Category: Language

Turkey: 29-year-old Kurdish journalist charged with terrorist propaganda

Posted on by Naila Bozo

Zozan Yasar, a 29-year-old Kurdish journalist residing in the UK, has been charged by Turkey with disseminating terrorist propaganda. The Turkish Prosecution Services have raised charges against Ms. Yasar, alleging that she has been doing propaganda on behalf of the …

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Posted in Activism, Discrimination, Free speech, Journalists, Language, Suppression, Turkey, Women | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Turkey: 29-year-old Kurdish journalist charged with terrorist propaganda

Kurdish teacher detained by Iran: Freedom for Zara Mohammedi

Posted on by Alliance for Kurdish Rights

Zara Mohammedi, a 27-year-old Kurdish teacher, was arrested on May 23rd, 2019 by Iranian authorities for teaching Kurdish children to speak and read in their mother tongue. She was arrested alongside two other teachers, Idris Menbari and Rebwar Menbari; they …

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Turkish Police Attack Kurds Protesting Closure of School

Posted on by Naila Bozo

When Turkey’s ruling party AKP announced its “democratic package” that among other things included reforms meant to address Kurdish calls for greater rights, some people expressed hope in this promise while others, especially Kurds, remained skeptical. AKP and its supporters …

Posted in Culture, Discrimination, Kurdistan, Language, Protests, Turkey, Violence, Youth | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Turkish Police Attack Kurds Protesting Closure of School

What peace process, Erdogan and Barzanî?

Posted on by Naila Bozo

On November 16, Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, uttered the word “Kurdistan” in public when he was giving a speech in the Kurdish city of Amed, its official name being Diyarbakir after order from Atatürk in 1937, the …

Posted in Discrimination, Free speech, Hunger Strikes, Kurdistan, Language, Political Prisoners, Protests, Torture, Trials, Turkey, Youth | Comments Off on What peace process, Erdogan and Barzanî?

Decriminalisation of Kurdish singing in Turkey

Posted on by Ruwayda Mustafah Rabar

Ahmet Kaya was born in the autumn of 1957 in Malatya. Soon after the 1970 coup in Turkey, Ahmet’s family immigrated to Istanbul in hope of better job opportunities. His interest in singing at an early age was noticed by …

Posted in Activism, Kurdistan, Language, Trials, Turkey | 1 Comment

Turkish PM Erdoğan: “We don’t have a plan for providing education in Kurdish!”

Posted on by Alliance for Kurdish Rights

Amid the discussions on to what extent the “package” that the government is to announce to resolve the Kurdish issue will make way for democratization, PM Erdoğan said that they do not have a plan for regulating education in the …

Posted in Language, Reports, Turkey | 1 Comment

Perwas Hussein: the challenges of a Kurdish singer on Arab Idol

Posted on by Suzan Boulad (Syria)

Last night’s episode of Arab Idol brought more than flashy dresses and big voices to the stage. As the number of contestants dwindles down and each singer can taste victory, one Kurdish woman by the name of Perwas Hussein wowed …

Posted in Culture, Discrimination, Iraq, Language, Media | 4 Comments

Making Turkey work with the Kurds: the Canadian example

Posted on by Mohammad Shirdel

The government of Turkey has recently engaged in new rounds of dialogue and negotiation with their Kurdish population. However, in order for these talks to result in some sort of tangible gains for their systemically marginalized and suppressed Kurdish population, …

Posted in BDP, Discrimination, Language, Turkey | Comments Off on Making Turkey work with the Kurds: the Canadian example