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The Ministry of National Education has removed a book from publication after receiving criticism for describing "the Diyarbakır dialect" without making any reference to Kurdish.
The book entitled "Our city Diyarbakır" says the language spoken in the province, which is predominantly populated by Kurds, is similar to the Azerbaijani language, which it refers to as "Baku Turkish."
The book was published as part of a ministry project aimed at introducing the country's provinces to children.
Releasing a written statement, the Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of National Education said that the book will be republished after a review, Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reported.
It did not mention the criticism over the language issue.
The book was also criticized for citing "sexual abuse" among the risks that can be faced in the city. The directorate said it was "a general description" and the book was written by authors "who know Diyarbakır very well."
In the 204-page book, there is no mention of the word Kurd or Kurdish.
While Newroz (in Kurdish pronunciation) is written as "Nevruz" (in Turkish pronunciation), it is further said that this tradition is a deeply-rooted tradition in Central Asia. (SO/VK)
