Peace Mothers Condemn Ban on Kurdish Language in Turkish Parliament Hearings
Peace Mothers condemn Turkish parliament's ban on Kurdish language during hearings, demand official status for Kurdish. The group urges Kurdish families to speak their mother tongue daily to preserve it.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Peace Mothers (Dayîkên Aştiyê) denounced the restriction placed on their right to speak Kurdish during hearings of Turkey’s Parliamentary Commission on National Unity, Fraternity, and Democracy, declaring that all forms of pressure and obstacles against the Kurdish language must be lifted.
Speaking to Kurdistan24 in Diyarbakir during a press gathering organized under the umbrella of the city’s Human Rights Association, the group affirmed their support for all reconciliation efforts but firmly rejected policies discriminating against Kurdish. “We support every initiative for a solution, but we do not accept attitudes taken against the Kurdish language,” the statement emphasized.
Turkiye Bozkurt, one of the Peace Mothers, underlined the necessity of embedding Kurdish identity and language within Turkey’s new constitution. “We say that in the constitution to be drafted, the Kurdish language and Kurdish identity must be recognized. We want Kurdish to be granted official status,” she said.
The group argued that the denial of Kurdish remains at the root of the Kurdish question and insisted that recognition of Kurdish as a language of status is central to any meaningful resolution.
The Peace Mothers also issued a nationwide call to Kurdish families and communities to embrace their language in daily life. Meryeme Turan, speaking on behalf of the group, urged Kurdish parents to pass their mother tongue to younger generations.
“We call on all Kurds to own their language, to speak Kurdish in every sphere of life. Mothers and fathers should speak Kurdish with their children in the home, in daily life, and everywhere. We want Kurdish to become an official language,” Turan declared.
Their intervention came after the two-day session of the Parliamentary Commission on National Unity, Fraternity, and Democracy held on Aug. 19–20. The meetings brought together political actors, civic representatives, and social groups, including the DEM Party, which stressed that the Kurdish issue lies at the heart of Turkey’s unresolved grievances.
In a written statement signed by Gulistan Kiliç Koçyiğit, Meral Daniş Beştaş, Hakki Saruhan Oluç, Celal Firat, and Cengiz Çiçek, the DEM Party said the talks demonstrated broad societal consensus on the need for a democratic solution.
“The conversations we listened to over these two days reminded us once again of the heavy burden of the past. We feel this weight deeply, and we are determined not to place it on the shoulders of future generations,” the statement read.
The party emphasized that attempts to sabotage the commission’s work through external provocations must be resisted, affirming their determination to press ahead with a peaceful and democratic settlement.
"The denial of Kurdish remains at the root of the Kurdish question."
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) August 23, 2025
The Peace Mothers have issued a nationwide call to action, urging Kurdish families to speak their language at home and everywhere in daily life. This comes after they were restricted from speaking Kurdish in… pic.twitter.com/M3YYPEtTGE
