Crackdown on Kurdish Language and Culture in‌ Turkey

Turkish Police Raid Kurdish Language and Culture Institutions

On ⁣September 24, Turkish police launched a series of raids ​on Kurdish ⁢language and culture institutions in‍ the southeastern province⁣ of Diyarbakır, including the Mesopotamian Language and Culture⁤ Research Society (MED-DER), the Payîz⁣ Book bookshop, and the Anka‍ Language and ⁢Arts‍ Education Cooperative.

The raids ‍were part of an investigation by the Diyarbakır Chief Public ⁣Prosecutor’s Office, which began in 2022 based on evidence from ‌a single witness. Authorities seized magazines, books, newspapers, and computer⁣ hard drives, despite​ lacking seizure orders.

During the raids, police also targeted the homes of several workers ‌associated with the ‌institutions. The 23⁣ detainees ‍were denied‌ access ​to their lawyers ⁣for 24 hours, in accordance with a⁤ confidentiality order imposed on the case.

The MED-DER⁤ building was damaged during the ‍raid,‍ which lasted nearly three hours. No lawyers were ⁢present during the ​search, and​ the door lock was later changed, ⁢with the key handed ​over to ​the local ⁤neighborhood chief.

Backlash and Condemnation

The operation and detentions sparked widespread‌ condemnation, with reports from the Mesopotamia ‍Agency (MA) highlighting ‌the outrage. Mehmet⁢ Şirin Gürbüz, co-chairman of the Diyarbakır branch of the Democratic ⁤Regions‍ Party (DBP),⁤ denounced the ⁢operation as a⁤ continuation of the state’s century-long policies targeting Kurds.

“The ⁤Kurdish community is under ‍attack ​through its language. We must recognize this and speak Kurdish⁣ everywhere, living our lives in Kurdish,” Gürbüz urged, calling on all organizations to respond strongly⁢ to the attacks on ‍the Kurdish language.

Heval Dilbihar, co-spokesman for the Language and Culture Commission of the ​Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), criticized the authorities for failing to officially recognize Kurdish and its culture. Dilbihar noted ​that‍ the⁣ Kurdish language movement‍ has grown in recent years, with a growing awareness of ‌its significance within the Kurdish community.

Serhat Kılıç, co-chairman of the Diyarbakır Education Workers ⁢Union (Eğitim Sen), described ⁣the raid​ as a ⁣clear sign of hostility towards the Kurds​ and the Kurdish language. ⁣”Our language is ⁣our identity, and existence cannot be denied,” ⁣Kılıç said, stressing that they would continue to fight under⁤ the slogan, “Our language is our‍ existence.”

Peri Kaya, an employee of MED-DER, emphasized​ that the aim of the attacks was​ to eradicate Kurdish culture and​ language. Kaya⁣ called on the Kurds to ​continue to speak and ​defend⁢ their language in response to ⁤the attacks.