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.
On Oct. 28, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the main pro-Kurdish political movement in Turkey, and eight other parties established the Kurdish Language Protection and Development Platform to press ahead with language demands and encourage Kurds to use their mother tongue more. The other co-founders included the Democratic Regions Party, the Freedom and Socialism Party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Bakur, the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Turkey, the Kurdistan Socialist Party (PSK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the People and Freedom Party and the Azadi Movement.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, PSK Deputy Chair Bayram Bozyel argued the Kurdish language faces extinction in Turkey. “With all its means, Turkey is pursuing a policy to assimilate [Kurds] and wipe out the Kurdish language,” Bozyel said. “To fend off this threat, nine Kurdish parties came together and decided to work jointly to sound the alarm and raise awareness.”
