Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Mardin deputy Mehmet Ali Aslan asked a parliamentary question about mother tongue-based education in Arabic. The parliamentary question was rejected. Aslan expressed it was the first Arabic parliamentary question to Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) but it was rejected without taking into consideration:
“All native languages should be free in each part of Turkey and Turkey’s institutions and organizations, in TBMM especially and should be secured constitutionally."
Question about legitimacy of Arabic
Aslan asked Minister of National Education, Nabi Avcı, whether there was a study of the ministry for Arabic citizens’ mother tongue-based education in Turkey.
HDP deputy also asked the ministry whether mother tongue-based education was legitimate or not and whether there were teachers to give Arabic lessons.
Arabic population
Mardin deputy Aslan drew attention that 10% of Turkey’s population is Arabic.
“Arabs who have been living in thousands of years as a native population in Anatolia and Mesopotamia was one of the four main founders of Republic of Turkey along with Turks, Kurds and Circassians. Their language and culture were ignored, assimilated due to monist and oppressive opinions along the history of the republic and their rights of living and improving were taken away.
“Being the third most crowded people in Turkey, Arabs constitute 10% of Turkey’s population, pay tax to the Republic of Turkey and perform military service. However, they don’t have right to mother tongue-based education.
Mother tongue-based education.
“Arabs claim their right to mother tongue-based education which is their god given right even though it is long overdue.
“Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) approach against my Arabic parliamentary question reflects how they look at Arabs in Turkey and other peoples and languages around the world. We expect an immediate explanation from the officials as Turkey’s public opinion and Arab citizens.” (YY/BD)
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