Members of cultural and artistic movements in Aleppo are learning the folk dances of North Kurdistan against the cultural genocide policies carried out by the Turkish state.
The Turkish state resorts to every means to eliminate the culture and existence of the Kurdish people. On 27 July, Turkish police detained 15 people who were dancing the halay to Kurdish songs in the cities of Siirt in North Kurdistan and Mersin in Turkey.
In response to the cultural genocide attacks targeting the Kurdish people, the Hîlala Zêrîn Women's Culture Movement, in cooperation with the Aleppo Cemîl Horo Culture and Art Center, opened special sessions to teach the folk dances of North Kurdistan.
27 members from the Cemîl Horo and Hîlala Zêrîn Movements are participating in the sessions. The students learn folk dances from Botan, Amed, Van, Mardin and Varto regions called “qûre, bagiyê, milanî, koçerî and şemê”.
Horîk Elo, a member of the Stêrkên Efrînê Group said that they supported the Kurdish people in North Kurdistan by learning the halays specific to their region and condemned the policies of intimidation, assimilation and attacks carried out by the Turkish state against Kurdish culture.
Horîk Elo also said that the members of the Stêrkên Efrînê Group hope to celebrate Newroz in North Kurdistan next year.
Saya Osman, a member of the Hîlala Zêrîn Movement, said that the members of their folk dance group try to learn the halays from other regions of Kurdistan.
Thanking the teachers of the sessions, Saya said: "It is known that the Turkish state has banned Kurdish songs and halays in Bakur Kurdistan. We see this education period as a step to protect Kurdish culture from the genocidal attempts of the occupying and fascist Turkish state against the identity and culture of the Kurdish people."
Osman expressed her support for the struggle of the people of North Kurdistan to protect their Kurdish identity and culture.
