Turkish president Abdullah Gul emphasized again that official language of Turkey is Turkish during his visit to Diyarbakir.

"This will continue in this way. The language of the state and the public offices is Turkish, too. However, we have citizens using different languages,” Gül told reporters on the first day of his visit.

Gul's visit to Diyarbakir came as Democratic Autonomy Project which demans Kurdish to be recognized as an official language stirred discussions among Turkish and Kurdish politicians.

Gul came together with Diyarbakýr Mayor Osman Baydemir and said “The Constitution already protects cultural heritage. We should consider the issue in a healthy way under this framework. We should work together in a constructive, positive manner in order to solidify our country,”

Baydemir gave Gül a Turkish-Kurdish dictionary as a gift, telling the president that Turkey’s biggest problem is the Kurdish issue.

“Impatience on the demands and proposals of Kurdish politicians regarding the use of mother tongues and democratic autonomy is a matter of concern,” Baydemir said in his presentation to Gül.

The essence of the problem is the lack of ability to use the rights deriving from being human and a part of society, Baydemir said.

“Turkey’s Kurdish problem is a constitutional and administrational democracy problem,” he said, adding that it could be solved by decentralization, democratization and a new constitution.

Gul will stay in Diyarbakir tomorrow and hold meetings with businessmen and representatives of non-governmental organizations.