At the group meeting of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Co-Chairperson Tuncer Bakırhan delivered his speech in Kurdish on the occasion of February 21st, International Mother Language Day.
Starting his speech by congratulating everyone on "International Mother Language Day," Bakırhan emphasized the importance of mother languages.
Addressing the assimilation policies on languages, Bakırhan noted that 100 years ago, there were 20 languages spoken in Turkey, but most of these languages have disappeared.
In his speech, Bakırhan quoted the words of author Antti Jalava, saying, "A writer says, 'My mother tongue is my skin and other languages are my clothes. Whenever a person wants, they can change their clothes according to their desires, but they cannot change their skin.' We say that our mother tongue is not just our skin, but our soul and our essence," he said.
Listing the names who have contributed to the Kurdish language, Bakırhan continued, "Baba Tahir Uryan, Elî Herîrî, Ehmedê Xanî, Melayê Cizîrî, Feqiyê Teyran, Cegerxwîn, Celadet Elî Bedirxan, Ape Musa (Musa Anter), Ferhat Kurtay, Mehmed Uzun are in our hearts."
"Turkey turned into a graveyard of languages"
Bakırhan, reading a paragraph from Dengbêj Ayşe Şan's song "Zimanê Kurdî zimanê me ye" (Kurdish Language is Our Language), emphasized the state's oppression on Kurdish.
He stated, "From the establishment of Turkey to the present day, the oppression on Kurdish has continued."
Bakırhan pointed out that Laz language, Syriac, Circassian, and many other languages have disappeared, stating, "Turkey has turned into a graveyard of languages in a century. Even now, the walls of prisons are inscribed with 'Speak Turkish, speak more.' However, our language has survived to this day through resistance."
"They want Kurds without Kurdish"
Bakırhan, stating that assimilation has continued since the first periods of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), continued as follows: "The AKP aims to create an alternative Kurdish studies. They opened Kurdish departments at universities. Students graduated, became teachers, but they were not appointed. Elective courses started, they opened a television channel called TRT Şeş. However, on TRT Şeş, from morning till night, they insult Kurdish, insult the Kurds. They want Kurds without Kurdish. They don't want us to live our pain, our love, our stories in our mother tongue."
"Appointed trustees are enemies of the Kurdish language"
Referring to the trustees appointed to replace mayors elected in previous local elections in many Kurdish majority provinces, Bakırhan highlighted the pressures on Kurdish by appointed trustees, stating, "Following the trustee coup, pressures on Kurdish increased. Kurdish newspapers, radios, TVs, agencies, and kindergartens were closed. Trustees first attacked Kurdish signs. They closed Kurdî-Der and the Kurdish Institute. They removed the names of Celadet Elî Bedirxan and Cegerxwîn from signs. Trustees are enemies of the Kurdish language. Erdoğan says, 'Every child should know their mother tongue against assimilation.' But when Kurds say 'our language,' they're labeled 'terrorists.' When our colleagues speak Kurdish in Parliament, it's recorded as an 'unknown' or 'unintelligible' language. Our language is neither unknown nor unintelligible. Our language is Kurdish, and it has been spoken for centuries," he said.
"We want Kurdish to be an official language"
Continuing to advocate for speaking in one's mother tongue in all aspects of life, Bakırhan stated, "We should see our language as our existence. With local elections ahead, when we reclaim municipalities from trustees, we will once again implement multilingual governance. Our language is our red line. It is our promise, whatever these oppressors have damaged, we will do better. We will open Kurdish language courses and kindergartens. We are not against elective courses. However, in the 21st century, we are ashamed of these discussions. The spring does not come with a single rose. Mother tongue is a human right. We want Kurdish to be an official language."
Bakırhan concluded his speech with a poem by the Kurdish poet Cigerxwin: "Ez xum xuma avên çeman, Ez çerx û govend û sema, Tînim di nav kat û lema, jîn im, hebûn im, tevger im…" (I am the sound of the rivers, I am the dance and the sky, I come amidst the rocks and soil, I am life, existence, movement…)
After Tuncer Bakırhan's address in Kurdish, DEM Party Mardin Deputy George Aslan spoke in Syriac, DEM Party Mardin Deputy Saliha Aydeniz spoke in Zaza, DEM Party PM member and Middle East expert Bereket Kar spoke in Arabic, DEM Party PM member Zeyno Bayramoğlu spoke in Georgian and Laz language, and DEM Party central board member Murad Mıhçı spoke in Armenian. (RT/PE)
