Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party celebrated International Mother Language Day within the Turkish Grand National Assembly by conducting its weekly group meeting on Tuesday in multiple languages, including Kurdish, Zazaki, Armenian, Arabic, Georgian, Laz and Syriac.
Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the DEM Party, delivered a statement in Kurdish, highlighting the global loss of languages due to racist states and assimilation policies. Bakırhan’s address underscored the intrinsic value of language as a reflection of human emotion, thought, identity and culture, stressing that language is not merely a means of communication but the essence of one’s being.
Bakırhan’s call to action emphasised the need for linguistic rights and the preservation of all languages, particularly in the face of ongoing oppression in Turkey. The event saw participation from various representatives, including Mardin MP George Aslan speaking in Syriac, Saliha Aydeniz in Zazaki, and other politicians contributing in Arabic, Georgian, Laz and Armenian, showcasing a united front for linguistic diversity and rights.
Meanwhile, political parties and civil society organisations in Kurdish-majority eastern Van (Wan), including the Arsisa Language Culture Art Research Association, were prevented by police from distributing leaflets in the city centre advocating for Kurdish to be recognised as an official and educational language.
Gathering in front of the DEM Party’s İpekyolu (Rêya Armûşê) district office on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, the group proceeded with a march despite the obstruction, chanting slogans such as, ‘Life without language is impossible’ and ‘Our language is our honour’.
Following the march to the DEM Party Provincial Organisation building, Heval Dilbihar, Co-Spokeswoman for the DEM Party Language and Culture Commission, expressed condemnation of the prohibition on their planned leaflet distribution:
“Today, we were not allowed to distribute leaflets calling for Kurdish to be an official language. This shame belongs to the government. We denounce and condemn this ban. Let’s speak, learn and teach in our own language in the streets, homes, and neighbourhoods. We demand Kurdish to be an official and educational language.”
DEM Party’s celebration in the Turkish parliament and various events throughout Turkey come at a time when linguistic rights are increasingly under threat, with the DEM Party standing firm in its commitment to multilingualism and cultural preservation, challenging assimilation policies and advocating for the official recognition of Kurdish and other minority languages in Turkey.
