An elderly Kurdish woman faced a prolonged ordeal at Istanbul Airport, unable to exit for two and a half hours due to a language barrier. Her son, who was speaking on her behalf outside the gate, expressed his frustration, which was captured by bystanders and shared on X, formerly Twitter.
Despite his efforts to communicate his mother’s situation, the airport staff, reportedly uncaring, failed to provide the necessary assistance.
The incident has drawn attention to the lack of language support for Kurdish speakers at the airport, contrasting with the provisions for other languages like German, English and Arabic.
The son’s impassioned plea highlighted the broader issue of linguistic inclusivity in Turkey, especially concerning the Kurdish community, ahead of UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day, 21 February.