Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayors Serra Bucak and Doğan Hatun attended the statement made in support of the demand for education in the mother tongue. Emphasising the importance of mother tongue education in her remarks, Co-Mayor Bucak stated that providing education in the mother tongue, from nurseries to universities, is among the most legitimate rights for a democratic system and an honourable peace.

On the first day of the new academic year, Eğitim Sen, the Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), and non-governmental organisations in the city held a press statement in front of the Provincial Directorate of National Education in Kayapınar district to demand education in the mother tongue. Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayors Serra Bucak and Doğan Hatun, People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Provincial Co-Chairs Abbas Şahin and Gülşen Özer, district municipality co-mayors and representatives of non-governmental organisations attended the statement.

The statement underlined that all citizens should speak with their children in their mother tongue and that the language should be kept alive in all public spaces.

Co-Mayor Bucak: It is Necessary to Speak the Truth Out Loud

In her speech at the statement, Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak drew attention to the century-long struggle of the Kurdish people for their language, saying:

“Of course, we are going through a very important and historic process. We are at a very significant stage, both socially and politically, of the Kurdish people’s century-long struggle, and once again we are in the midst of talking about a peace process. For teachers and children starting the new school year today, it is necessary to express this truth more loudly. For a hundred years, we have not been assimilated despite assimilation policies. We learned our language in the cities and today we must develop it in every field, from cinema to literature, from art to politics. We have a language that is as sacred as all the languages of the world. The demand of the Kurdish people for education in their mother tongue is their most legitimate right.”

Highlighting the contribution of children’s education in their mother tongue to both their pedagogical development and the wider social process, Co-Mayor Bucak added:

“They may have given up, but we know very well that an honourable peace can only be achieved through respect for each other’s rights and justice.”

‘Let us illuminate this path together’

Emphasising the importance of education in the mother tongue from nurseries to universities for a democratic education system and an honourable peace, Co-Mayor Bucak said:

“The legacy of those who pioneered the development of this language continues to light our way today. Let us illuminate the path of Turkey as a whole with the tolerance we show towards Kurdish.”