U.S. English Foundation Research
TURKEY
Language Research
3. Language issues: Where does one observe language to be a problem in the country?
The Constitution does not recognize the Kurds as a national, racial, or ethnic minority, although they are in fact the country's largest ethnic and linguistic minority. There are no legal barriers to ethnic Kurds' participation in political and economic affairs, and many Members of Parliament and senior officials and professionals are Kurds. However, Kurds who publicly or politically assert their Kurdish identity or publicly espouse the use of Kurdish in the public domain, including a Parliamentarian who listed “Kurdish” as one of his foreign languages, risk public censure, harassment, or prosecution.
Kurds who are long-term residents in industrialized cities in western Turkey were in many cases assimilated into the political, economic, and social life of the nation, and much intermarriage has occurred over many generations. Kurds currently migrating westward (including those displaced by the conflict in the southeast) bring with them their culture and village identity, but often little education and few skills.
The Ministry of Education tightly controls the curriculum in schools with the exception of foreign-language schools, which are not part of the Turkish system. The small numbers of Greek-language students have little opportunity to continue their education in Turkey, and consequently many go to Greece, often never to return.
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Updated (December 2007)
CALL ON TURKEY TO PERMIT LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO USE LANGUAGE OTHER THAN TURKISH IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The Council's Chamber of Local Authorities calls on Turkey to permit municipal councils to use languages other than Turkish in the provision of public services.
Their call comes as a result of a debate on local democracy in Turkey, particularly in the light of the situation of mayors and municipal councils in southeastern Anatolia who often face judicial persecution, mostly due to the use of the Kurdish language in public affairs. Both mayors who were removed from their office earlier this year took part in the debate. The representatives of the Turkish Government and the Justice and Development Party, who were also invited, failed to attend.
The Chamber recommended Turkey reform the Municipality Law to allow mayors and municipal councils to take “political” decisions without fear of proceedings being launched against them. Furthermore, they called on Turkey to sign and ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as well as the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Source: The Turkish Daily, News, November 22, 2007 http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=89225
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