of your project? What kind of difficulties have you encountered during the preparation of the project? What kind of assistance do you further need?
Mayor Demirbas: For this project we have used our own financial resources and also received help from Kurdish Institute Flemish Culture Ministry in Brussels. We still need a lot of support for this project. For example, we would like to publish 15,000 - instead of 5,000 - story books. We would like to reach people more easily and convince them to participate in our project. In Yuksekova [a town in Hakkari], a Kurdish cultural organization called “Kurdi-Der” came up with a new idea in which their members attend weddings, inform people about our project, and distribute books to grooms and brides as gifts. A nine-year old Kurdish girl at Kurdi-Der particularly liked this project and has created a classroom with ten students and has taught them all Kurdish. Our municipality supported her and attended a symbolic “grade report ceremony” of this class. We want to show that we are ready to help anyone who involves themselves with our project and transforms his or her house into a school.
Kurdish Herald: How is state approaching this project? How is their attitude?
Mayor Demirbas: The Turkish state dismissed my official duty as a mayor because of our Multilingual Municipality Service, but now governorship of Diyarbakir and the government are using our project. Now the government has opened a Kurdish TV program, TRT 6. Diyarbakir Governorship has established a call center in Kurdish. The ones who once dismissed us initially are using our project now. History shows that we were right. Had we not fought for it, these things would never have happened.
I believe that if we succeed in transforming a house into a school, the state will try to find a way to teach Kurdish at schools just to stop us. In that way, they will be forced to change their policies. Therefore, we need not only economic support but also active involvement of people in order to accomplish our goal.
The way in which the state approaches this project is not very different from how it treats other Kurdish cultural works. After we published books for our project, the state opened various allegations against us. For example, there are twenty-three prison sentences against me for total ninety-eight years of imprisonment. The main charge in these accusations is an alleged act against the Turkish Alphabet and violation of Article 3 and Article 42 of the Turkish constitution. Article 3 states that the state’s official language is Turkish and prohibits the use of any other language. Article 42 states that the state’s education language is only Turkish and prohibits any other language. When I attended the symbolic “grade report ceremony” of the nine-year old Kurdish girl, the Diyarbakir education administrator accused me of illegal conducts. In reference to our project, he described to the media that education cannot be given in homes. The Turkish State ideology does not even have the patience for education.
The state has averted the development of the education in Kurdish language by closing madrassas in the past, but Kurdish stories and music have helped the Kurdish language to survive. Therefore, we will re-establish our education system with this project, and we hope that the Kurdish language will live forever.
“Transforming Every House into a School”:Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur District, Diyarbakir - Turkey
Kurdish Herald Vol. 1 Issue 3, July 2009 - Interview conducted by Servet Tosun for Kurdish Herald in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
Diyarbakir, Turkey – Diyarbakir’s Sur District Mayor Abdullah Demirbas is one of the most significant figures with regards to his great emphasis on Kurdish culture and language. I visited him at his office to talk about his recent project called “Sere seve Cirokek u her malek Dibistane,” (A Story for each night and every house is a School).
Despite being deposed from his duty as a mayor for promoting “Multilingual Municipality Service,” he was re-elected by the people. Mayor Demirbas is persistently and passionately working for the preservation of Kurdish culture..
Kurdish Herald: What is the purpose of placing emphasis on preserving the mother tongue through your recent project? To whom do you want to reach out with your project? What are your expectations from it?
Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur District, Diyarbakir
Mayor Demirbas: As an educator and sociologist, I see the importance of culture and language. Educating a person with his or her mother tongue helps to develop his psychology and cognitivity. People who grow up freely can interact with their society more easily and are more functional. Therefore, forbiddances of any language or culture have negative consequences on a person.
Researches’ results have shown that a person who learns his or her mother tongue can learn a second language better and is academically more successful and compatible with his or her society. Municipalities have a mission of educating and informing society and preparing people for their future. An important part of this mission is to develop communication among people so that they can be a part of society. This would also help reduce the number of problems that occur with the process of urbanization [in Turkey].
For years, Kurds have been the victim of Turkish state ideology. People in Turkey (regardless of ethnicity) have grown up with a uniform way-of-life. Our Sur Municipality has initiated an alternative education model called “Transforming Every House into to a School.” In this project, ‘stories’ are our main tools. Stories have positive effects on the development of children. If parents tell stories to their children before they sleep, it can help shape the socialization of children. Stories propagate history and culture to the future generations. In so doing, stories disseminate good types of behaviors that are desired by all societies.
The Turkish state ideology has prohibited the Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, and other ethnic groups from learning their own languages at schools. If we wait for the state to take a step to allow us to learn our mother tongue at schools, it might be too late. We should realize that homes are only places where the state cannot easily occupy. With this project, we can show the Turkish state that nobody can stop us from learning our mother tongue, and we will always try to find alternatives against the state’s suppression. Therefore, our project’s theme is focused on the phrase, “Sere seve Cirokek u her malek Dibistane,” (A Story for each night and every house is a School).
Kurdish Herald: How did you come up with this idea? Which culture or ethnic group did you choose for the project other than Kurdish stories?
Mayor Demirbas: This project was initially prepared by a Kurdish writer, Selim Temo. It is a unique project in terms of its originality and its mission. It consists of 365 stories. We divided these stories by months and made them into 12 fascicules. Every night, each story tells us about life of an important Kurdish figure such as Ahmede Xani, Melaye Ciziri, Dr. Qasimlo, Mullah Mustafa Barzani, Abdulqadire Geylani, Seide Kurdi and others. We also included Armenian and Assyrian stories in these books. These stories will be published as fascicules and will be broadcasted in the near future. We will also make audio version of the stories with professional storytellers so that people can access them over the Internet. Stories will also be made available to people with hearing disabilities.
We planned and developed this project before I was confronted with the deposition of my official duty as a mayor at Sur Municipality in 2007 due to my “Multilingual Municipality Service.” Because of the deposition, our project remained unfinished. However, we started to work on it after I was re-elected by our people. We published a magazine called “Semamok” in five different languages and it contains short comical stories called “fikra,” puzzles and other stories.
As you know, the success of education should be measured with a long-term vision. We will see the results of this project in 10-15 years. People will educate their children with their own language and culture as free citizens so that they will be more productive in the future. With this project, we should not be limited to teach our children their language only by telling stories. We also intend to develop new interactions between parents and children, and families to neighbors so that it will help people integrate in the modern city life. In this sense, our city will witness positive outcomes from this model. As I mentioned before, not only does this project embrace the Kurds, but it also covers Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Turkmens, Arabs, Turks and other ethnic groups.
Kurdish Herald: Can you tell us the financial aspects of your project? What kind of difficulties have you encountered during the preparation of the project? What kind of assistance do you further need?
Mayor Demirbas: For this project we have used our own financial resources and also received help from Kurdish Institute Flemish Culture Ministry in Brussels. We still need a lot of support for this project. For example, we would like to publish 15,000 - instead of 5,000 - story books. We would like to reach people more easily and convince them to participate in our project. In Yuksekova [a town in Hakkari], a Kurdish cultural organization called “Kurdi-Der” came up with a new idea in which their members attend weddings, inform people about our project, and distribute books to grooms and brides as gifts. A nine-year old Kurdish girl at Kurdi-Der particularly liked this project and has created a classroom with ten students and has taught them all Kurdish. Our municipality supported her and attended a symbolic “grade report ceremony” of this class. We want to show that we are ready to help anyone who involves themselves with our project and transforms his or her house into a school.
Kurdish Herald: How is state approaching this project? How is their attitude?
Mayor Demirbas: The Turkish state dismissed my official duty as a mayor because of our Multilingual Municipality Service, but now governorship of Diyarbakir and the government are using our project. Now the government has opened a Kurdish TV program, TRT 6. Diyarbakir Governorship has established a call center in Kurdish. The ones who once dismissed us initially are using our project now. History shows that we were right. Had we not fought for it, these things would never have happened.
I believe that if we succeed in transforming a house into a school, the state will try to find a way to teach Kurdish at schools just to stop us. In that way, they will be forced to change their policies. Therefore, we need not only economic support but also active involvement of people in order to accomplish our goal.
The way in which the state approaches this project is not very different from how it treats other Kurdish cultural works. After we published books for our project, the state opened various allegations against us. For example, there are twenty-three prison sentences against me for total ninety-eight years of imprisonment. The main charge in these accusations is an alleged act against the Turkish Alphabet and violation of Article 3 and Article 42 of the Turkish constitution. Article 3 states that the state’s official language is Turkish and prohibits the use of any other language. Article 42 states that the state’s education language is only Turkish and prohibits any other language. When I attended the symbolic “grade report ceremony” of the nine-year old Kurdish girl, the Diyarbakir education administrator accused me of illegal conducts. In reference to our project, he described to the media that education cannot be given in homes. The Turkish State ideology does not even have the patience for education.
The state has averted the development of the education in Kurdish language by closing madrassas in the past, but Kurdish stories and music have helped the Kurdish language to survive. Therefore, we will re-establish our education system with this project, and we hope that the Kurdish language will live forever.
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