MERSIN - Stating that children who cannot receive education in their mother tongue are at a disadvantage in schools and cannot access their right to education in a healthy way, Dr. Nevruz Uğur said: “The mother tongue of 70 percent of the children who drop out of schools is different from the language of education."

 

Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) Mersin Branch organized a panel titled "Past, Present, Future of Kurdish Literature and the Issue of Education in Mother Tongue" on the occasion of February 21, World Mother Language Day. While many people attended the panel held at the Eğitim Sen Branch building, the banner "21 February World Mother Language Day Let's Get Boxed" was hung.

 

'KURDISH IS EXPOSED TO LANGUAGE LOSS'

 

The first educator to speak in the panel was Dr. Nevruz Uğur summarized the language approach in the regions occupied by imperialist and occupying forces in history. Drawing attention to the issues experienced by a child who cannot access education in the native language, Uğur said: “When you cannot receive education in your native language, schools become places where your language is not spoken, you cannot access education, and you are exposed to inequality and discrimination. The mother tongue of 70 percent of school dropout children is different from the language of education. Thus, when they cannot access education, they cannot achieve academic success or a better life. When you are educated in their native language at school, that is where they want to be. Children get a place where they see different cultures, is more qualified and more successful.” Pointing out that there are approximately 30 native languages in Turkey, Uğur stated that Turkey's policy was shaped on a single language. Emphasizing that after 1999, we entered a process in which both bans and reforms were intertwined, Uğur said: "We see that Kurdish has suffered a great language loss between generations."

 

'KURDS HAVE POETS'

 

Then, Educator and Writer Reşat Özkaplan touched upon the effects of Kurdish literature on divan literature and said: “Kurds also have over a hundred poets. However, unfortunately, during the republic period, a selection effort was made and Kurdish books and works were burned and destroyed in libraries. At one point, it was asked whether Fuzuli was a Kurd or not. The reason is this: In a public library in Diyarbakır, there was a Kurdish poetry book with Fuzuli written on it. Apparently, during these burning periods, the library director wrote 'Fuzuli' on a Kurdish book so that it would not be burned.”

 

'3 THOUSAND 295 BOOKS WERE PUBLISHED IN 15 YEARS'

 

“Does Kurdish literature have a history?” Educator-Writer Hüseyin Deniz, who started his speech by saying, reminded that Kurdish Literature constantly experiences coups and exiles. Stating that with the development of technology, Kurds started broadcasting and Kurdish books started to arrive from abroad, Deniz continued as follows: "Although there was a relief in the 2002 European Union process, the goal was still not achieved. Although Kurdish courses were opened with the reform in 2013, they were closed for minor reasons. But the Kurds did not remain idle. The establishment of the Mesopotamia Cultural Center and the gathering of Kurds in provinces outside Kurdistan were important. According to Diyarname statistics, 3 thousand 295 Kurdish books were published in the last 15 years."