Teachers in Maxmur Camp demand Kurdish language to be recognized

Teachers in Maxmur Camp protested the Turkish state's hostility towards the Kurdish language and pointed out that the right to mother tongue was violated.

Martyr Rustem Cudi camp teachers held a press conference to make Kurdish the official language in Northern Kurdistan.

After a minute’s silence for the martyrs, Kurdish teacher Sadık Benek read the press release.

"All nations are known for their own language,” the statement said, adding: “Culture, art and science are learned through education in the mother tongue. Societies develop in this way and transfer their knowledge to the next generations. Our universal and natural rights in our country, Kurdistan, have been violated and taken from the hands of Kurdish children. Kurdish children grow up in their mother tongue until the age of 7 and know everything surrounding them in Kurdish but, unfortunately, they face pressure and assimilation when they start school."

The statement continued: "Learning one’s mother tongue has a very important place in an age where technology is so advanced. Although it has a deep and important place in history, today the Kurdish language is under the influence of assimilation. However, since the language is a living entity, no one can prevent it from being learned. It is possible to see an example of the Kurdish people and other peoples experiencing a similar situation. The fact that the fascist Turkish state do not accept the Kurdish language as an official mother tongue and do not allow education in that language is directly related to the Turkish state's hostility to Kurds. For example, speaking and singing in Kurdish is a crime in Turkey and Kurdistan. A Kurdish teacher named Zara Muhammedi in Eastern Kurdistan was punished for teaching Kurdish children their mother tongue.

In Northern Kurdistan and Turkey, German is accepted as the compulsory and official language in 14 universities, French in 11 universities, and English in all schools from primary to university. Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish languages ​​are taught. However, the languages ​​of indigenous peoples are banned for political reasons. In the 2022/2023 academic year, Kurdish is left as an elective course in Northern Kurdistan.

Martyr Rustem Cudi camp teachers in no way accept that Kurdish is only offered as an elective course in Kurdistan. This is denying ourselves and our language. Turks and Kurds live together, just as Turkish is the official language, Kurdish should also be the official language."