Inquiry Against Kurdish Thank You

DEHAP head Tuncer Bakirhan testified for saying goodbye and thank you in Kurdish after a speech at an election rally. It is not yet clear if he will stand trial.

Bia news center - Ankara

19-05-2004

Tuncer Bakirhan, president of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP), testified for saying "Xatirê we," (Goodbye in Kurdish) and Sipas dikim (Thank you in Kurdish) after a speech he delivered in Nusaybin during an elections rally.

It is not yet clear whether he will stand trial.

The Nusaybin prosecutor's office said Bakirhan had violated article 81/C of Law No: 2820 on Political Parties by speaking in Kurdish in a speech on March 26 and asked for a defense.

The prosecutor's office, on April 9, had sent a letter to the Ankara republic prosecutor's office saying Bakirhan had acted against the provision which states "no other language than Turkish may be used."

Bakirhan, who spoke in Turkish in his election rally, had thanked the Kurds who attended the rally and said goodbye to them in Kurdish. (EO/BB/EA/YE)

Homepage | Return top

| Print

| Send to..

This website is published within the framework of "Journalism for Rights, Rights for Journalists" -dubbed as BİA3 - project implemented by the IPS Communication Foundation with the financial assistance of the Swedish International development Agency (SIDA). International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) has also contributed to the website's upgrading costs. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of IPS Communication Foundation and under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the EU and SIDA and IFEX.