DHİBRA raises 4 requests in 19 mother languages of Turkey with 99 signatories

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99 organizations, institutions and platforms under the umbrella of the Network for Monitoring, Documenting and Reporting on Language Rights (DHİBRA) have declared their demands in 19 mother languages of Turkey on the occasion of February 21 International Mother Language Day.

"Care and support for all mother languages and for linguistic pluralism, which we regard as part of the richness of Turkey, must be seen as the guarantee for peaceful coexistence with all our differences. Elimination of barriers to language rights is a must for democracy," the DHİBRA has said.

Released in Abaza, Adyghe (West), Adyghe (East), Arabic, Albanian, Bosnian, Chechen, Armenian (Western), Georgian, Hamshen, Kurmanji, Ladino, Laz, Ossetian, Romeica, Greek, Syriac, Turkish and Zaza, the full statement of the DHİBRA reads as follows:

"Happy 'Mother Language Day' to all the languages of the world!

"As civil society actors concerned about the value and importance of the mother language, we have come together in 2021 to express our demands on the occasion of the 21 February International Mother Language Day declared by UNESCO on November 17, 1999.

"Care and support for all mother languages and for linguistic pluralism, which we regard as part of the richness of Turkey, must be seen as the guarantee for peaceful coexistence with all our differences. Elimination of barriers to language rights is a must for democracy. State, society and the individual should all be alert to this issue, and all bear great responsibility.

"We believe that the contribution to the cultural richness of Turkey made by all individuals and institutions working under great difficulties for the survival of different languages, particularly those under the threat of extinction, should be recognized and supported.

"As the Network for Language Rights Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting (DHİBRA), we therefore call for:

"1) The introduction of more liberal legal and administrative arrangements about learning and using mother languages in the public sphere in Turkey, and the implementation of the existing regulations in an unimpeded and determined manner;

"2) The introduction of concrete steps to protect languages under threat of extinction, and urgent support for civil society actors working in this area;

"3) The establishment and expansion of university departments, programs and institutes working on different mother languages used in the country, and the increased capacity and resources for existing ones;

"4) The lifting of reservations made by Turkey on three mother-language-related articles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child enacted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) and entered into force on September 2, 1990 and approved by Turkey on October 2, 1995.

"Language rights are an integral part of human rights!"

The undersigned

• 1864 Memory Center
• Adana Circassian Cultural Association
• Afşin Caucasian Cultural Association
• Agos Newspaper
• Agos Armenian Supplement
• Alan Culture and Relief Foundation
• Ankara Circassian Association
• Mother Language Women
• Antalya Circassian Association
• Apoyevmatini Newspaper
• Association of Those Educated from Aramyan School
• Arab Alawite Assemblies
• Aras Publishing
• Arıkbaşı Village Caucasian Association
• Avesta Publishing House
• Avlaremoz Platform
• Aydın North Caucasian Cultural Association
• Bahçelievler Caucasian Circassian Association
• Balıkesir Adige-Circassian Cultural Association
• bianet
• Bolu Caucasian Association
• Bursa Circassian Cultural Association
• Can TV
• Circassian Culture House
• Çorum Caucasian Cultural Association
• Denizli Caucasian Cultural Association
• Diyarbakır Rights Initiative
• Düzce Adige Cultural Association
• Ehliddar Cultural Center
• El Amaneser Newspaper
• Eskişehir North Caucasian Culture and Solidarity Association
• Newspaper Sabro
• Gaziantep Circassian Association
• Gola Culture Art and Ecology Association
• Gor Hemshin Culture Language History Journal
• Migration and Humanitarian Relief Foundation
• Göksun Circassian Association
• Gönen Caucasian Cultural Association
• Georgian Language Center
• Georgian News Portal
• Georgian Cultural Center
• Hamamözü Circassian Association
• Association for Research and Survival of Hemshin Culture
• Heyamola Publishing House
• İnegöl Çerkes Adige Cultural Association
• İskenderun Circassian Association Adığe Khase
• İsmail Beşikci Foundation
• İstanbul Arab Alevi Council
• Istanbul Caucasian Cultural Association
• Istos Publishing House
• Weşanên J&J (J&J Publications)
• Jıneps Newspaper
• Federation of Caucasian Associations
• Karacabey North Caucasusian Cultural Association
• Karadeniz Ereğli Caucasian Cultural Association
• Kayseri Caucasian Association
• Kiçir Adyghe Association
• KoyuSiyah Publishing
• Kurdish Studies Association
• Komele Wêjekarên Kurd
• Kurdish Writers Association
• Cultural Studies and Social Research Association
• Laz Cultural Association
• Manisa Circassian Cultural Association
• ma music Center
• Mersin Caucasian Culture and Solidarity Association
• Marje Podcast
• Medya Bookstore
• Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association
• Mesopotamia Education Science Art Health and Culture Foundation
• Mızağe Magazine
• Mustafa Kemal Pasha Circassian Cultural Association
• Nazilli Kafkas Culture and Solidarity Association
• Nor Zartonk (Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association)
• Ogni Magazine
• Children First Association
• Perperik Music Club
• Pomak Institute
• Colorful Hopes Association
• Rosa Women's Association
• Greek Foundations Association
• Sakarya Caucasian Cultural Association
• Samsun Circassian Association
• Sardamond Cultural Research Group
• Şamil Education and Culture Foundation
• Sephardic Culture Research Center
• Soma Caucasian Cultural Association
• Susurluk Caucasian Association
• Federation of Syriac Associations
• Tokat Circassian Association
• Turhal Caucasian Cultural Association
• Turkey's Cultures Research Group
• Uncire Magazine
• Uzunyayla Caucasusian Culture and Solidarity Association
• Vejiyaişê Tiji (Tij Publishing)
• Vomank
• Weşanxaneyê Vateyî (Vate Publishing House)
• Life Memory Freedom Association
• Zan Social Political Economic Research Foundation (RT/SD)

* The DHİBRA and its constituents will host different organizations on the occasion of February 21 International Mother Language Day. Detailed information as to DHİBRA's events such as online language courses, panel discussions and multilingual music performances can be accessed on:

https://twitter.com/DilHaklari?s=20 
https://www.turkiyekulturleri.org/tr/Etkinlik-Takvimi/Guncel-Etkinlikler 
https://instagram.com/dilhaklari