BDP: Kurdish Must Obtain Legal Status

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Istanbul Branch held a press conference this morning, emphasizing on the critical threshold that Turkey is facing regarding the resolution process. 

BDP Istanbul Headquarter’s Vice Co-Chairperson said in a statement. 

The statement reminded that Turkey’s public schools will kick off its new semester as Kurdish language has yet to obtain a constitutional and legal status. 

“Kurdish is the native language of millions of people. Offering Kurdish as second language is explicitly demonstrating the government’s seriousness and sincerity on the matter. It is clearly a repetition of assimilation and denial policies.” 

Bayır also emphasized on the removal of daily ‘oaths’, a practice that he claimed to be the continuation of assimilation and denial policies. 

“They are dictating daily ‘oaths’ to our children. This is a document that points out the singular, nationalistic and antidemocratic mentality of Turkish education system. Every morning, the government is imposing a statement that denies national identity henceforth existence of our children. They are insisting on these policies for the past 90 years."

The statement also went to remind that no steps have been taken towards Kurdish people’s expectations on democratization. 

“The government is forcing its peoples to confront dark scenarios that jeopardize their future.” (BK/YÇ/NV/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.