Education in Kurdish language seems unlikely in Turkey

Turkey's Parliamentary Research Center conducted a study on all official languages spoken in other parliaments around the world. Allowing citizens to speak and learn their native languages has been one of most significant issues of debate in Turkey for the last 30 years.

Reforms implemented over the course of the last six years as part of efforts to meet European Union standards gave citizens limited rights to education and broadcasting in Kurdish. Universities in both Mardin and Diyarbakır have already decided to set up Kurdology departments. Prisoners have been allowed to converse in their native language, and the Religious Affairs Directorate is currently preparing a Kurdish translation of the Holy Quran. But are these efforts enough to resolve the native language problem?

Many Kurdish intellectuals, especially DTP deputies, argue that these efforts are not enough and demand that the government allow the Kurdish language to be used in public education as well. Under these circumstances, the most critical question is whether Turkey will grant Kurds the right to learn in their native language. When the Parliamentary Research Center began searching for an answer to this question, it realized that a fairly difficult and long process was ahead for Turkey. It carefully examined the policies in EU member countries and tried to figure out the steps that could be taken with respect to offering education in Kurdish. According to the research, the best and most feasible option is to offer Kurdish language classes as electives. All other proposals are likely to be disapproved in Turkey.

Kurdish groups have held a number of demonstrations demanding the government grant them the right to public education in Kurdish.  Being a minority in Turkey According to the Treaty of Lausanne and the friendship treaty signed with Bulgaria, minorities include non-Muslim Greeks, Armenians and Jews. All other ethnic groups are considered primary components. The law on private educational institutions allows Greeks, Armenians and Jews to open minority schools. Different rights have been granted to minorities and ethnic groups since Turkey began making reforms as part of its efforts to meet EU standards. Rights on the freedom of expression and thought were expanded, and citizens were granted the right to speak and broadcast in different languages, dialects and accents. Requirements for setting up associations were eased for minorities and groups that speak different languages and dialects. Private classes and television and radio programs have been started in a number of native minority languages. A state-owned television station began broadcasting in Kurdish earlier this year. The conditions that need to be met for foundations owned by non-Muslims to buy property were eased, requiring approval from the General Directorate of Foundations instead of the Cabinet. Foundation members are allowed to use foreign languages in international meetings and non-official correspondence. Groups that speak different languages and dialects are allowed to give their children non-Turkish names.

International documents and reports on minorities and education in native languages of minorities were examined by the Parliamentary Research Center. More attention was placed on EU and Council of Europe legislation on protecting minority rights due to its relevance to Turkey. According to the center's findings, it seems unlikely that Kurdish will be used to teach in public education due to Turkey's reservation to Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Turkey is hesitant about this article because of Articles 3 and 42 of the Constitution, which state that the official language of the state is Turkish and that no other language other than Turkish can be taught to Turkish citizens in any educational institution.

Another agreement Turkey made reservations to is the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was signed on Aug. 15, 2000 and became effective on Sept. 23, 2003. Turkey was hesitant about ratifying the covenant in accordance with the relevant provisions and rules of the July 24, 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and its appendices. Turkey bases its minority policies on the Treaty of Lausanne, which only recognizes Christians, Jews and Armenians as minorities. No other ethnic groups are considered minorities.

Turkey also made a reservation to Protocol No. 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the grounds that it was in conflict with the law on the unification of education. Turkey will not be able to ensure education in native language of minorities until it removes its reservations to these three international agreements. Even if these agreements are ratified, the articles in the Constitution that serve as the basis for these reservations much be changed. It is for these reasons that it is very difficult for languages other than Turkish to be used in education.

The Parliamentary Research Center made interesting findings on the education situation in EU member countries. Below is a description of minority native language rights in European countries.

France: Although France ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 1999, it made a reservation that the agreement did not mean that it recognized national minorities. While France recognizes differences on an individual level in practice, there is only one television channel that broadcasts in English and a few radio stations that broadcast at most 40-minute programs in other languages each day. Local languages are taught in both public and private schools starting from kindergarten all the way up to college. English, Basque, Catalan, Occitan and Corsican are offered as elective classes in schools.

Germany: While Germany has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, it has declared that the only four national minority groups in Germany are the Danes, Sorbians, Frisians and the Sinti and Roma of German citizenship. Within the scope of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, citizens have the right to learn Northern Frisian, Saterfrisian, Low German and the Roma language. But it is up to local administrations to exercise this right. Minority groups have the right to both speak and write in their native languages in their private life as well as in public. There is no restriction in German laws on education in native languages or broadcasting or printing in native languages. The Danish minority have their own schools.

England: A supporter of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, England does not have any laws on the rights of ethnic, religious and cultural minorities. Ethnic and cultural minorities have the right to broadcast in their native language and open private schools.

Italy: Italy has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. It has signed but not ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The official language is Italian; however, popular minority languages are Albanian, Catalan, German, Greek, Slavic languages, French, southeastern and Provencal French, Ladino, Friulian and Sardinian. These minority groups are allowed to preserve their languages and cultures. In predominantly minority areas, official documents are prepared both in Italian and the minority language; however, only the Italian version is considered valid. Broadcasting in minority languages is allowed. Upon request, minority languages are taught to children in addition to Italian in primary education. General rules are set by the Italian National Education Ministry.

Spain: Spain has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. According to the Constitution drafted in 1978, there are 17 autonomous regions in the country. Each autonomous region has its own local assembly. Local administrations have jurisdiction over issues related to the environment, transportation, forestry, economy, health, public assistance, tourism, entertainment, police services and culture. Although the official language is Spanish, minority languages are respected, protected and regarded as cultural assets. The native language of the region is used in public education and broadcasts in Catalonia, Basque and Galicia, and in all autonomous regions, citizens are allowed to freely speak in their native languages.

Greece: Greece has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. While the rights of the Turkish Muslim minority were determined in the Treaty of Lausanne, the government allows citizens to give Turkish names to their children, but does not allow predominantly Turkish areas to be named in Turkish. There are no laws that require broadcasts to be strictly in Greek; however, broadcasts in other languages must use the Greek language for at least 25 percent of the program. The proper use of the Greek language and subtitles is required in broadcasts. There are no Greek television channels that broadcast in any foreign language. In western Thrace, Turkish language classes are offered in 230 primary schools and high schools. Although according to agreements the Turkish minority has the right to set up educational institutions, in Greece they are not allowed to open any new educational institutions.

Portugal: Although Portugal has signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, it does not support the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. There are no ethnic or cultural minorities in Portugal aside from Gypsies. While the cultural rights of Gypsies are respected, they do not have any minority rights.

Sweden: Sweden has signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Minority rights are protected by the Constitution. National minorities are Jews, Roma, Sami, Swedish Finns and Tornedalians. While the languages of Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli (Tornedalian Finnish) are considered minority and regional languages, Yiddish and Romani are considered non-territorial minority languages. Minorities enjoy every right granted by international law.

Denmark: Denmark has signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The German minority enjoy every kind of lingual, educational, religious and cultural rights. They even receive funding from the national budget for education.

Austria: Austria supports the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. While the official language is German, all other minority languages are protected. Slovenes, Croats, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks and the Roma are the national minorities. The native languages of minorities are considered the official language along with German. In areas dominated by minorities, public schools provide education in the native languages of the minorities.

The Netherlands: It has ratified both the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. There are no restrictions in Dutch law on the ethnic, religious and cultural rights of minorities. With the law on teaching existing foreign languages that was implemented in 1997, education in the native language of minorities was excluded from the curriculum but based on election.

Slovakia: Slovakia ratified both the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The terms “national minorities” and “ethnic groups” are used in the Constitution. The Constitution ensures these groups the right to develop their cultural heritage with citizens of the same origin, obtain information in their native languages, broadcast in their native language and set up their own cultural and educational institutions.

Bulgaria: While Bulgaria has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, it has not signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. According to the Constitution, citizens of Bulgaria whose native language is not Bulgarian have the right to learn and use their native language. The laws state conditions under which the official Bulgarian language is the only valid language.