PM Barzani congratulates the people of the Kurdistan Region on International Mother Language Day

"In addition to paying attention to the Kurdish language, the languages of other ethnic components in the Kurdistan Region should also be protected."
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Prime Minister Masrour Barzani congratulated the people of the Kurdistan Region for International Mother Language Day on Monday. 

"On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, I extend my warmest congratulations and blessings to all Kurdistanis and all the ethnicities and components of Kurdistan," read the prime minister's statement. "Our language, we Kurdistanis, is the important factor in our survival, which should be of interest to us."

In his statement, Barzani underlined that protecting the Kurdish language is an essential duty and responsibility of the family, society, and government institutions.

"Although the Kurdish language is the official language in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, according to the permanent Iraqi constitution, it, unfortunately, did not receive the necessary attention at the level of Iraq and even in the Kurdistan Region, and for this, we look forward to upgrading it and achieving further progress in this field," read the statement. 

"Hence, we call on the relevant cultural, scientific, and academic institutions in the Kurdistan Region to carry out their duties to the fullest by addressing any defect or shortcoming in the field of linguistics and giving language more attention," he added. 

Barzani also emphasized that in addition to paying attention to the Kurdish language, the languages of other ethnic components in the Kurdistan Region should also be protected.

The Kurdistan Region's official languages are Kurdish and Arabic. Besides Kurdish, Arabic is also widely spoken or understood among the people of the Kurdistan Region.

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, and Turkmen are also spoken by their respective communities in the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government promotes linguistic diversity and rights, and schools have been established that teach mainly in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, Turkmen, and Arabic.

"The Kurdistan Regional Government will spare no effort to provide all forms of coordination and cooperation in this regard," he said

Describing International Mother Language Day as an important occasion, Barzani went on to say that he considers it is "necessary to salute and remember the honorable intellectuals, professors, and all loved ones who play a prominent role in protecting the Kurdish language, caring for it, teaching it, and making it flourish."

"Congratulations to all on International Mother Language Day."