Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit, a Green Left Party MP for Van (Wan), submitted a proposal written in Kurdish to the Turkish parliament on Thursday. The motion sought to identify and remove obstacles to education in the Kurdish language. However, it was returned on Friday without being registered, with the Kurdish language being categorised as an ‘unknown language’.
Sayyiğit expressed her disappointment on social media. “The Kurdish proposal we submitted to the parliament was returned today. Once again, the Kurdish language was treated as an ‘unknown language’,” she stated. The proposal was initially submitted to the National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin for a written response. Sayyiğit’s five-question proposal specifically asked why education in the Kurdish language had not been accepted.
“Every Kurd’s basic demand is education in their mother tongue and constitutional protection. Barriers restricting one’s mother tongue should be removed as soon as possible. The Kurdish people should be able to receive education and services in their own language. The place where this path will be opened is the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). The ‘unknown language’ shame must end in the 28th term,” Sayyiğit elaborated.
She continued, “Today, state institutions are still not in a position to understand a proposal in Kurdish. Is it possible to discuss a new constitution without recognising a people’s mother tongue? While the Minister of National Education expresses an opinion on every subject, why does he ignore the demands for education in one’s mother tongue? Ideological motives should be set aside, and a humane, ethical, and pedagogical approach to one’s mother tongue should be displayed as soon as possible.”
