Kurds unite in new effort against linguistic assimilation in Turkey
In a rare show of unity, nine Kurdish parties in Turkey have established a joint platform to promote the use of the Kurdish language against what they see as a creeping danger of assimilation.
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — Nine Kurdish parties in Turkey have joined forces in a fresh drive to fight for more language rights and shield Kurdish from what they see as the creeping danger of assimilation and oblivion.
The initiative aims to revive the Kurds’ decades-long efforts to use their language freely, especially in education. The struggle has been in a lull since settlement talks between Ankara and the Kurds collapsed in 2015. The breakup of the peace process reignited clashes between the security forces and armed Kurdish militants, followed by a ferocious clampdown on Kurdish political quarters that saw the seizure of Kurdish-run local administrations and the arrest of dozens of senior Kurdish politicians, including parliament members.
