The KNK’s Language Commission held a workshop at Koya University Kurdish Language Department to mark February 21, International Mother Language Day. Rector of the University, Dr. Wali M. Hamad and KNK Co-chair Zeynep Murad made the opening speeches at the workshop attended by many academicians, students, language experts and political party representatives.

Dr. Hêmin Ebdülhemid, a lecturer from the Kurdish Department of Koya University, read out the final declaration of the workshop, which includes the following suggestions:

“* The government of the Kurdistan Region and related institutions should implement policies to protect and improve the Kurdish language.

* The Kurdish representatives in Baghdad should work to implement the 4th article of the Iraqi Constitution and to resolve problems concerning the Kurdish language in the Kurdistan Region.

* The Kurdistan regional government and related institutions should work to bring the Kurdish dialects closer and cement relations between them in the four parts of Kurdistan.

* The Kurdistan Region government should provide conditions for learning Kurdish for all foreigners working in the region.

* Translation departments should be introduced in colleges.

* Colleges that recognize mother tongue as a language of education should be established and Kurdish language departments should be expanded.

* Efforts should be made to preserve and develop all dialects of Kurdish.

* Students from other parts of Kurdistan should be admitted to Kurdish departments at universities in South Kurdistan.

* International campaigns should be launched to lift the ban on the Kurdish language.

* At the national level, relationships and coordination between private institutions and official institutions should be reinforced to promote the Kurdish language.

* The Ministry of Culture should review its policies concerning the state of affairs, communication and education of the Kurdish language.”