Turkey has arrested 30 people, including Kurdish language teachers, in a series of raids on cultural and educational institutions in Diyarbakır (Amed), a Kurdish-majority city in the southeast. The arrests took place on 24 September, targeting organisations that promote the Kurdish language, including the Mezopotamya Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), a bookstore and a language education cooperative.
These arrests have sparked protests and condemnation from seven bar associations, including those from Diyarbakır, Mardin (Mêrdîn) and Van (Wan), which criticised the detentions as illegal and an attempt to suppress the Kurdish language. The Kurdish language, spoken by millions in Turkey’s southeast, has long faced restrictions, and efforts to teach or promote it are often treated with suspicion by the state.
“This operation is clearly aimed at the Kurdish language,” the bar associations said in a joint statement. “The right to speak and promote one’s native language is a basic human right, and criminalising this work prevents the Kurdish people from developing their language.” They called for the immediate release of the detainees, saying the arrests were unlawful.
PEN Norway has also condemned the arrests, describing the raids as “a serious violation of the Kurdish people’s linguistic and cultural rights.” In a statement shared on 26 September, PEN Norway demanded the immediate release of those detained, stating, “These actions not only violate fundamental human rights but also represent a direct attack on the Kurdish community’s right to preserve and promote their language.” The organisation pledged to closely monitor the situation and continue advocating for linguistic rights in Turkey.
The 30 individuals, including 28 Kurdish language educators, were held in custody for four days and transferred to court on Friday for further legal proceedings. The raids were part of an investigation led by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, reportedly based on accusations from a government informant. However, human rights groups argue that the arrests are part of a broader pattern of repression against Kurdish identity and language.
Kurdish author Adil Ercan condemned the raids, calling them part of a long-running effort by Turkish authorities to assimilate Kurdish people by erasing their language and culture. “The Kurdish people have always faced oppression because of their language, but we will continue to live with it,” he said. Ercan and others see the arrests as an attempt to intimidate those who promote the Kurdish language.
Bekir Toprak, a representative of a workers’ union in Diyarbakır, echoed these concerns, saying the detentions highlight systemic discrimination against Kurds. “Language is part of a people’s identity,” Toprak explained. “By suppressing it, they are trying to erase us.”
The Kurdish language has a fraught history in Turkey, where it was banned in public life for many years. Although some restrictions have been lifted in recent decades, promoting Kurdish through formal education remains a sensitive and often risky endeavour.
