Oct 27, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
In a recent survey by the newly founded “Kurdish Barometer,” nearly 60
percent of the respondents living in Turkey stated that they were discriminated
against because of their Kurdish identity. Accordingly, Kurds also still
believe that education in their first language is vital for them.
Almost 60 percent of Kurds living in Turkey think that they are discriminated against because of their Kurdish identity, a fresh field survey carried out by the newly founded “Kurdish Barometer” showed.
1492 people
were surveyed in 20 provinces within the scope of “Kurdish Barometer” regarding
identity, Kurdish issue and demands, discrimination practices and feelings,
politics, first language, and popular culture.
When asked
“What do you think should be the language of education in schools for
Kurmanji/Zazaki speakers whose native language is not Turkish?,” 44.1 percent
of the respondents said they supported bilingual education, whereas 27 percent
said “the language of education should be Turkish, but the native language
should be taught separately at school.”
19.2
percent of the respondents said there is no need for another language of
education rather than Turkish at all, whereas nine percent said it should only
be the native language.
51.5
percent of the respondents said “there is a Kurdish problem/issue,” whereas
16.3 percent said “there is no Kurdish problem, but Kurds have problems.” 15
percent said there is no Kurdish issue at all.
As for the
source of the Kurdish issue, 51.6 percent of the respondents said “Kurdish
identity is not recognized,” 49.6 percent said “The state discriminates against
Kurds,” 22 percent said “Kurds want to establish a separate state,” and 18
percent said, “The economic underdevelopment of the Kurdish provinces.”
48 percent
admitted that Turks and Kurds are not equal on behalf of the state.
Accordingly,
the rate of embracing the Kurdish identity was 67.4 percent, which was higher
than average among young people, students, traders and high-income groups.
Academician
Uğraş Ulaş Tolunay from the Kurdish Studies Center evaluated the findings and
said Kurdish voters were stuck between two poles back in 2013, the AKP and the
Kurdish movement.
“We see
that this is changing. More intermediate categories are formed between these
poles, behaviors such as not going to the polls (are emerging). We also see
that the Kurds are moving away from politics compared to 5-10 years ago. In our
past observations, they were more self-confident, looked at the future and
politics with more hope. Today, we see that they are more hopeless, less
self-confident and have lost interest in politics, including Kurdish politics.
We also see that its civil society is less active than in the past,” Tolunay
added.
Professor
Mesut Yemen said, “There seems to be a pessimism among a significant portion of
the Kurds, not about themselves as a nation, but perhaps about Turkey.”
Between
2013 and 2015, the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
maintained a fragile ceasefire in a move to resolve the Kurdish issue. Through
the peace process, government and intelligence officials would meet with jailed
PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on the İmralı Island, with Peoples’ Democratic Party
(HDP) lawmakers acting as mediators and go-betweens, conveying messages to the
PKK’s military leadership in Qandil Mountains. However, after two years, the
peace process fell apart and the conflict resumed.
Duvar
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