Kurdish writer Sami Tan, one of three authors recently detained in Turkey for their involvement in publishing the Kurdish language textbook Hînker, has issued a public message explaining why they were taken into custody. In his statement, Tan underscored that such detentions should not occur in a democratic society, highlighting the importance of linguistic and cultural freedoms.
Tan, who was detained on 6 March, said in his statement that he and his co-authors were taken into custody simply because Hînker – a comprehensive Kurdish textbook – was allegedly found in digital form on the computers of people linked to an outlawed organisation. He stressed that writers usually have no direct control over the subsequent distribution of their published works, especially digital versions, which can be widely copied and shared without permission.
"Authors draft their work and hand it over to the publisher... It is not the authors who handle the printing, distribution or dissemination of digital copies. The edition in question is very old and no longer in print."
Tan also pointed out that the Istanbul Kurdish Institute, which originally worked on the publication of Hînker, was closed down by decree in 2016. At the time, security forces confiscated the institute’s computers and digital archives, meaning that the Hînker files had already been seized by the authorities years earlier.
Related Articles:
Kurdish language rights must be guaranteed, says DEM Party’s Cemile Turhallı Kurds demand linguistic rights on International Mother Language Day Turkey systematically violated Kurdish language and culture rights in 2024, says report
Despite these circumstances, Tan stressed that he and his fellow writers – whose addresses are known – were subjected to late-night house raids and detained for days, a process he said should never happen in a country that aspires to democratic norms. Under normal procedures, Tan says, they could simply have been summoned for questioning by the public prosecutor.
"Arresting writers over an old textbook without clear evidence of wrongdoing is not something a democratic state should do. These actions only serve to criminalise the struggle to protect and develop the Kurdish language." Sami Tan
Human rights organisations and Kurdish institutions have echoed Tan’s criticism, pointing to Turkey’s history of restrictive policies towards Kurdish language rights. The arrests have sparked considerable debate among linguistic freedom advocates, who see the incident as yet another indicator of Turkey’s wider crackdown on Kurdish cultural initiatives.
Tan concluded:
"We do not accept the criminalisation of linguistic and cultural identity, Our language is like a bright star in the sky of our country, and it will continue to shine."
Tan’s comments follow a recent report that he, along with Mevlüt Aykoç and Ronayi Önen, were arrested after the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation. The investigation stems from allegations that Hînker was found in the possession of a deceased member of the People’s Defence Forces (HPG), the armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Although the book has been officially licensed since 2010 and is widely recognised as a Kurdish educational resource, the authorities questioned its content, visual material and the role of the authors in its distribution.
