In an interview with journalist Gülcan Dereli, the co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Tuncer Bakırhan highlighted the way the state has been intensifying efforts to suppress Kurdish language, cultural practices and community gatherings, evoking memories of past decades when such efforts were also widespread.
Cultural repression as a sign of weakness
Bakırhan pointed out that recent actions of the state, including the removal of Kurdish roadmarkings and the arrest of individuals for dancing the traditional halay / gowend or for singing in Kurdish, reflect a sense of desperation. “The state is messing with roadmarkings, it is on a witch hunt for songs. This shows the desperation of the mentality behind these actions”, said Bakırhan. He drew parallels with the 1990s, when the Turkish state used similar strategies of cultural erasure, but failed to break the resilience of the Kurdish people. “We have witnessed an expansion of Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights despite this repression. The state underestimates the tenacity of the Kurdish people and their commitment to their language, traditions and identity.”
A deliberate strategy
Bakırhan explained that the ongoing repression is part of a wider political project aimed at marginalising the Kurdish population. “The state wants to push the Kurds back in every way possible and trap them in a narrow, defensive mindset,” he said. He also stressed that this repression is a move calculated to prevent the political growth of the Kurdish community and to undermine its potential alliances within Turkey’s evolving political landscape. Furthermore, Bakırhan noted that the government is aligning itself with far-right movements around the world, catering to nationalist sentiments while continuing to violate the cultural rights of the Kurdish population.
The politics of cultural signs
One of the most symbolic forms of Kurdish culture that has been targeted is the traditional halay / gowend dance. Bakırhan linked the suppression of the halay to the broader suppression of Kurdish social structures. “The halay is more than just a cultural form for Kurds; it embodies community and solidarity,” he said. Drawing a parallel with the struggles of other oppressed groups, Bakırhan recalled how African communities used dance to resist racist regimes. For the Kurdish people, he said, the halay has become a means of expressing both joy and resistance in public spaces. “This is why it poses such a threat to the state – it is both a cultural and political expression of Kurdish existence.”
Repression in prisons
Bakırhan also spoke of the severe restrictions imposed on Kurdish prisoners, a practice that dates back to the 1980 military coup. “The regime’s anti-Kurdish attitude has been in place since 1924 and it continues today,” he said. He condemned the policy in prisons of preventing prisoners from speaking Kurdish or receiving books in their mother tongue. He cited recent cases, including the closed T-type prison in Şırnak, where prisoners are forbidden to speak Kurdish during visits or even to hug family members. According to Bakırhan, these practices reflect the state’s refusal to recognise Kurdish identity, despite the undeniable reality of the cultural and linguistic contributions of the Kurdish people.
The suffering of elderly and sick prisoners
The interview also touched on the plight of elderly and seriously ill Kurdish prisoners. Bakırhan expressed his outrage at the way these people are treated, accusing the authorities of deliberately ignoring medical reports recommending their release. He cited specific cases such as 86-year-old Abdulalim Kaya, who suffers from a 91% disability but is still incarcerated despite a medical report stating that he is not fit to remain in prison. “This inhumane treatment has become the norm under the current regime, which uses institutions such as Turkey’s Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) as a tool to inflict suffering on Kurdish prisoners,” said Bakırhan.
Kurdish mothers targeted
Another worrying trend, according to Bakırhan, is the increasing crackdown on elderly Kurdish women, many of whom have been imprisoned on trumped-up charges. Bakırhan attributed the state’s fear of Kurdish mothers to their resilience and the moral authority they represent within the Kurdish community. “The state is afraid of Kurdish mothers because it knows the strength and determination these women have shown since the 1980s,” he said. He accused the government of trying to exclude mothers from political life, describing this as a new form of repression that surpasses even the harsh measures of the military coup era.
Prisoners denied release
Finally, Bakırhan criticised the arbitrary use of “good behaviour” assessments to deny prisoners release after serving their sentences. He called these measures a “serious violation of human rights” and condemned the state’s practice of keeping prisoners behind bars on flimsy pretexts such as reading too many books or showing no remorse. Bakırhan argued that these actions are part of a wider strategy to maintain control over Kurdish political prisoners, many of whom have already spent decades in prison.
