A new report by the Kurdish Language Rights Monitoring and Reporting Platform has documented an extensive crackdown on Kurdish language and cultural expression in Turkey throughout 2024. The report details a wide range of violations, from the banning of theatre performances and concerts to the arrest of individuals for speaking Kurdish in public spaces, workplaces and even in the country’s parliament.
The report documented a total of 109 violations in 2024, categorised as follows:
*Culture and Arts: There were 27 violations recorded, including bans on Kurdish theatre, music and literature.
*Public Space: There were 53 violations recorded, including police interventions against Kurdish language and signage.
*Media: There were 11 violations recorded, including censorship of Kurdish news outlets.
*Prisons: There were 18 violations recorded, including restrictions on Kurdish communication among detainees.
These figures, however, only represent a fraction of the ongoing discrimination, as self-censorship and fear prevent many violations from being reported.
One of the starkest elements of the report is the extent to which Kurdish cultural expression has been targeted. Theatre plays, concerts and literary works have faced arbitrary bans by local authorities. The Kurdish play Qral û Travîs was banned in four cities and Kurdish singer Sasa Serap had four concerts cancelled. Even social media accounts of Kurdish artists were suspended, including that of the singer Rotinda.
🔴A Kurdish-language play, “Qral û Travis”, was banned by the Şişli district governorate in Istanbul just hours before it was due to open on Friday.#ŞanoyaKurdî | #ZimanêKurdî | #HumanRights @denoizm | @bahozzOzsunar
🔗https://t.co/PMCImDZLog pic.twitter.com/Wvh3OFHpAT
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) February 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Kurdish signage has been systematically erased. Municipal road markings in Kurdish reading Pêşî Peya (Priority to pedestrians) were removed and replaced with “Turkey is Turkish”, reinforcing state policies of linguistic erasure. The Diyarbakır (Amed) Bar Association has since lodged a complaint with the prosecution, calling the act a direct attack on Kurdish language and identity.
The suppression of Kurdish language extends beyond cultural spaces into daily life and legal institutions. The following are some of the examples listed in the report:
– The microphones of Kurdish-speaking parliamentarians were switched off when they addressed Turkey’s Grand National Assembly in Kurdish, with their statements being noted in the records as being in an “unknown language”.
– A disabled prisoner in Kayseri Prison had his phone call cut short because he spoke Kurdish.
– A woman in Siirt was denied a medical test because she did not speak Turkish.
– A lawyer was targeted for taking his oath in Kurdish.
– Workers were fired at Istanbul Airport and in Bodrum for speaking Kurdish.
The prison system has emerged as a primary area of linguistic repression. Kurdish-speaking detainees face severe restrictions, including the confiscation of letters and books in Kurdish. Phone calls in Kurdish are cut off, prisoners are placed in solitary confinement for singing Kurdish songs and fines are imposed on inmates who request books in Kurdish.
These measures violate international human rights standards, including Article 27 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, both of which Turkey has signed.
The latest findings come amid increased repression of Kurdish political movements in Turkey. As the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party continues to advocate for Kurdish rights, the Turkish authorities have intensified crackdowns, not only on political figures but also on various forms of Kurdish linguistic and cultural expression.
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Despite these challenges, activists and human rights organisations continue to fight for the constitutional recognition of Kurdish and the free use of the language in public life. The Kurdish Language Rights Monitoring and Reporting Platform has submitted its findings to international human rights bodies, including the UN and the Council of Europe, urging greater international scrutiny over Turkey’s treatment of its Kurdish population.
