It Hurts to Pay to Learn your Mother Tongue

Turkey's parliament last month, legalized education and broadcasts in Kurdish as part of a series of reforms aimed at improving the country's chances in its European Union bid. The 14-point reform package legalized TV and radio broadcasts in Kurdish and allowed Kurdish to be taught in special private courses.

However, the people in Diyarbakir, an overwhelmingly Kurdish province in southeastern Turkey, do not want to pay to learn their mother tongue. They criticize the fact that Kurdish will only be taught in private courses, and argue that the state has to "teach Kurdish" in public schools.

"It hurts to pay to learn your mother tongue"

Abdullah (tradesman): It is painful to have to pay to learn your own language. But even if Kurdish was taught in public schools, I believe the content would be futile anyway. The Kurds are not a small minority in this country. They are a huge people with a population of millions. I want Kurds to recognize their problems and pressure the state into solving them.

Nihat (student): It is very nice for people to be able to get education in their own language. They had been struggling for this and other similar problems for years. Lifting the ban on Kurdish education is a first step. All Kurds should support this. I believe that a mass pressure on the state would bring along wider steps.

Nazlican (student): I am against such an education system and such a mentality. Private Kurdish courses should not have been the end result of years'-long of struggle and all the price paid. I want to be able to learn Kurdish at school just like I learned Turkish. These problems should be solved practically and not only remain as theoretical discussions.

"State is deluding people"

Seda (student): This decision was right as a first step. I believe that Kurdish classes will be available in public schools too after a while. The public schools are not ready for Kurdish education in terms of infrastructure anyway.

Ahmet (unemployed): If Kurdish were a foreign language, as German or English, it would be logical to pay to learn it. But it is very irrational to pay to learn one's mother tongue. Kurds should use their own language in every aspect of their lives and thus make it legitimate. They should react to this implementation. The EU cannot solve this problem. Kurds should have the willpower.

Hasan (retired): This decision is only deluding Kurds. We talk in our mother tongue between ourselves anyway. I want Kurdish to be under state's assurance. Everybody should be responsive so that Kurdish education becomes available in public schools. They should not remain as bystanders.

Kadir (worker): We cannot pay to learn our mother tongue at a time when we don't even have money for food. The state is trying to sell everything to people. And then, as everybody has seen, gangs steal that money. I strongly oppose this. (NK/BB/EA/NM)