The Turkish state’s intolerance towards Kurds and the Kurdish language continues. Nearly 50 people have been arrested in the last 15 days on the grounds that they sang Kurdish songs, danced the halay or chanted slogans.

DEM Party Amed Provincial co-chair Gülşen Özer evaluated the attacks on Kurdish and fascist policies.

Dirty policies are being carried out

Özer said that a century-old policy of annihilation and denial against the language, culture and existence of the Kurds continues today and added: "Our young people, mothers and people were arrested for singing Kurdish songs. If that wasn’t enough, the ‘Peşi peya’ signs that our DEM Party municipalities had written on the streets in Van, Amed, Batman and many other cities were erased. The values ​​of the Kurdish people are being attacked by all sides. Three sisters were arrested for dancing the halay to Kurdish songs at their wedding."

Özer continued: "This clearly shows us the stage that racist policies against Kurds in the country have reached. The Kurdish people are still subjected to racist and fascist attacks in the 21st century. The government is implementing dirty policies over our language, culture, art and nature. We do not accept these policies. We will continue to stand against them together with our people."

Not be able to accept Kurdish achievements

Özer said that the government is afraid of the Kurdish language and halay, and added: "Of course, we know that the problem is not just a halay issue. The achievements of the Kurdish people are being targeted. They are trying to assimilate young Kurdish people. In fact, dancing the halay, chanting slogans and singing Kurdish songs are not prohibited. Their own laws also say this, but they do not even recognize their own laws. All the arrests are arbitrary arrests. They are afraid of our language and our halay. We will bring peace with our halay, our language and our words. We will live with our language, our culture and our halay. No matter what they do, the Kurds will not give up their halay, their language or their culture. We, as a party, will continue our protests and reactions to this. We have been singing our loudest songs and dancing our most enthusiastic halay dances against these policies in the squares since the first day. They will not be able to intimidate us."

We will not accept any attack on our culture

Özer continued: "They cannot ignore the language of a people. The mother tongue of millions of people is Kurdish. No attack can prevent millions from speaking their language. This has no legal aspect, nor is it humane or moral. The government should grant the fundamental rights of this people. We will not accept any attack on our culture."