content tagged with mother tongue

Kurdish patient denied audiological test for not understanding Turkish

Kurdish patient denied audiological test for not understanding Turkish

An elderly woman in Siirt could not undergo a speech recognition threshold test at a state hospital.

20 September 2024

Kurds celebrate Kurdish Language Day

Kurds celebrate Kurdish Language Day

May 15 has been celebrated as the Kurdish Language Day since 2006, marking the inauguration of the Hawar magazine.

MPs denied marking Mother Language Day in Kurdish and Laz language

MPs denied marking Mother Language Day in Kurdish and Laz language

Two deputies, one from DEM and one from CHP, were not allowed to mark the Mother Language Day in statements in their mother tongue.

22 February 2024

DEM Party holds group meeting in seven languages

DEM Party holds group meeting in seven languages

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan delivered his group speech in Kurdish on the occasion of February 21, International Mother Language Day. Other politicians spoke in Zazaki, Arabic, Syriac, Georgian, Lazuri, and Armenian.

20 February 2024

Laz Language in 100th year of the Republic

ONE CENTURY, ONE REGIME AND MOTHER TONGUE | LAZ LANGUAGE

Laz Language in 100th year of the Republic

The future of the Laz language has to be planned and this can only be done by an institution that is politically and financially strong.

Language death, language suicide and Zaza language

ONE CENTURY, ONE REGIME AND MOTHER TONGUE | ZAZA LANGUAGE

Language death, language suicide and Zaza language

The Zaza language can hold onto life and continue to live. We should not forget that we will lose our soul together with our language if this does not happen.

22 February 2023 Ercan Çağlayan

One century, one regime, and the right to mother tongue

FEBRUARY 21 MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

One century, one regime, and the right to mother tongue

As bianet, on International Mother Language Day, we want to explore the state of mother language as we enter the 100th year of the Republic. In this series of articles, we tracked the traces of the policies pursued with regard to language such as Zaza, Georgian, Armenian and Kurdish.

21 February 2023

Criminal complaint over racist writing on school stairs

Criminal complaint over racist writing on school stairs

Bar Association of Şırnak filed a criminal complaint about writings on the stairs of a secondary school in Bursa, one of which says "Either speak Turkish or keep quiet!"

14 November 2022

Rights groups announce new project for children's mother tongue rights

Rights groups announce new project for children's mother tongue rights

The project aims to monitor children's access to the right to mother tongue education and cultural rights.

11 November 2022

Police detain nine protesting for mother tongue education in İstanbul

Police detain nine protesting for mother tongue education in İstanbul

HDP members gathered in front of a primary school to read out a statement demanding mother tongue education rights.

16 September 2022

'Civil disobedience': Author Mahmut Alınak offers Kurdish education at his house

'Civil disobedience': Author Mahmut Alınak offers Kurdish education at his house

Having turned his garage into a classroom, Alınak says the intellectuals have the duty to make the state take action for mother tongue education.

Survey: 31 percent of Kurdish families don't speak to their children in Kurdish

Survey: 31 percent of Kurdish families don't speak to their children in Kurdish

According to a new survey, the speaking of the Kurdish language decreases in the houses with children. Families do not prefer to speak in their mother tongue because they don’t want their children to face difficulties in school life.

Constitutional Court finds no violation in not allowing Kurdish child given name containing 'w'

Constitutional Court finds no violation in not allowing Kurdish child given name containing 'w'

The top court has ruled that changing the child's name from "Ciwan" to "Civan" could not be considered discrimination.

Study: Kurds want education, municipal services in mother tongue

Study: Kurds want education, municipal services in mother tongue

The Kurds' demands regarding their mother tongue are the ones that receive the least negative reactions from the public in Turkey, according to a new study.

'I'm worried that I won't be able to sing again'

'I'm worried that I won't be able to sing again'

Kurdish musician Nudem Durak was imprisoned for singing in her mother tongue.

More than 20,000 students choose Kurdish language classes in Turkey

More than 20,000 students choose Kurdish language classes in Turkey

Elective Kurdish language education was introduced in Turkey in 2012 but has been hindered by the lack of teacher appointments.

21 February 2022

In protest of ban on Kurdish, HDP deputy reads out same speech in Kurdish and German

In protest of ban on Kurdish, HDP deputy reads out same speech in Kurdish and German

"Everyone but you is aware that being multicultural and multilingual does not divide but enrich a country," MP Uca has remarked, criticizing the ban on mother tongue education in Turkey.

13 December 2021

Mother language obstacle to coronavirus vaccination

MEDICAL CHAMBERS IN SOUTHEAST

Mother language obstacle to coronavirus vaccination

While the Health Ministry’s coronavirus vaccination campaign is moving apace, the desired vaccination rates have not yet been reached in some cities, especially in the Kurdish-majority ones. Mother language is reportedly a factor behind this.

30 June 2021 Cansever Avinç

99.1 percent of families want their children to be educated in their mother language

99.1 percent of families want their children to be educated in their mother language

Answering the questions of Socio-Political Field Research Center, 53.6 percent of the respondents said, "I speak, understand, read and write my mother language” while 32.3 percent stated, "I speak, I understand, but I cannot read or write.”

10 May 2021 Ruken Tuncel

Study: Younger Zazas in Dersim reluctant to learn Zaza language, increasingly identify as 'Turks'

Study: Younger Zazas in Dersim reluctant to learn Zaza language, increasingly identify as 'Turks'

"The oldest generation is monolingual and this language is the Zaza language. The middle-aged generation, who learned the second language mainly at school, are bilingual. The younger generation are again monolingual but this language is Turkish," says Dr. Güntaş-Aldatmaz.

1 March 2021 Evrim Kepenek

Study: In Kurdish Provinces, People Speak in Kurdish at Home, Turkish at State Agencies

Study: In Kurdish Provinces, People Speak in Kurdish at Home, Turkish at State Agencies

While almost 70 percent of the participants said they speak in Kurdish at home, official agencies are the places where speaking in Kurdish is least common, according to the study.

10 February 2020 Evrim Kepenek

Words in Mother Tongues Recorded as 'X' in Parliament Minutes

MOTHER TONGUE DAY SPAT AT PARLIAMENT

Words in Mother Tongues Recorded as 'X' in Parliament Minutes

On the occasion of the Mother Tongue Day, some opposition MPs gave celebration messages in various languages spoken in Turkey. AKP and MHP MPs lashed out at them, saying, "Is this United Nations or what?", "Those are not languages."

22 February 2019

Parliamentary Question Regarding Exclusion of Kurdish from 17-Language Health Card

Parliamentary Question Regarding Exclusion of Kurdish from 17-Language Health Card

Referring to the health cards prepared by a hospital in Elazığ in 17 different languages, HDP MP Semra Güzel has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the issue and asked Minister of Health Koca why Kurdish has been excluded from the cards.

25 January 2019

‘Disciplinary Punishment to Demonstration for Education in Mother Tongue a Violation of Right’

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

‘Disciplinary Punishment to Demonstration for Education in Mother Tongue a Violation of Right’

Giving its judgement regarding two teachers, who were given a disciplinary punishment for attending a march demanding mother tongue based education, Constitutional Court has ruled that their right to assembly and demonstration has been violated.

23 January 2019

Children Banned to Speak in Kurdish

Children Banned to Speak in Kurdish

A writing reading “I will not speak in Kurdish” attached on the wall of an elementary school in Şırnak was photographed by a parent. The HDP has submitted a parliamentary inquiry.

25 October 2017

A Story of Statement of Defense in Kurdish at 22nd Heavy Penal Court

A Story of Statement of Defense in Kurdish at 22nd Heavy Penal Court

Tried for having written an article on speaking in Kurdish in the trial of Özgür Gündem Editorsi-in-Chief on Watch campaign, Kayar in the summary judgement was asked by the chief judge “Why don’t you make your statement of defense in Turkish”.

24 October 2017 Tansu Pişkin

Farsi, Korean, Urdu To be Taught in Schools

Farsi, Korean, Urdu To be Taught in Schools

Ministry of National Education has added Farsi, Korean and Urdu to the list of foreign languages which could be taught in schools.

22 February 2017

#anadilindebarış: Peace in Mother Tongue

MOTHER TONGUE DAY / VIDEO IN 14 LANGUAGES

#anadilindebarış: Peace in Mother Tongue

We have called out “peace!” in Adyghe, Abkhazian, Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Homshetsi, Judaeo Spanish, Kurdish, Lazuri, Ossetic, Romanian, Romaic, Assyrian and Turkish. Because we know that peace is beautiful in every language and much more beautiful when said in every language.

22 February 2016

Demirtaş: Kurds Fighting the State for 100 Years for Their Mother Tongue

Demirtaş: Kurds Fighting the State for 100 Years for Their Mother Tongue

HDP Co-Chair Demirtaş indicated Turkish language had been taught compulsorily and mother tongue based education was still forbidden in reply to Minister of Education’s statement “We teach Kurdish students Turkish well. They learn it in playtime.”

“Education in Mother Tongue Not Political, But Universal Right”

“Education in Mother Tongue Not Political, But Universal Right”

Ahmet Özmen from Diyarbakır Bar Association told bianet that the reservations that Turkey put Convention on the Rights of the Child were related to Kurdish children’s rights. “The removal of these reservations will also alleviate the government,” he said.

20 November 2014 Yüce Yöney

Diyarbakir Court Rejects Testimony in Kurdish

Diyarbakir Court Rejects Testimony in Kurdish

The 6th Diyarbakir High Criminal Court found 40 defendants guilty for being a KCK organization member, ordering prison sentences from six years and three months to seventeen years.

"KCK Case A Peculiar Example on Language Rights"

"KCK Case A Peculiar Example on Language Rights"

The case where more than 2 thousand Kurdish politicians and rights activists are on trial stays stuck as the court refuse to allow the use of Kurdish, the defendants' mother tongue. Lawyer Cinmen criticizes the government.

11 August 2011 Ekin Karaca

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