While discussions on the solution of the Kurdish issue continue following the talks with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Cemile Turhallı, Co-Spokesperson of the Language, Culture and Art Commission of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, said that the recognition of the Kurdish language would be an important step in the process. Cemile Turhallı stated that language is the existence of a people, but the history of Turkey has turned into a “graveyard of languages” and underlined that throughout the history of the Republic there has been intense oppression against languages. Stating that the oppression continues, Cemile Turhallı said, "Now we see that the bans on Kurdish have been systematically continuing from the history of the Republic until today. Unfortunately, not even one step has been taken away from these discriminatory policies." 

 

Cemile Turhallı said, "The first crisis that all Kurdish children experience has already started with education. A language that they do not understand at all, but they have to understand, they have to speak. That language has become a cause of violence. The child was told, 'Don't speak Kurdish to your parents.' The state tried to assimilate through its own children. The families of Kurdish children have always been discriminated against. But the Kurdish people have really faced this, understood it, brought it to consciousness and saw it as a reason for resistance. The Kurdish people are now at the stage of turning this into a gain."

 

Cemile Turhallı stated that due to the imposition of Turkish, Kurds faced discrimination in public services and health services because they did not speak Turkish, and that this caused traumas. "The honor lost during these experiences, the value that was discredited, needs to be regained. This can be achieved by providing all public services in this language from this stage onwards. Likewise, education should be provided in this language and Kurdish should be recognized as the official language.” 

 

 

Underlining that language is the most important part of the Kurdish issue, Cemile Turhallı said, "If Kurds are to see themselves as equal citizens of this country, one of the most important topics will be the solution of the mother tongue problem. Until today, the state has imposed a solution based on a single language. But it was seen that it was not a solution. The world has also experienced this. The world practice now sees that multilingualism is an advantage, not a disadvantage."

 

'IT WILL BE THE PEACE OF LANGUAGES THAT STRENGTHENS THE PROCESS'

 

Cemile Turhallı stressed: "I think that language peace will have a much greater impact on social peace and this process. It is very important that violence is eliminated today, but the strength of this process will of course be the mother tongue, the peace of languages. There must be tolerance of languages. Serious steps really need to be taken in this regard. Constitutional obstacles need to be removed."

 

Cemile Turhallı stated that Kurdish politics has been struggling for language for years and added, "Language needs to be taken under constitutional guarantee. The second dimension is a construction process in your own organized society. Today, no matter who says what, Kurds are one of the most powerful, organized communities in the world. Since the ultimate demand of the Kurdish community is for this language to gain status in the region where they live, you can see this as a reason for prestige within your own community."

 

Cemile Turhallı noted that the attacks against the Kurdish language and the clothes and games that symbolize their existence continue. Cemile Turhallı continued as follows: "It is important to cling more to the attacked place. The goal should be to gain more of its legitimacy. If we speak Kurdish, if Kurdish studies are being carried out, those studies should be doubled or tripled. The process we call assimilation is a process that continues with oppression and violence, but also with the production of consent. Pressure can sometimes turn into consent, it can unknowingly prevent you from speaking your own language and carrying out work in that field." 

 

MA / Rukiye Payiz Adıgüzel