No Trial for Teaching Kurdish

The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office did not see the need for legal proceedings against Durre  and Kazım Örmek, parents of 10-year-old M.Ö., and the Diyarbakır Sur district Mayor Abdullah Demirbaş.

Ten-years-old girl M.Ö. was under prosecution together with Mayor Abdullah Demirbaş on the grounds of giving Kurdish lessons to other children at home along with the municipality's project "One story to each house" (Kurdish: Sere Şeve Çirokek).

The project ''One story each night and turning every house into a place of education" was launched 3 years ago. M.Ö.'s parents previously made a statement at the prosecutor's office that together with Mayor Demirbaş they had turned one room of their home into a class room in the course of the project. After the investigation the prosecutor's office decided to close the case.

"My daughter was just helping her friends"

The girl's mother Durre Örmek explained in Kurdish: "My daughter's friends asked her for help since they did know Kurdish. My daughter taught them Kurdish at home. She had not started a course, she was just helping her friends". The child's father Kazım Örmek stated as well that his daughter did not give a course in a systematic manner.

The parents were released after having made their statements. The investigation was closed with the allegation of "opening an illegal educational institution". (EÖ/VK)