HEZKURD Urges Extension for Kurdish Lesson Registration Amid Rising Demand
HEZKURD President Subhi Özgen told Kurdistan24 that he had asked officials to prolong the deadline until March 2, emphasizing that most parents were still unaware of the procedures.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdish Language Movement Association (aka HEZKURD) announced that its members remained stationed outside schools and in public squares until the final day of applications for Kurdish language lessons in Northern Kurdistan (southeastern Turkey), aiming to ensure that students and parents were aware of enrollment opportunities.
According to the organization, many families had not been informed about the availability of Kurdish classes in several schools, citing shortcomings in the application process. As a result, HEZKURD formally requested that the Ministry of National Education of Turkey extend the registration deadline.
HEZKURD President Subhi Özgen told Kurdistan24 that he had asked officials to prolong the deadline until March 2, emphasizing that most parents were still unaware of the procedures.
During outreach activities, Kurdish artists joined volunteers in public squares, performing songs to encourage participation and promote mother-tongue education. One performer, Mohammed Serhad, said he urged students to study in their native language, stressing the cultural importance of Kurdish education.
In the afternoon, volunteers gathered at school entrances to distribute application forms directly to students and parents. Many families reported that they only learned about the lessons through these efforts rather than from school administrations, expressing frustration and calling for better communication. “We want our children to study in Kurdish,” several parents said.
In Turkey, Kurdish language subjects are offered as elective courses in primary and secondary schools. Demand has increased steadily in recent years, with roughly 60,000 students applying for Kurdish classes last year across the country and Kurdish-majority regions.
On February 9, DILKURD Executive Director Mehmet Salih Ozturk told Kurdistan24 that the desire to learn Kurdish has increased by 60%, particularly as children express a wish to learn their mother tongue and families strive to teach them in Kurdish.