Kurdish Language Rights in Turkey: An Unfinished Step Towards Cultural Recognition

The recent peace-promoting initiatives of the Turkish government, aiming to end the protracted conflict with Kurdish militants, have once again brought the linguistic and cultural rights of the Kurds into focus. Despite the perceived opening initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2012, with the introduction of two hours of Kurdish language instruction in schools, actual progress remains far below expectations. Many parents and education experts report that access to these language courses is difficult, even in the largest cities in Turkey. Moreover, many Kurdish families are not sufficiently informed that they can claim this right. A serious obstacle is the Turkish constitution, which stipulates that no language other than Turkish may be taught as a mother tongue. Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, the chairwoman of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party in Parliament, points out that mother tongue instruction is essential for preserving cultural identity and social equality. A supportive proposal from October offers hope: The imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan could be moved to persuade his group to abandon violence, with the prospect of his release being offered. However, since the collapse of the peace process in 2015, distrust continues to prevail. Remezan Alan from Artuklu University confirms that Kurdish instruction has become invisible in many schools, often due to the lack of available teachers. Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin insists that requests are not being intentionally ignored. However, an overarching fear of stigmatization and association with the PKK deters many, according to Hudai Morarslan from the teachers' union Egitim-Bir-Sen. The recent wave of arrests and accusations branding the singing of Kurdish songs as terrorist propaganda testifies to the ongoing tension and the long road to acceptance of Kurdish culture in Turkey. While the official Kurdish instruction moves forward, true integration into education and society remains a gradual process.