VAN - Women, who were forced to migrate as a result of the policies of the 90s, continue to live their language and culture despite the obstacles and assimilation.

 

Under the leading of Celadet Alî Bedirxan, the Kurdish journal Hawar started its publication life on May 15, 1932 in the city of Damascus. May 15th is celebrated as the Kurdish Language Feast every year for the journal, which has a historical significance as it is the first Kurdish journal published in the Latin alphabet and contributes to the development of the Kurdish language and literature.

The policies of oppression, denial and assimilation towards the Kurdish language continue. Especially in Turkey, new obstacles against the use of Kurdish as a public and educational language are added almost every day.

 

‘The best Kurd is a dead Kurd’

 

While it was seen that the approach of the government towards the Kurds also shaped its policies towards Kurdish, in the hearing about the killing of Musa Anter, former intelligence agent Hüseyin Özbilgin, who was tried for "illegal listening" said that "A young man was dying on the ground. Our friends said that let him die if he dies, the best Kurd is a dead Kurd."

 

Kurdish speaking blocked

 

In the 90s, when the dosage of racist attitudes towards Kurds increased, we faced the imposition of the village guard system, the banning of Kurdish tapes, books, newspapers, and interference with national clothes. During this process, thousands of Kurds were arrested and sent to prisons, speaking Kurdish in their interviews was prevented. The effects of all these experiences continue today.

 

Kurdish was recorded as an ‘unknown language’

 

The repression of the Kurds continued with the operations carried out in 2009 and the arrest of Kurdish politicians. While the politicians' speaking Kurdish in their defenses was mentioned in the minutes as an "unknown language", the government's approach to the Kurdish language was once again revealed.

 

Kurdish has been the target of AKP for 20 years

 

It is seen that the policy of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which started with "my Kurdish brothers" during its 20-year rule, continued its policies of destruction and denial with a "special war" in the following processes. It was no coincidence that TRT 6, which started broadcasting in Kurdish as the first channel broadcasting in different languages and dialects on January 1, 2009, was changed as “TRT Kurdî” by the AKP government in 2015. Again, in the field of education, "Come on girls to school", the education system was changed to 4 + 4 + 4, and it was revealed with many data that it was aimed for children to learn Turkish, the only language of instruction, at an early age.

 

‘Multilingual life’ was shut down

 

Particularly in 2014, it was a big deal and aroused interest to hang Kurdish signs in the cities where the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) was elected, the names of people who have an important place in Kurdish Language and Literature to be given to the streets and parks, and the opening of Kurdish kindergartens in cities where 90 percent of the population is Kurdish. attracted attention. However, one of the first fields of work of the trustees appointed by the government to hundreds of DBP municipalities in 2016 was the attack policies against the Kurdish language. Aiming at the ‘multilingual life’ implemented by DBP members in the municipality building; While many signs were downloaded in Kurdish, which was given to parks, streets, avenues and villages, and only Turkish names were given, the activities of the kindergartens providing education in Kurdish were stopped or closed.

 

Migrated in the 90’s

 

Besna Çiçek, who settled in the Süphan Neighborhood of Edremit district of Van, one of the regional cities, due to immigration policies in the 90's, told our agency that they lived as a living witness of denial and assimilation policies.

 

Will to her children: Speak Kurdish

 

Besna, who was forced to emigrate from the Memedalan village of the Çatak district, said: "I have been wearing kiras-fistan for as long as I can remember. I speak Kurdish. I bequest that Kurdish be spoken to my children and grandchildren. God created us as Kurd. I speak the language of my mother and father, and I live the way they taught us. Every woman should teach her mother tongue to her children. To my brides either; I say speak in Kurdish."

 

‘We speak and teach our language’

 

Behiye Komi says that everyone in the neighborhood speaks their mother tongue, Kurdish. Stating that she could not speak her language when she went to the hospital due to health problems, Behiye said: "Most of the doctors now speak Kurdish. Because I do not speak any other language, they try to understand me. We speak and teach both our traditions and customs."

 

‘We must speak in every field to keep Kurdish alive’

 

 Rafiye Tekel, emphasizing the necessity of speaking Kurdish in public institutions, demands that the bans on language be lifted. Expressing that they want to go to their villages and settle again, Rafiye said: "We came from our villages, we want to go to our villages again. Only Turkish is taught to children at school. Their own language is made to be forgotten. We can only deal with this if we speak more of our own language. We can keep our language alive."