Quoting AlphaF: DILARA,
You are right when you say people should have knowledge about a subject, before they feel qualified to express opinions on it..
My own experience with Kurds is that most of them are very nice people too.
What you must understand however, is that Republic of Turkey contains many other ethnic groups other than Turks and Kurds...The number probably runs above 20, an no government offers schools to fit the needs of all exinting etnic groups in a country.There is no ban on Kurdish in Turkia: Your nice Kurdish friend however is misleading you . What he should tell you is that the official language of the state, by constitution, is Turkish, and that the state schools offer education in other ethnic languages (no Kurdish, no Lezgi, no Greek, no Armenian...etc). But talking your own language within your family, friends, printing your paper in your language, making music in your language etc. is free.
The same rule applies when citizens have to deal with the state, say in courts..trials are held in Turkish, but state provides citizens who can not express themselves in Turkish, free translators. After 85 year into this new republic, I think Kurds are the only ethnic groups who still needs this assistance. (founders of the republic had peacemeal remnants of an Empire in thir hands (as people), they figured a common official language between all (Turkish because Turks had the largest numbers) would be a better tie, than 26 different private languages...towards forming one united nation)
It is however free for members of all different etnic groups to set up their own schools under government control and help their youngsters learn their mother tongue and inherit their own etnic culture. Some etnic groups like Greeks and Armenians have schools of their own, if they chose to attend. Kurds have also started their own TV brodcasts and language schools, but are now closing them down because there is no popular demand for such institutions; they are commercially unfeasible.
Turkey has no problems with other etnic groups (citizens) in Turkey, least of all the Kurds. No average Turk is dumb enough to wish condemn any Kurds to miserable lives.(you must realize most of the Kurds are moslems, and there has been extensive intermarriage for years betwwen Kurds and Turks: almost any Turk has a Kurdish relative by marriage or vica versa. How can a Turk normally discriminate Kurds, if he has two Kurdish duughter-in-laws and a dozen half breed grandsons? ..or vica versa. Ok there may be some old laws that has to be changed or improved, but even the hottest Kurdish fanatic can not deny that state is genuinly working towards more democracy, human rights, better distribution of wealth etc...not only for Kurds but for all citizens.
Democracy is freedom, yes.
But if and when some members of this emerging democracy decide to use the freedom of democracy to separate a part of the common motherland and rule it independently, or fancy taking up a part of the motherland and sharing it with ethnic brothers of a different country....democracy has the right to defend herself, she is not helpless...
You now have a different opinion on the issue...Pls check the correctness of my slightly too long statement with your nice friend...see where he disagrees, ok?
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