Since the foundation of the Republic, the oppression and bans against the Kurdish language have never ended. This situation has continued under the AKP, which has ruled the country since 2002. 

Kurdish-language newspapers and TV channels were shut down one by one, while associations and non-governmental organizations that teach in Kurdish were targeted. These bans and restrictions were brought to the agenda again when the Ministry of Interior decided to erase warning signs in Kurdish. Afterwards, associations teaching in Kurdish were also targeted. 

 

On September 24, the Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), Payîz Pirtûk and Anka Language and Art Education Cooperative were raided simultaneously in Amed. In addition, 30 people were detained, including Kurdish language instructors. 29 people were released on judicial control conditions, while Rıfat Roni, former co-chair of MED-DER, was arrested.

 

The bans and restrictions are not limited to these. Kurdish theater and songs have also been banned and prevented recently. The bans and restrictions in the last 7 months alone are as follows: 

 

February 10: The Kurdish theater play Qral û Travis was banned by the district governorship in Agirî/Panos (Patnos) and Dîlok (Antep). The same play was banned by the Şişli District Governorate a few hours before it was to be staged on February 16.

 

February 17: The billboards of the Kurdish posters prepared by DEM Party and DBP for February 21, World Mother Language Day and local elections were banned by the municipality under the trustee administration. 

 

February 17: JINNEWS' Kurdish account “@JinnewsKurmanci” was blocked from access. 

 

February 21: DEM Party MPs wanted to speak in Kurdish in Parliament on February 21, Mother Language Day. However, their microphone was turned off. 

 

February 24: Kurdish artist Kasım Taşdoğan's song “Serhildan jiyan e (Resistance is life)”, which he sang at the Qers Newroz, became the subject of an investigation. 

 

March 9: Adana Governorate banned four artists from the music group Kolektîfa Rîtmên Azad from performing at the March 8 rally organized by the Adana Women's Platform.

 

March 22: Sasa Serap's concert in Mêrdîn was canceled after Wan, Meletî and Kayseri.

 

May 30: The police raided Pîne Cafe on Sanat Street in Amed's (Diyarbakır) Yenişehir district on the grounds that it was serving Kurdish language services.  

 

August 1: 5 people were detained in Amed on the grounds of Kurdish halay.

 

August 2: Medine Kaymaz's phone call with her son Bayram Kaymaz, a prisoner of 30 years in Tekirdağ Type F Closed Prison, was cut off because she was speaking Kurdish. 

 

August 6: Hivda Kahraman, one of the 5 people detained for dancing the halay to Kurdish music at a wedding in Osmaniye, was arrested.

 

August 7: Prisoners in Şırnak Type T Closed Prison reported that the prison administration banned speaking Kurdish in phone calls. 

 

August 10: 4 young people quit their jobs after being banned from speaking Kurdish while working at a company in Bodrum. 

 

August 28: 31 prisoners in Şakran Women's Closed Prison were given a one-month communication and visit ban for singing and chanting slogans in Kurdish.

 

August 31: A Kurdish book draft written by musician Erkan Benli and Yaşar Kemal's books translated into Kurdish were seized from Giresun Espiye Type L Closed Prison.

 

July 24: In Mersin, 9 people were detained while dancing a halay to Kurdish songs on the beach. The detained young people were made to listen to the song “Ölürüm Türkiyem (I’ll die for you my Turkey)” in the police vehicle.

 

July 26: “Pêşî Peya /First Pedestrian” Kurdish warning signs written by Wan Metropolitan Municipality on streets with high pedestrian traffic were removed. “Turkey is Turkish and will remain Turkish” was written on them. The same practice was implemented in many Kurdish cities. 

 

July 27-30: 6 women who were dancing the halay at a wedding in Sêrt were detained on the grounds of “making illegal organization propaganda” after the footage was shared on virtual media. In Istanbul, 18 people were detained for taking the halay with Kurdish songs at weddings at different times. 11 of them were arrested. 

 

September 24: MED-DER, Payîz Pirtûk and Anka Language and Art Education Cooperative were raided simultaneously.

 

September 30: Koma Hevra members who performed at an event organized by Amed Metropolitan Municipality in Şêx Seîd Square were detained for singing Kurdish songs. 

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut