The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organisation connecting groups from all four parts of Kurdistan, has condemned the Turkish state policies targeting Kurdish language and culture.
In a statement released on Friday, the KCK urged the Kurdish people to defend their identity against efforts to erase their culture, calling for stronger resistance to assimilation.
This comes in the wake of a recent crackdown by Turkish authorities on Kurdish institutions, including the closure of Kurdish-language schools and the arrest of educators in Diyarbakır (Amed). Kurdish language is often referred to as ‘an unknown language’ in official settings, and restrictions on its use remain a significant issue. The crackdown is seen as part of the Turkish government’s broader policies against the Kurdish people, under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition, which has intensified efforts to suppress Kurdish cultural expression.
The KCK linked the ongoing isolation of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan to Turkey’s broader attack on Kurdish existence. “The way they treat Rêber Apo (Öcalan) mirrors their treatment of the Kurdish people,” the statement said, accusing the Turkish state of waging a “multi-faceted war” against Kurds through political, social, and cultural repression.
The KCK warned that recent measures, such as the closure of Kurdish-language institutions and the arrest of teachers, form part of a long-standing campaign of cultural genocide. “For over a hundred years, the Turkish state has attempted to destroy the Kurdish people’s ancient culture,” the statement read, referencing policies that banned the Kurdish language in public life and targeted Kurdish institutions, including schools like the Zarokistan Nursery and Day Care Centres in Diyarbakır.
The KCK urged Kurdish intellectuals, academics and democratic forces to unite in the fight to protect Kurdish language and culture, stating, “We must defend our language and identity against these oppression policies.”
The statement emphasised the importance of using Kurdish in all aspects of life, from homes to workplaces, to resist the state efforts to eliminate the language. “Language is the essence of our existence, and we will not let it be erased,” the KCK said.
As Turkish authorities continue their crackdown, the KCK called for the Kurdish people to stand firm, warning that the survival of Kurdish culture depends on the continued use of their language. The statement concluded, “The Turkish state fears the Kurdish language because it represents the unbreakable will of the Kurdish people.”
