Ay - English "I"

la - like "lu" in lumber

Thank you for the clarification. 

Traditionally you missed the point of my post and what I was responding to.

The answer that I was hoping for on your part, was: I really do not know anything about the West and I use words without fully understanding their meaning.

Good thing I didn´t hold my breath.

P.S. I´d be happy to get educated by you on Turkey, but for some reason your posts are never abundant in information, only emotionally charged name calling.

All this proves is that you don´t know what you´re talking about. People in western countries are free to learn and use their language, even though the mainstream education is conducted in the official language of the country, as I think it should.

Just as an example, in Chicago, both Polish and Turkish children (and I´m sure other nationalities as well) can go to weekend schools conducted in their own language (that are separate from mainstream schools). They can go to bookstores and purchase books and magazines in their language. In my library there are books in Polish, Spanish, Korean, some of the languages of India, and I think Arabic. You can go to stores where the staff doesn´t speak English and you can talk to the staff in your own language. You can listen to radio stations in some languages, there are tv programs catered to different nationalities. Different nationalities can celebrate their culture - for example I went to a festival of Turkic cultures last month and might go to the Taste of Polonia this weekend. Many nationalities can go to religious services in their languages. They can open cultural centers that cater to specific ethnic/cultural groups. They can go to restaurants with specific cuisines. Many places provide translating services - for example where I work if a client doesn´t speak English we will pay for the translator or will find a provider that speaks the client´s language.

What can Kurds do in their language in Turkey? How can they celebrate their culture?

You´re the sunshine illuminating my dark nights.

In the first sentence I would add - ki to Instanbul´da and change güzel to büyük (for big).

Istanbul´daki büyük bir maðazadan yeni halýmý aldým.

The 2nd sentence I would just flip the order of the words:

Kuzenim iðneden korkmuyor.

Subject (cousin) - Object (of shots) - Verb (is not afraid)

(Learner)

My try:

Merhaba. Nasýlsýn? Doðru hatýrlýyorsam sen Apos´un en büyük oðlusun, deðil mi? Beni tanýmýyorsun ama ben babaný tanýyorum. Ben Alis´in eski eþiyim. Üç sene önce evini ziyaret ettim. Herkes nasýl? Umarým, baban ve annen iyi. Benden onlar ve Hasan´a selam söyle lütfen. Kendine iyi bak.

(Learner, corrections may be needed)

Yalnýz mýsýn?

Orada yalnýz mýsýn?

Hasan senin yanýnda?

O nerede?

(Learner)

Hmmm, maybe I should demand education in Polish in the USA?  Or the 50 million Spanish speakers should demand education in Spanish? Too bad the English language is the de facto official language, life would be so much easier for us immigrants if we didn´t have to learn it! Life is so unfair.

Ok, I´m being facetious. I do understand the situation of Kurds and immigrants in the USA is not even remotly comparable and I do sympathize with their plight. I´m 100% behind every person´s right to speak their native language freely. I just don´t feel that mainstream education should be conducted in languages other than the official one (except for language courses of course). The article mentions somebody who went to school I think without being able to speak Turkish. The article mentions the trauma caused by the language barrier. There are many people here who have difficulties communicating in English (many a times by choice) as well and that causes them to have difficulties conducting day to day business, unless they only conduct business with people who speak their language or they have the option to "press 9 for Spanish" (interestingly, other languages are not an option). The lack of ability to speak English contributes to their separation from the mainstream culture and is incredibly limiting. I don´t think it would be a good idea for various ethnic groups/nationalities to deepen the divide by creating mainstream schools where classes would be conducted in their own languages (and thus creating an environment when the use of the official language is not necessary - for many immigrants in the US, the school is the only place where the children can speak and learn English as their parents´ language is the one spoken exclusively at home).

So, the right to speak one´s language and the right to learn one´s language (in language classes or in private schools) - yes.

Changing the language of mainstream schools to accomodate minority groups - no.

That´s just my opinion.

I´m not advanced either. But hey, we don´t learn if we don´t try, right?

I delight in my suckiness and mistakemakingness .