Kurdish Communication

My English, the Kurds’ Turkish and the right to language

2010-09-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

by
ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ Today's Zaman

I learned English on my own. When you learn a language after a certain age, you never become bilingual. The language you learn remains a foreign language to you. And you always remain a student.

If you have to use a second language for professional purposes, as I do, it creates a disadvantage, a difficulty that you have to cope with.
This difficulty, however, turned into an advantage for me in ways that I had never imagined before. The first one is with writing. Since 2007 I have been writing columns in English, and I learned to write in very plain language. I started to use stories and metaphors to explain my point rather than playing with words that I could only do in Turkish. I believe this “disadvantage” helped me a lot to become a better writer in my own language, too.

The second advantage of this “disadvantage” was that it helped me to develop empathy for the Kurds in Turkey. While I was in the UK I understood how it was to feel stupid when I failed to understand the complete meaning of jokes. Then I remembered how our Kurdish friends fell silent when we were joking cheerfully with Turkish friends at university. The possibility never occurred to me that they may have not understood our jokes. Their accent and many other things of course became more endearing to me when I had the same “imperfections” in another language.

Turkish is a “foreign language” for many Kurds in Turkey. I even heard from my educated friends that they only started to learn Turkish when they first started school. There is no “preparatory” class or anything like that of course. They learn Turkish while they learn other things.

Up until very recently, Kurdish had been forbidden in all forms of public life in Turkey. Even its very existence was denied. Kurdish, according to official explanation, was just a different dialect of Turkish. Proponents of this “narrative,” of course, also came up with many stupid stories to support this illogical theory. The most famous one is about the “mountain Turks” who walk on snow, and this sound echoed when they walk: “kart-kurt,” which is the source of the name Kurd and the Kurdish language, according to this “mountain Turk” theory.

Turkish and Kurdish may be as close to each other as English and Chinese. They come from completely different language families, and, except for some Persian and Arabic words that penetrated both languages, they have nothing in common.

So, Kurds not only had to learn and speak Turkish, but they also could not speak their own language. Speaking in Kurdish in public was not allowed. It was not possible to publish anything in Kurdish. Kurds were forced to forget their mother tongue. There were no Kurds, nor Kurdish, in Turkey.

Kurdish television and courses

With the coming of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to power and as a result of enacting EU harmonization laws, this total denial has been put aside. And some things that we had never imagined before happened in Turkey. Now we have a state-sponsored Kurdish TV channel, TRT 6, private Kurdish courses are allowed, Kurdish publications have been put into circulation and so on.

In today’s Turkey, no one advocates this “mountain Turk” theory anymore. However, bans and limitations on the Kurdish language continue. Private Kurdish courses are allowed but there are no Kurdish lessons in schools. State television broadcasts in Kurdish but private channels are not allowed to do that. Kurdish cannot be used in official communication or services.

Language rights are the key

We are now at a turning point in solving the Kurdish question; official and unofficial talks and communication continue between the government and Kurdish leaders. Obviously the official usage of Kurdish and education in the mother tongue are and will be key issues in these “negotiations” and in a possible reconciliation.

If Turks and Kurds continue to live together, this will happen on the basis of equal citizenship, not on denial and repression anymore. Recognition and respect for identity and the cultural rights of the Kurds is the only way to solve the Kurdish question.

Language is a fundamental right. Solving the Kurdish problem lies in the full recognition of this right of the Kurds. I hope the government will take other bold steps to fully recognize this right, which holds the key to a democratic and peaceful Turkey.

29 September 2010, Wednesday

2010-09-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

Top Turkish education board approves Kurdish-language program

2010-09-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

Denmark plans terrorism charge against Kurdish TV

2010-08-31T22:12:00.001-07:00

COPENHAGEN | Wed Sep 1, 2010 12:07am IST

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The Danish government said on Tuesday it backed the filing of terrorism-related charges against two Denmark-based companies behind a Kurdish television station that prosecutors accuse of promoting the PKK militant group.

Danish Justice Minister Lars Barfoed said in a statement that he supported the prosecutors' request to bring charges against the backers of Roj-TV for "promoting the activities of a terror organisation".

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), mainly based in northern Iraq, took up arms against Turkey in 1984 with the aim of creating a separate Kurdish homeland. It is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Denmark's public prosecutors' office said in a separate statement that charges would be brought against the Denmark-based companies Roj-TV A/S and Mesopotamia Broadcast A/S METV under section 114 of the Danish Criminal Code.

That section makes it a criminal offence to promote the activities of an individual, group or association that commits or intends to commit acts of terrorism, the prosecutors said.

Officials at the companies could not be reached immediately for comment.

"It is the opinion of the Prosecution Service that...a number of the TV programmes and features broadcast on Roj-TV must be regarded as having the characteristics of propaganda in support of the PKK, and that this propaganda serves to promote PKK's activities," the prosecutors said.

Prosecutors will also seek to have Roj-TV's Danish broadcasting licence suspended, they said. The station is available by satellite in Turkey and various European and Middle Eastern countries.

The case will be heard by the Copenhagen City Court, but a trial date has not yet been set, the prosecutors said.

(Reporting by John Acher, editing by Mark Trevelyan)
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-51195220100831

Denmark alleges Kurdish TV station promoted terror

2010-08-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

By JAN M. OLSEN (AP) – 10 hours ago

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A Kurdish-language TV station with a Danish broadcasting license has been charged with promoting a group linked to terrorism, Danish prosecutors said Tuesday.

Top prosecutor Joergen Steen Soerensen said that Roj-TV is helping promote the PKK, or the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

PKK rebels have been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984. Turkey accuses Roj-TV of being a mouthpiece for the PKK.

According to Soerensen, Roj-TV has "persistently" aired shows with interviews of PKK members and supporters but also about skirmishes between Kurds and Turkish forces. The station's content was "aimed at promoting and supporting the activities of the terrorist organization PKK" and its political wing, Kongra-Gel, the prosecutor said.

The programs "must be regarded as having the characteristics of propaganda in support of PKK," Soerensen said. The charges came after "extremely comprehensive investigations" of the connections between Roj-TV and PKK, he added.

The charges also include Mesopotamia Broadcast A/S METV, a company behind Roj-TV.

Roj-TV has a Danish broadcasting license but has no studios in Denmark. Calls to the station were not answered, but Roj-TV officials have previously denied terror links.

In Turkey, the Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision. "We expect that these media organizations that support terrorism and encourage the use of violence will get the punishment they deserve at the end of the legal process," it said in a statement.

Under Denmark's anti-terror law, a person can face prison for up to 10 years for supporting a terrorist organization.

Justice Minister Lars Barfoed said it now was up to a court of law to consider Roj-TV's activities.

No date has been set for the trial, which will take place at Copenhagen City Court.

Prosecutors also said they would ask the Danish Radio and Television Board to revoke the station's license, which was issued over six years ago, based on criminal violations.

Danish-Turkish relations have long been strained over Kurdish groups based in Denmark.

In 1995, a political arm of the PKK opened its fourth European office in Copenhagen, sparking protests from the Turkish Embassy. The office later closed because of a lack of funding.

In 2000, Turkey protested that a Kurdish-language satellite TV station, Mesopotamia TV, was allowed to broadcast from Denmark to Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa.

And in 2005, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan boycotted a news conference in Copenhagen to protest the presence of Roj-TV journalists.

Associated Press writer Susan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h8BuSa2Ud1kUFl8RaPQyHx7RYbFwD9HUKIB81

Two Kurdish Newspapers Banned, Güney Magazine Copies Seized

2010-08-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.bianet.org/english/minorities/124485-two-kurdish-newspapers-banned-guney-magazine-copies-seized

The publication of the Kurdish newspapers Azadiya Welat and Rojev was suspended for one month because of alleged "propaganda for a terror organization". Copies of the three-monthly Güney magazine were confiscated for the same reason.

Erol ÖNDEROĞLU hukuk@bianet.org Mersin - Istanbul - BİA News Center31 August 2010, Tuesday The Kurdish newspapers Azadiya Welat and Rojev and the left-wing Güney Magazine were banned under allegations of "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization". The publication of both newspapers was suspended for a month, the copies of the Güney magazine were confiscated.

The Rojev newspaper had just resumed publishing after a long break on 24 August before the Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court decided for the one-month publication ban.

The decision is based on the 36th issue of the Kurdish paper published on 28 August which featured a picture of Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and a flag of the organization on the front page. Additionally, a chart depicting Öcalan and other members of the militant organization published on page eight of the same issue was given as a reason for the ban.

On 21 August, the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court suspended the publication of the Azadiya Welat newspaper, the only nation-wide Kurdish daily published in Turkey, on the grounds of "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization" and "praising criminals". Reason for the decision is the issue published on the very same day.

The paper's responsible editor-in-chief, M. Nedim Karadeniz, said that the newspaper "faced unlawful bans" for eight issues within the past four years the daily was published. He announced that only in 2010, the daily was closed down three times already.

"None of these suspension punishments were in line with universal law. As a matter of fact, Turkey was convicted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in similar cases related to newspapers stemming from the tradition of the Free Press. Imagine a judiciary system where all the news and articles in the current issue of a twelve-page newspaper are considered a crime".

The decision is based on the Anti Terror Law which was not considered as opposing the Constitution by the Constitutional Court but was the reason for convictions at the ECHR. While the seizure was decided according to Article 25/2 of the Press Law (Confiscation and Prohibition of Distribution and Sale), the publication ban was based on Article 6/last paragraph (Disclosure and Publication) of the TMY.

Former Azadiya Welat chief editors Vedat Kurşun and Ozan Kılıç and Hawar newspaper official Bedri Adanır are still in prison.

Confiscation of Güney magazine
The issue of the first quarter of 2010 of the three-monthly Güney magazine was confiscated upon a decision of the Mersin 2nd Magistrate Criminal Court. However, the article does not mention the name of any illegal organization.

The police seized the copies on 26 August from the printing house of the magazine in Mersin (eastern Mediterranean coast), informing the staff about the confiscation decision. The police delivered a written notice about the court decision to the magazine's central office in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul.

The article entitled "Children Rights of (Kurdish) children in the dungeon" written by Ali Dağdeviren was given as the reason for the seizure. However, the article does not mention the name of any organization. The writing criticized the "treatment of thousands of Kurdish children" despite the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child both singed by the Turkish government.

A statement the magazine announced, "This mentality which fills prisons with thousands of children could not tolerate an article criticizing this situation". (EÖ/VK)

GK

2010-08-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

"United we Stand," a visual reconstruction of the Greater Kurdistan by a poster, Diri Shaswari, on the portal Roj Bash Kurdistan: There is no Norther Iraq.

Farzad Kamangar

2010-05-12T22:17:00.001-07:00

Is it possible to sit behind the same desk as Samad, look into the eyes of the children of this land, and still remain silent?

Is it possible to be a teacher and not show the path to the sea to the little fish of the country? What difference does it make if they come from Aras, Karoon, Sirvan or Sarbaz Rood? What difference does it make when the sea is a mutual destiny, to be united as one? The sun is our guide. Let our reward be prison, that is fine!

Is it possible to carry the heavy burden of being a teacher and be responsible for spreading the seeds of knowledge and still be silent? Is it possible to see the lumps in the throats of the students and witness their thin and malnourished faces and keep quiet?

Is it possible to be in the year of no justice and fairness and fail to teach the H for Hope and E for Equality, even if such teachings land you in Evin prison or result in your death?

I cannot imagine being a teacher in the land of Samad, Khan Ali, and Ezzati and not join the eternity of *Aras. I cannot imagine witnessing the pain and poverty of the people of this land and fail to give our hearts to the river and the sea, to roar and to inundate.

I know that one day, this harsh and uneven road will be paved for teachers and the suffering you endured will be a badge of honour so everyone can see that a teacher is a teacher, even if his or her path is blocked by the selection process, prison, and execution. The little black fish and not the heron bestows honour on the teacher.

~Farzad Kamangar, “Be Strong, Comrades“

[*Translator note: Aras is a river in northwest Iran, bordering Iran and Azerbaijan. Samad drowned in the river in the summer of 1968. Some have considered the circumstance of his death suspicious and blamed agents of the Shah’s regime for his death]

2010-05-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Iran: condemn the execution of Farzad Kamangar and other political prisoners | Workers' Liberty

2010-05-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Iran: condemn the execution of Farzad Kamangar and other political prisoners | Workers' Liberty

Iran: Executed Dissidents 'Tortured to Confess'

2010-05-12T22:06:00.001-07:00

Iran: Executed Dissidents 'Tortured to Confess'

Farzad Kamangar: EI Outrage at Iranian Teacher's Execution

2010-05-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Farzad Kamangar: EI Outrage at Iranian Teacher's Execution

UNPO - Iranian Kurdistan: UNPO Condemnation of Executions in Iran

2010-05-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

UNPO - Iranian Kurdistan: UNPO Condemnation of Executions in Iran

Executions In Evin | Home | Editorial

2010-05-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Executions In Evin | Home | Editorial

Kurdish woman from Izmir denied treatment at a hospital for not speaking Turkish ‎ (news in Kurdish)

2010-02-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

Bolii | बोली | భాష | Language | Lingvo: Linguistic human rights in Turkey

2010-02-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

Bolii | बोली | భాష | Language | Lingvo: Linguistic human rights in Turkey

Iraqi Elections – The View From Kurdistan - At War Blog - NYTimes.com

2010-02-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

Iraqi Elections – The View From Kurdistan - At War Blog - NYTimes.com

Turkey Sentences Kurdish Newspaper Editor to 21 Years in Prison

2010-02-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

Turkey Sentences Kurdish Newspaper Editor to 21 Years in Prison

Turkey - Kurdish newspaper editor sentenced to 21 years in prison | Fromtheold

2010-02-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

Turkey - Kurdish newspaper editor sentenced to 21 years in prison | Fromtheold

Prison sets outrageous subscription fee for Kurdish daily

2010-02-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

Prison sets outrageous subscription fee for Kurdish daily

ژنێکی بۆکانی له‌ خه‌ڕه‌ندی ره‌واندز فڕێ درایه‌ خواره‌وه‌

2010-02-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

Rojhelat Times

عه‌تا نه‌هایی‌:"نووسینی رۆمان پێویستی به‌ بوونی تاكێكی ده‌رباز بوو له‌ عه‌قڵی گشتی هه‌یه‌"

2010-02-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

دیدار- نووسراوه‌ و دیمانه‌کانم -

The Sidelines - Kurdish language class makes way

2010-02-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

The Sidelines - Kurdish language class makes way

Public prosecutor launches investigation into pro-Kurdish BDP

2010-02-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

Public prosecutor launches investigation into pro-Kurdish BDP

Turkish SU TV broadcasts news in Armenian | News from Armenia - NEWS.am

2009-12-30T22:42:00.000-08:00

Turkish SU TV broadcasts news in Armenian | News from Armenia - NEWS.am

Turkey: Reforms revive a silenced language - Guardian Weekly

2009-12-30T22:40:00.000-08:00

Turkey: Reforms revive a silenced language - Guardian Weekly

Akademiya Kurdî di konferansa zimanî de çi kir ser berkê | Kulturname

2009-12-30T22:30:00.000-08:00

Akademiya Kurdî di konferansa zimanî de çi kir ser berkê | Kulturname

First Kurdish edition of Le Monde Diplomatique has been published in

2009-11-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

(Le Monde diplomatique)

Kurdish Woman Opens Ballet School In Kurdistan

2009-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

The MEMRI Blog - Full Blog Entry

Q, W and X spell trouble for Kurdish integration - The National Newspaper

2009-10-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Q, W and X spell trouble for Kurdish integration - The National Newspaper

Kurdish to be spoken for first time in Turkish theatre

2009-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

AFP: Kurdish to be spoken for first time in Turkish theatre

Kurdish Academy of Language | enables the Kurdish language in new horizon

2009-10-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Kurdish Academy of Language enables the Kurdish language in new horizon

Kurdish lessons leave Iraqi Arabs cold

2009-10-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs

Turkey plans to allow private Kurdish-language radio and television

2009-09-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Turkey plans to allow private Kurdish-language radio and television

Turkey plans to further ease restrictions on Kurdish-language radio and television to allow private broadcasting, part of efforts to expand rights, a newspaper reported on Sunday. The move is part of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's Kurdish opening, Milliyet reported.

Turkey's Erdogan to relax restrictions on Kurdish TV channels - Monsters and Critics

2009-09-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Turkey's Erdogan to relax restrictions on Kurdish TV channels - Monsters and Critics

Let the Kurdish Language Be

2009-09-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Let the Kurdish Language Be

Al Jazeera English - Europe - Kurds rally for their rights

2009-09-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

Al Jazeera English - Europe - Kurds rally for their rights

Kurds rally for peace in Turkey

2009-09-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKO_2kf7Qh0

EurActiv.com - Turkey poised to give Kurds more rights | EU - European Information on Enlargement & Neighbours

2009-09-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

EurActiv.com - Turkey poised to give Kurds more rights EU - European Information on Enlargement & Neighbours

The language debate in Iraqi Kurdistan | Kurdish Academy of Language

2009-09-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

The language debate in Iraqi Kurdistan Kurdish Academy of Language

Transforming Every House into a School | Kurdish Academy of Language

2009-09-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Transforming Every House into a School Kurdish Academy of Language

English :: Government Resumes Censorship, Günlük Newspaper Banned - Bianet

2009-09-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

English :: Government Resumes Censorship, Günlük Newspaper Banned - Bianet

freemedia.at: Turkey Bans Günlük Newspaper over Alleged ‘Terrorist Propaganda’

2009-09-06T22:22:00.001-07:00

freemedia.at: Turkey Bans Günlük Newspaper over Alleged ‘Terrorist Propaganda’

IPI Concerned at Indications of Government Censorship

An Istanbul criminal court has ordered the closure, for one month, of Günlük newspaper – which is known for raising issues related to Turkey’s Kurdish minority - over an article considered by the court to constitute propaganda for a terrorist organisation. The article was published earlier this month.The verdict, handed down on Friday 22 August, did not specify why the article was deemed to be of a terrorist nature. This is the second time the Turkish courts have closed Günlük since it began publishing earlier this year. “We are concerned that the courts may have found the article to constitute ‘terrorist propaganda’ purely because the views expressed in it do not coincide with those of the government,” said IPI Deputy Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “If so, this would constitute government censorship and we would urge that the decision be annulled.”The article in question appeared in the newspaper on 8 August and was entitled “Linguistic Rights in the Linguistic Systems of the Developed World: State, Market and Communication Technologies,” by a Toronto University academic, Professor Amir Hassanpour. In the article, which discusses the effects of broadcasting on language worldwide, Hassanpour addresses Turkey’s “harsh policies of linguicide” against the Kurdish language, while analysing the impact of international Kurdish-language satellite broadcaster MED TV on the cultural significance of Kurdish. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), branded a terrorist organisation by the Turkish government, the EU, and the United States, was mentioned in the article, once in connection with the Turkish authorities’ decision to temporarily ban MED TV for airing an interview with Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office, which scans the Turkish media, considered the Günlük report a breach of Article 7(2) of Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law, which criminalises propaganda promoting terrorist organisations, and brought charges against the newspaper.On 22 August, the Istanbul 13th Criminal Court suspended the newspaper’s operation for a period of 30 days under Article 25(2) of the Press Law.Local media and human rights organisations have criticised the court’s decision.“One of the real motives behind the closure of the Günlük newspaper is that authorities want to prevent individuals or groups from becoming active and influential in regard to the solution of the Kurdish question,” said Ismail Boyraz, Vice President of Turkey’s Human Rights Association (IHD), in a statement to IPI. “The closure of the Günlük is aimed at making opponent groups voiceless.”In a statement issued yesterday, IPI’s National Committee in Turkey pointed out that the monthly periodical Vesta published the same article by Hassanpour in 2003, and “did not receive any criminal prosecution then.” “The closure of Günlük is not acceptable and violates freedom of expression, which is a reference point of democracy,” said Ferai Tinc, IPI’s Turkish National Committee Chairperson. “Such interpretations of news and commentary are just an excuse to prohibit the newspaper. We call on Turkish authorities to reconsider this decision, and to stop banning newspapers and media outlets purely for expressing their views.”Tinc also pointed to problems in the Turkish press code, which IPI Turkey would “like to see reviewed, as they’re contrary to press freedom.”Günlük was also banned by a Turkish court for a month on 8 June, in response to articles published earlier that month discussing how the abbreviation of the Kurdish Worker’s Party, PKK, should be read, and an opinion piece on the ‘Kurdish Problem,’ according to a statement by IPI’s Turkish National Committee in June.The newspaper has also reported that other “investigations and court cases” are currently underway against its correspondents and columnists.

freemedia.at: Turkey Bans Günlük Newspaper over Alleged ‘Terrorist Propaganda’

2009-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

freemedia.at: Turkey Bans Günlük Newspaper over Alleged ‘Terrorist Propaganda’

Education in Kurdish language seems unlikely in Turkey

2009-07-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Education in Kurdish language seems unlikely in Turkey

Long way to go before Kurdish becomes official language

2009-07-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

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.

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:

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

The Associated Press: Turkey works on plan regarding Kurdish conflict

2009-07-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Kurdish Herald - The Independent and Resourceful Gateway to Kurdish News and Analyses

2009-07-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

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.

First Kurdish language department to accept students in 2010

2009-06-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Artuklu University in the southeastern province of Mardin plans to start accepting students to Turkey's first Kurdish language and literature department in 2010 after all the preparations are completed, the rector of the university has said... for more click First Kurdish language department to accept students in 2010

New communication technologies and Kurdish language and culture | Kurdish Studies and Student Organisation

2009-06-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

New communication technologies and Kurdish language and culture Kurdish Studies and Student Organisation

Kurdish faculty plans making smooth progress

2009-06-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Kurdish faculty plans making smooth progress

MARDİN - Preparations for a Kurdish language and literature faculty in the southeastern province of Mardin’s Artuklu University are making smooth progress, says professor Serdar Bedii Omay, the rector of the university. He says the ambitious project has the backing of Mardin’s business community and philanthropists, as well as that of the government Preliminary preparations have been completed for the launch of a Kurdish language and literature faculty at Artuklu University in the southeastern province of Mardin.

The school, one of 23 founded approximately two years ago, is aiming to be "the Middle East’s greatest social-science university." It takes its name from the Artuqid dynasty, which left much historical heritage to the city. A faculty of Syriac language and literature will also be established on campus.

A mosque, a chapel and a Yezidi temple
Prof. Serdar Bedii Omay, the university’s rector, said the campus will be built on about 1,060 acres of land along the Mardin-Diyarbakır highway. Omay said they plan to finish construction in five years and are receiving great support from Mardin’s business community and philanthropists, as well as from the government.

Currently, students in the architecture and engineering faculties are studying at Dicle University in Diyarbakır. The rector said they have hired 50 research assistants for the science and literature faculty, adding that the campus will be in harmony with the history of Mardin and its multilingual and multi-religious background.

The campus will contain a mosque, a Syriac chapel and a small Yezidi temple."Historically, Mardin has been the primary university center of upper Mesopotamia, a city that was home to 13 centers of learning in the 19th century. This tradition of science will live again on our campus," Omay said, adding that the university is a 30-year-old dream come true for Mardin residents.

The rector said they have determined the vision and horizon of Artuklu University as a social-sciences university and are hoping it will grow into an international educational institution, offering courses in languages used in the Middle East. The science and literature faculty will feature Kurdish, Arabic, Persian and Syriac departments.

Omay said they will first emphasize Kurdish and Syriac, languages to which not enough attention has been paid. "Syriac is a language spoken in our region. At the forefront, work is in progress for founding the Kurdish language and literature faculty," he said. "We have completed the preliminary preparations and will apply to the Supreme Board of Education for approval."

The rector added that they will establish the faculty this year after final approval is obtained and that they plan to accept 20 students in 2010. Artuklu University has signed agreements with Dohuk and Kerkük Universities in northern Iraq for Kurdish-language education and with Damascus University in Syria for education in Arabic. In exchange, Artuklu will collaborate with those universities to establish their Turkish language and literature faculties.

According to Asst. Prof. Selim Temo Ergül, who will be part of the Kurdish language and literature faculty, Kurdish has four dialects: Kirmanci, Sorani, Zazaki and Gorani. He added that classical Kurdish literature dates back to the seventh century and features works in various forms that have been adapted to modern literature. Ergül said that the faculty will feature master and doctorate divisions, adding, "By all means, we are ready for education."

kurmancî weke xerc û çîmentoya yekîtiya di navbera perçeyên Kurdistanê de ye | Kulturname#more-1971

2009-06-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

kurmancî weke xerc û çîmentoya yekîtiya di navbera perçeyên Kurdistanê de ye Kulturname#more-1971

Şeş saziyên kurdî li Ewropayê nameyek ji serokên çar saziyên desthilatê li başûrê Kurdistanê re li ser pirsgirêka kurdiyê di zimanê perwerdeyê de hinart. Ew di vê nameya xwe de ji desthilata siyasî ya Kurdistanê dixwazin ku ew li hemî zaravayan wek hev bi xwedî derbikeve. Ev name di 20/5 2009-ê de hatiye şandin û niha ketiye ber çavên raya giştî. Em li jêr teksta wê diweşînin:

Ji Serokê Dewleta Federal a Îraqê birêz Celal Talebanî
Ji Serokê Herêma Kurdistanê birêz Mesûd Barzanî
Ji Serokê Wezîrê Hikûmeta Herêma Kurdistanê birêz Nêçîrvan Barzanî
Ji Serokê Parlemena Kurdistanê birêz Ednan Muftî

Li ser biryara Wezîrê Perwede yê Herêma Kurdistanê gelek dezgeh, sazî, komele û malperên Başûrê Kurdistanê nerazîbûn, daxwaz û hêviyên xwe bi nameyeke vekirî ji we birêzan re şandin û herweha ji raya giştî re jî diyar kirin. Ji xwe berê jî pirsa perwerdeya bi zaravayê kurmancî çend caran ketibû rojevê. Lê weha xuya ye ku heta vê gavê çareseriyek maqûl ji vê pirsgirêkê re nehatiyê dîtin û loma jî gelek sazî, dezgeh, komele û malperên Başûrê welatê me bi awayekî eşkere û vekirî ev pirsgirêk dîsa anîn holê.

Em ev dezgeh û komeleyên demokratîk yên kurdan ku navên wan li jêr in, daxwaza hemwelatiyên kurd yên di warê maf û bikaranîna zaravayê xwe yê kurmancî de, mafekî herî xwezayî, rewa û demokratîk dibînin. Bi vê munasebetê, em jî dixwazin bîr û baweriyên xwe; daxwaz û hêviyên xwe bi kurtayî pêşkêşî we hêjayan bikin:

1. Zimanê kurdî ji gelek zaravayên cihê pêk tê. Ev bingeh û rastiya tevna zimanê kurdî ye. Her zaravayek reng û dewlemendiyeke vî zimanî ye. Her zarava li gor xwe xwedî girîngî û taybetiyan e.Divê em li wan weke hev xwedî derkevin; delîve û firsendê bidin hemû zaravayan da ku bikaribin, bi awakî giştî di her warê jiyanê de û bi taybetî jî, di warê perwedeyê û statuya resmî de xwe pêşve bibin.

2. Mafê tu zaravayî ne kêm û ne jî zêdeyî mafên zaravayekî din e. Mafê her zaravayî ye ku di warê perwerde, bikaranîna daîreyên resmî yên Kurdistanê de behremend bibe. Bi tenê bi vî awayî em ê bikaribin bi awayekî giştî zimanê kurdî û bi taybetî jî zaravayên kurdî ji tehlûke, tatolek û xetera hejarî û jiholêrabûnê rizgar bikin.

3. Eger em di vî warî de siyaseteke neteweyî, demokratîk û xweşbînî nemeşînin, tirsa me ew e ku ev birîneke nû û kûr di laşê milletê Kurd de veke. Herweha ev dikare bibe delîve û firsetek ku dijminên milletê me ji vê rewşê îstifade bikin.

4. Piraniya kurdên ji her çar perçeyên Kurdistanê bi zaravayê kurmancî dipeyivin. Loma jî kurmancî weke xerc û çîmentoya yekîtiya di navbera perçeyên Kurdistanê de ye. Divê em vê rastiyê bidin ber çavan û tu zirarê nedin bingeha vê hevbeşiyê. Bê hebûna kurmancî yekîtiya milletê kurd nikare bê ava kirin.

5. Ev daxwaz, bi îdîayên “zimanê resmî û yekgirtî” tê bergirî kirin ku ev îdîa ne îdîayeke rewa û ne jî di cih de ye.Ew kesên ku ji bo zarokên xwe zaravayê soranî wek mafekî rewa dibînin, çima ji bo zarokên ku bi kurmancî, hewramanî yan jî zazakî dipeyivin wek mafekî rewa nabînin?Madem ku hinek dewlet di karûbarên xwe yên resmî û perwerdeyê de xwedî gelek ziman in, ji bo çi li beşekî welatê me yê azad, Hikûmeta Herêma Kurdistanê ne xwediyê zaravayên kurdî be û nikaribe vî mafê xwezayî û demokratîk bide hemwelatiyên xwe!

6. Di warê ziman û zaravayên kurdî de, divê em xwedî siyaseteke li gor şert û mercên welat û milletê Kurd bin. Pêşdexistin û nêzîkkirina zaravayên kurdî divê li gor pêvajoyeke xwezayî, wekhevî û xweşbînî bête meşandin. Ev dikare demeke dirêj bigre û divê em li gor hinek hesab û nerînên nedûrbîn tevnegerin.Wek nimûne heger li herêmên soranîaxêf de dersa soranî weke dersa esasî ya perwerdeyê, lê dersa kurmancî jî wek dersek mecbûrî be; li herêmên kurmancîaxêf jî kurmancî esasî be û soranî mecburî be, wê hem nêzîkayî di navbeyna zaravayan de hêsantir çê bibe, hem jî wê herdu beşên xelkê me bêtir hevdu fêm bikin…
Serokên hêja,Destkeftinên li Başûrê Kurdistanê, destkeftin û serbilindiya hemû kurdên her çar perçeyên Kurdistanê ne. Em vê yekê weke berbanga armanc, hêvî, xewn û xeyalên pîroz yên hemû kurdan dibînin. Divê em vê destkeftinê weke destpêka pêşerojeke rohnîtir ya milletê Kurd bibînin, bi her awayî biparêzin û pêş ve bibin. Ev jî bi hevgirtin û yekîtiya milletê Kurd ve girêdayî ye. Ji bo xurtkirina vê yekîtiyê wezîfe dikeve ser milên hemû kurdên welatparêz.
Bi vê bîr û baweriyê em ji we hêjayan hêvî dikin ku hun bi awayekî giştî hêvî û daxwazên di warê mafên zaravayên kurdî de û bi taybetî jî daxwaz û hêviyên hemwelatiyên xwe yên li wîlayeta Dihok û Mûsilê ku bi daxuyaniyekê pêşkêşî we kirine, bê bersîv nehêlin û ji vê pirsa hesas û girîng re çareseriyeke munasib bibînin.

Bi rêz û silavên me

Komeleya Niviskarên Kurd li Swêdê
Federasyona Komeleyên Kurdistanê li Swêdê
Weqfa Kurdî ya Kulturî li Stockholmê
Kitêbxaneya Kurdî li Stockhomê
Redaksiyona kovara VATEyêKurmancî - Koma Xebatê
--------------------------------------------------------Kulturname - Nûçe - info@kulturname.comWeşandin: 2009-06-11

kurmancî weke xerc û çîmentoya yekîtiya di navbera perçeyên Kurdistanê de ye | Kulturname#more-1971

2009-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

kurmancî weke xerc û çîmentoya yekîtiya di navbera perçeyên Kurdistanê de ye Kulturname#more-1971

Press TV - Turkey to translate Qur'an into Kurdish

2009-03-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Press TV - Turkey to translate Qur'an into Kurdish
Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:16:08 GMT

Deputy Head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate, Mehmet Gormez To meet EU standards and uphold the cultural rights of its Kurdish population, Turkey decides to translate the Qur'an into Kurdish. “We didn't want to exclude Kurdish as we prepare translations of the Qur'an into other languages. Kurdish is widely spoken in Turkey,” deputy head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, Mehmet Gormez told Anatolia news. “We printed translations of the Qur'an in the Azeri and Tatar languages, and research is under way to print translations in the Georgian and Belarusian languages,” he added. According to Gormez, a committee of experts is comparing different Kurdish translations of the Qur'an to find the best possible translation that will be easily understood by Kurdish readers. While some 12-14 million Kurds live in Turkey, they still do not have the right to use their language during political speeches or in official correspondence. The public use of the Kurdish language was banned until 1991 after the 1980 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) military coup. Turkey has listed the PKK as one of the country's active terrorist organizations. As part of its efforts to obtain EU membership, Ankara has introduced a cultural and political reform plan concerning Kurds. In line with the reform plan the state-run Kurdish television station, TRT 6, was launched in January 2009. TE/HGH

Press TV - Turkey to translate Qur'an into Kurdish

2009-03-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Press TV - Turkey to translate Qur'an into Kurdish: "To meet EU standards and uphold the cultural rights of its Kurdish population, Turkey decides to translate the Qur'an into Kurdish.

“We didn't want to exclude Kurdish as we prepare translations of the Qur'an into other languages. Kurdish is widely spoken in Turkey,” deputy head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, Mehmet Gormez told Anatolia news.

“We printed translations of the Qur'an in the Azeri and Tatar languages, and research is under way to print translations in the Georgian and Belarusian languages,” he added.

According to Gormez, a committee of experts is comparing different Kurdish translations of the Qur'an to find the best possible translation that will be easily understood by Kurdish readers.

While some 12-14 million Kurds live in Turkey, they still do not have the right to use their language during political speeches or in official correspondence.

The public use of the Kurdish language was banned until 1991 after the 1980 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) military coup. Turkey has listed the PKK as one of the country's active terrorist organizations.

As part of its efforts to obtain EU membership, Ankara has introduced a cultural and political reform plan concerning Kurds. In line with the reform plan the state-run Kurdish television station, TRT 6, was launched in January 2008."

Kurdish TRT (Ses) Airs Mawlid Program in Kurdish

2009-03-10T09:50:00.001-07:00

Journal of Turkish Weekly - 9.3.2009TRT SeS (6), Turkey's 24-hour Kurdish-language television station, aired a religious program in connection with the Mawlid al-Nabi (Mevlid Kandili in Turkish) in the once-banned Kurdish language last night.Many in the Muslim world observed Mawlid al-Nabi yesterday, a celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The date for the holiday is fixed at the 12th day of the Muslim calendar month of Rabi al-Awwal. The TRT Ses Mawlid program was shot at Ulucami -- Anatolia's first mosque -- in the southeastern city of DiyarbakÄ±r. The program included prayers, Quran recitation and sermons by muftis.Alettin Bozkurt, a mufti who addressed Turkey's Kurdish population with a sermon in a Kurdish dialect, dwelled on the importance of unity and brotherhood. Bozkurt said Islam made no place for racism and conflict. The program was met with enthusiasm by many in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated eastern and southeastern regions.People expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to watch a religious program in Kurdish, the public use of which was prohibited following a 1980 military coup. The ban remained in place until 1991.In the meantime, mosques across Turkey were filled with Muslims last night who wished to mark the occasion with prayers.Men, women and children flocked to mosques across the country to offer prayers in congregation, and listened attentively to sermons delivered by imams. All of the sermons emphasized the importance of strengthening the bonds of brotherhood between people.

The Prophet Muhammad was born around A.D. 570 and died in 632. Mawlid al-Nabi is not a traditional Islamic observance, first observed around the 13th century and preceded by a month of celebration. It is nevertheless celebrated by many throughout the Muslim world, and ubiquitously so in Turkey.The celebration is motivated by a sense of love and respect for the Prophet. The day is usually marked with a sermon, a reminder of the Prophet's life and mission, gift-giving and a feast. The festival spread throughout the Muslim world and is celebrated in many countries today, though orthodox groups regard the celebration of the Prophet's birthday as a religiously innovative practice and therefore forbidden.Directorate of Religious Affairs head Ali Bardakoglu issued a message in connection with the observance yesterday, in which he emphasized that the Prophet Muhammad helped the needy and the poor throughout his life."Our beloved prophet always lent a helping hand to orphans and the needy. He never hurt anyone, and did not return evil with evil, though he was faced with very difficult situations. He not only advised us to love people and show affection toward them, but practiced his advice during his lifetime. ... Loving the prophet and taking him as an example for our lives means to shape our lives in accordance with his advice and recommendations," Bardakoglu said.

Turkish Court Sentences Pro-Kurdish Lawmaker To Jail - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2009

2009-03-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Turkish Mosque Holds First Official Kurdish Sermon - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2009

2009-03-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Kurdish speech triggers Turkey row

2009-02-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Al Jazeera English - Europe - Kurdish speech triggers Turkey row
Kurdish speech triggers Turkey row

Ahmet Turk said Kurds had 'been oppressed because they did not know any other language' [AFP]

A Turkish Kurd politician has triggered a controversy after he delivered a speech in Kurdish in parliament, breaking a law that bars the language from official settings.

Ahmet Turk, who heads the Democratic Society Party, Turkey's largest pro-Kurdish party, began speaking on Tuesday in Turkish but then switched to Kurdish, causing state-run television to cut its live broadcast of the speech.

Kurdish is banned in schools and parliament, on grounds that it would cause ethnic divisions.

Turk was speaking to his party's parliamentary group about Unesco's international day of native languages.

"In order to show that there is nothing to fear in using other languages and to emphasise brotherhood of languages during the International Day of Mother Tongues, let me continue my speech in Kurdish," he said, just before going off air.

"Kurds have long been oppressed because they did not know any other language,'' he said. "I promised myself that I would speak in my mother tongue at an official meeting one day."

'Provocation'

Turk received a standing ovation from about 20 members of his party, but other groups have criticised his speech, saying it was a political manoeuvre ahead of the March 29 municipal elections.

Nihat Ergun, deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party's parliament group, said the speech was a "provocation".

Koksal Toptan, head of the national assembly, found fault with Turk for speaking in Kurdish, but said that he would not be fined for defying the law.

"The official language is Turkish,'' he said. "This meeting should have been conducted in Turkish."

Under the country's law, only Turkish can be spoken in political addresses.

However Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, spoke a few words of Kurdish at a campaign rally on Saturday.

TRT 6 is good for Kurds

2009-02-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

Karahan: TRT 6 is good for Kurds
KurdishMedia.com - By Vladimir van Wilgenburg26/01/2009 00:00:00

Nefel.com columnist Enwer Karahan (45) from Sweden thinks TRT is beneficial for Kurds. He also believes that less artists and intellectuals were negative about the TV-station, if the PKK wasn’t against it. I translated some of his arguments from the Dutch version of Rudaw.

Karahan argues that the TV-station is not only created by the AKP, but also has the support of the military and the state. “Otherwise the AKP couldn’t take this big step.”

A lot of Kurdish intellectuals and writers are negative about the survival of the Kurdish dialect Kurmandji, because it’s not a ‘market language’. It doesn’t benefit you if you learn it from an economical perspective. In the region of the Regional Government of Kurdistan Sorani is the official language. “That’s why TRT-6 is a good opportunity for Kurdish to become more worthy and get more status. (On this level, the Turkish state helps Kurmanci much more then the government of the Kurdistan-region in Iraq (KRG)”.

Karahan hopes that more commercial channels will start using Kurdish and that this is the start of Kurdish commercials and the possibility of earning money with knowing Kurdish and educating more Kurds in the Kurmanci dialect. “In short, the status of the language will also grow among Turks.”

According to Karahan the TRT 6 channel will convince rich Kurds to invest in Kurdish culture and this will also increase Kurdish nationalism. “This will have the result that Kurmanci will automatically become the second official language in Turkey.”

Karahan argues that Kurds don’t have the luxury to reject this TV-station and should incite the Turkish state to take more of this kind of steps. In contrary to the ideas of Karahan, the DTP and the PKK has branded the TV-channel as an assimilation project, to assimilate Kurds more. One only wonders how one can assimilate an ethnicity, with setting up a TV-station in their own language.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg is a freelance journalist and maintains a blog at: http://vvanwilgenburg.blogspot.com/

KurdishMedia.com - By Vladimir van Wilgenburg26/01/2009 00:00:00

TRT Şeş a sign of the state’s self-confidence

2009-01-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

TRT Şeş a sign of the state’s self-confidence

Turkey's New Kurdish TV Hopes To Win Hearts And Minds - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2009

2009-01-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Turkey's New Kurdish TV Hopes To Win Hearts And Minds - Radio Free Europe
The opening ceremony of TRT-6, Turkey's first Kurdish-language channel
January 02, 2009
By Abubakar Siddique
The state-run Turkish Radio and Television's (TRT) new Kurdish-language channel, TRT-6, went on the air with an image of the Turkish flag being hoisted to the sound of the country's national anthem on January 1. Earlier the same day, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Edrogan became the first Turkish leader to speak Kurdish publicly when he said, "May TRT-6 be beneficial."Back in 2004, TRT began a weekly 30-minute Kurdish broadcast. The move was widely seen as a response to European Union pressure to strengthen the rights of the Kurdish minority.

Turkey plans to start Kurdish language education in universities

2009-01-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Turkey plans to start Kurdish language education in universities
Department of Kurdish language and letters would be established in two leading universities in Turkey, the chairman of the Higher Board of Education (YOK) said on Thursday.
The board considers the of opening Kurdish language departments in two leading universities in Ankara and Istanbul, Yusuf Ziya Ozcan said at the opening ceremony of TRT-6, Turkey's first Kurdish broadcaster.
Turkey's state-run radio and television network TRT's new TV channel, TRT 6, started broadcasting officially on Thursday. The first program was broadcasted from Ankara's "Ari Studio".
FOR MORE CLIK Turkey plans to start Kurdish language education in universities

ekathimerini.com | Turkey begins countdown to first Kurdish-language TV channel

2009-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

ekathimerini.com Turkey begins countdown to first Kurdish-language TV channel

TURKEY-KURDS-MEDIA

2009-01-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

Publication date: 12/31/2008; 4:54:00 AM GMT.Demonstrators, holding Turkish flags and placards, shout slogans as they attend a rally against a state-run television channel in Kurdish language in front of the Turkish Radio - Television Corporation in Ankara on December 31, 2008. Turkey will launch its first 24-hour state-run television channel in Kurdish language on January 1, 2009. The banner (C) reads, "Kurdish is betrayal for Kurds". AFP PHOTO/ADEM ALTAN
link: http://discuss.flickrfan.org/2008/12/31/0601353.html

First Kurdology institute to open in Marxist Academy

2008-12-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

First Kurdology institute to open in Marxist Academy

The country's first Kurdology institute will be opened by the newly established Nazım Hikmet Marxist Sciences Academy. Nazım Hikmet Marxist Sciences Academy, established last week for the study of Marxist thought, will offer courses focusing on eight main areas including philosophy, political economy, the history of communism, law and women rights.
FOR MORE CLICK First Kurdology institute to open in Marxist Academy

Kurds herald launch of Turkey's first official Kurdish language station - International Herald Tribune

2008-12-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Kurds herald launch of Turkey's first official Kurdish language station - International Herald Tribune
ISTANBUL: The launch of Turkey's first Kurdish language channel by the state broadcaster Jan. 1 is being heralded as a long overdue step toward improving the rights of the country's minority Kurds.
FOR MORE CLICK Kurds herald launch of Turkey's first official Kurdish language station - International Herald Tribune

World Bulletin [ Ruling party says TV channel meets needs of Turkey's Kurds ]

2008-12-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

World Bulletin [ Ruling party says TV channel meets needs of Turkey's Kurds ]
The launch of Turkey's first Kurdish language channel by the state broadcaster on Jan. 1 is being heralded as a long overdue step towards improving the rights of the country's minority Kurds.
FOR MORE CLICK World Bulletin [ Ruling party says TV channel meets needs of Turkey's Kurds ]

Turkey takes step forward with Kurdish TV channel | World | Reuters

2008-12-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

Turkey takes step forward with Kurdish TV channel World Reuters
By Daren Butler
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The launch of Turkey's first Kurdish language channel by the state broadcaster on Jan. 1 is being heralded as a long overdue step towards improving the rights of the country's minority Kurds.
FOR MORE CLICK Turkey takes step forward with Kurdish TV channel World Reuters

Turkey to launch Kurdish TV to take on rebels - International Herald Tribune

2008-12-27T20:06:00.000-08:00

Turkey to launch Kurdish TV to take on rebels - International Herald Tribune
ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey will launch its first 24-hour television channel broadcasting in the once-banned Kurdish language next week in an apparent attempt to cut support for Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in the country's southeast.
FOR MORE CLICK Turkey to launch Kurdish TV to take on rebels - International Herald Tribune

State television begins Kurdish test broadcasts

2008-12-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

State television begins Kurdish test broadcasts
ISTANBUL - The head of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Trade and Industry, Mehmet Kaya, agrees that TRT’s new channel is important, as such mediums can allow the language and culture of a people to develop. He says the TRT’s belated efforts on Kurdish TV are welcome, but argues that it need to be supported by scientific measures to promote Kurdish
FOR MORE CLICK State television begins Kurdish test broadcasts

Turkey gears up for Kurdish-language TV

2008-12-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Turkey gears up for Kurdish-language TV
Kurdish, a language banned in the country until the early 1990s, marking a fresh milestone in Ankara's fence-mending efforts towards the restive Kurdish community.
The new station, which will be Channel Six of the state-run Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), will broadcast round the clock in Kurdish "without imposing the state ideology while offering comprehensive informational programmes," according to TRT director Ibrahim Sahin. FOR MORE clik Turkey gears up for Kurdish-language TV

Parliament says Kurdish ’unknown’

2008-12-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

Parliament says Kurdish ’unknown’

Whatever efforts Parliament has made on strengthening Kurdish culture, the prevailing mentality has been exposed in an official record that referred to a Kurdish greeting as, "A statement made in an unknown language." for more see Parliament says Kurdish ’unknown’