Kurdish language: Authors create a new language

 Sedat YURTDAŞ

Dear member of the council and participants

I am pleased to address to you and make my speech with regards of Kurdish PEN center.

Undoubtedly ‘’Berlin wall collapsed and idelogies ended as Edvard Kovaç said at begining of his speech.

Fukuyama and some others talked about the end of history. But I can  easily say that we stil live under a strict totaliter regime.

In other words despite collapse of Berlin wall it stil effected us. Essentially our Berlin walls havent collapsed yet.

Unfortunately this pessimist determination is a reality for Kurd, Kurdish, its alphabet  and Kurdish literature. 

Lets look into this closely

Although Kurdish language is an oral literature it is very advanced language in this aspect, it has taken its place in written languages with its literary productions.

İt is a very successfull language in poem, epic poem, story and like great many world languages in oral literary.

There are epic poems some nationals like İndians “Ramayana”, Greeks “Îlyada” Kirghizs ‘’Manas”, Armenians ‘’Kogan’’ and Turks “Göç” but epic poems of Kurds are more.

These are not only “Memê Alan” or “Mem û Zîn” and “Xecê û Siyabend” but there are “Zembîlfroş”, “Ker û Kulik”, “Derweşê Evdî”, “Kela Dımdımê” and Cembeliyê Kûrê Mîrê Hakkari” and others…

Although generally Kurds couldnt write and read formerly, they were able to protect their strong culture and verbal stories thanks to strong narrators and strong verbal literary and advanced these. Therefore Kurdish language and culture could stand against press, attacks and cruilties.

We can talk about Kurds written literature of past and writers. Melayê Cizîrî(1407-1481, Feqîyê Teyran(1590-1660):, Mela Mahmude Bazidi, Melayê Bateyi, (1417-1491) Eli Heriri (1009-1078) û Ehmedê Xanî (1651-1707): are some of these. 

Heyran bûm ez ji dinê

Sohtim ji dest evînê

Ji xwe nakim hîvya jînê

Li-m kêm bûn mah û salê         

Li-m kêm bûn mah û salan

Metne ji lam û dalan

Ji ber zahmet û eşkalan

Ez t’êr dikim miqale (Ji Elî Herîrî dibêje)

Ey dil werin dîsan bi coş

Carek ji caran mey binoş

Bikin qisseta zembîlfiroş

Da seh bikin hîkayetê.

Zembîlfiroş lawkê rewal bû

Bi kilfet û ehl û eyal bû

Husnekî Usif li bal bû

Heq rizayê qismetê…” (Melayê Batê: Ji Zembîlfiroş)

Ey dîlberê gerden zêrî

Way nazika dêm qemerî

Qamet ji mûma fenerî

Wêran ezim malim xirab

Ey dîlbera gerden letîf

Way nazikê qamet elîf

Qamet ji reyhana xefîf

Wêran ezim malim xirab (Feqîyê Teyran Ji Dîlberê)

Hey av, mal xirab, bi bez

Qewî bi fûr dik’işî bil ez

Şewata tu li ser wusa jî ez,

Herê avê, tu maşoqa dilê xweyî

Ne şivêta qelpê mayî/metlûbekî dilê te jî hebî (Feqîyê Teyran Ji Avê av)

Şoxê û şengê zuhre rengê

Dil ji min bir dil ji min bir

Awûrên heybet pilingê

Dil j imin bir dil ji min bir (Melayê Cizîrî Ji Dil j imin bir)

 Ger hebûya me îttifaqek

Vêkra bikira me înkilabek

Rom û erb û ecem temamî

Hemiyan ji me re dikir xûlamî

Tekmîl dikir me dîn û dewlet

Tehsîl dikir me hukmet

Temir dibû ji hev her miqalet

Mumtaz dibûn xudan kemalet (Ehmedê Xanî Sîlvan)

These writers were not only poets. They also wrote about philosophical and social issues besides poems. Dealing with this matter requires a special work. Therefore I will not do so.

I just want to touch upon Feqîyê Teyran and his story Student of Birds /Teacher of Birds briefly. 

Feqi (as is understood) stays away from people, he feel no interest in peoples activities and society. He focuses on nature and birds. He sees the earth with birds eyes and observations. Now there is no longer any secret and hidden things. Everything is clear to him. He doesnt need to see or hear. He doesnt need to go to anywhere because all of birds work for him. They see and hear for him all day and nights and bring all information to him.

He arrives empyreal stage. There is no secret in his world. He find out all hidden things. He takes lesson from birds and gives to them. Therefore his grave is place visited by all species of birds. His grave in forest in Mikûsê (Bitlis) of eastern city. Everyday thousands of birds visit his grave and fly over it but they dont defecate on grave by accident. They behave respectfully.

Yes. I hope that I could tell Kurdish literatures situation by this shortly speech.

·        Turkey and Kurdish language:

Kurdish language belongs to İran branch of İndo-European language family. Kurdish is language of holly book Avesta. It has 31 letters. Many words of Kurdish and English are same such as Stêr (Star) bira (brother) robar (river), fro, stendin, sur û and etc. Kurdish language is similar to Persian language. It has two big branches. First: Northern Kurmanci (Bahdinani) and Southern Kurmanci (Sorani)  Second: Dimilki (or Zazaki) and Gorani.

Today two alphabets (Arabian and Latin) are used. Using of Kiril character decreasing day by day.

Turkish language belongs to Oguz Group of Ural-Altay language family. Kurdish is unlike Turkish  in  morphologic and  phonetic aspects.

In Kurdish region of Turkey where I live too, when the state was founded Kurdish language was banned. This rule was valid in not only for public places but everywhere.

There is a strong assimilation to eliminate Kurdish Language. But as I mentioned before briefly Kurds, their language and culture were able resist thanks to their source and strong authors.  But now language, society and culture suffer from that practice.

In 1925 even speaking in Kurdish language was banned by an order from Ataturk.

From then onwards the Kurds were named as the Mountain Turkks.

*Zimanê Kurdî (Kurmanci Zazakî Soranî) mîna diyalekta xerabbûyî ya Tirkî hate tarîf kirin.

The Kurdish language (Kurmanji, Zazaki, and Sorani) was defind then as a deformed Turkish language.

Between 1980-1991 the Kurdish language was prohibited by article 2932 of the law. It was during that time when Harold Pinter wrote his Play “the Mountain Language).

In Turkey even a short story couldnt be published from begining of Turkish republic till 1960. Kurdish couldnt take their share from written literature. This was a unexampled cruilty. Some linguists use »white massacre« for this practice.

This practice in Turkey is not only for Kurdish. Others languages were also affected by these practice. Lazish language is one of these. It was banned like Kurdish in elementary  education. In Turkey all languages were attached to Turkish language by Sun-Language theory.

Armenian was abolished at the time of world war I. Nowadays Armenian genocide is Turkeys first foreign policy issue. Parliaments of French, Swiss and Dutch accepted genocide. Nowadays accepting of genocide is in agenda of USA.

This historical concept grow out of identity of languages. Language is identity. When a nation deprived of its language it will keep away from its identity and will turn into something else.

Therefore native language and education of native language is related to human rights. Today there are many obstacles against Kurdish language despite chancing of world, Middle East and Turkey. We will touch these at end of this speech.

I want to speak about obstacles against Kurdish language after 1960.

İdeology and Kurdish language:

People who dealed with language were politicians because of language being banned directly. Many years they worked and wrote to prove nation and its language. They didnt work for aesthetical and literary purposes. 

This situation effected on language directly. On the other hand there was no compromise on using alphabet. Language was recreating itself  and using of letters and some things were different.

When politicians issued their magazine or newspaper, they were reflecting their ideologies language. Therefore people were able to understand that is which issue the magazine belonged to by looking at its language.

Owners of articles highlighted their identity and language. İt was no important literary and aesthetic. As a matter of fact that this situation stil continues partly.

But now we feel strong actions about language, literary and aesthetic in all Kurdish geography. These actions appeared in free atmosphere of European countries and spread out.

Now we can say against all obstacles we hold this historical conference. Poem, short story, novel, essay spring day by day. Writers recreate a new language far from ideologies and effects of Berlin Wall.

Kurdish language in Irak:

There were press and many obstacle against Kurdish language in Iraq for tens years. But was never banned as in Turkey. Therefore Kurdish language especially Sorani proceeded. But especially after golf war Kurdish proceeded more. Now it is in better situation.

Iraqi constituation:

Article 4:

1.Languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish but Syriac, Turkoman and Armenian  languages are under warranty of constituation.

2.Contents of official languages and usages it as follows;

a)Official journal will be issued in Arabic and Kurdish.

b)Parliament, council of ministers, courts and other formal organizations will be able to use one of official languages.

c)Public documents will be set in both two languages

d)Schools will do education in a formal language within the framework of education rule.

e) Money, pasport, stamp will arranged in two languages.

3.In Kurdish federal region both of two languages will be used by organizations.

4.Turkoman language and Syriac are other formal languages in organization where these people live in majority.

5.People living in a region or city will able to select their language as a third formal language via referendum.

This article explaines that Kurdish language is free in Iraq and Kurdistan region.

Obstacles against language:

Nowadays about 15 – 20 million Kurds live in Turkey but according to article 3 in the constitution “...the language of the state is Turkish”.

Article 13-14 states that “no writes for the seperation of the state is practiced” thus the Kurdish language is regarded as a threat. 

Article 26 “no potential thinking to cause an absticle to the future of the state is permited”

Article 28 “the same obsticle faces free press”

Article 42 of Turkish constituation: ’Turkish citizens are not able to able to have education in an languages except Turkish language’’

Kanuna Partiyên Sîyasî Xal: 81 gotina hebûna kêmnetewetî qedexe dike. Ev xal heya nûha 5-6 partî dane girtin.

Article 81 of the law concerning political parties “ according to this article the word minorities is prohibited and so far between 5-6 parties have been banned”

Artical 82 “regionalism is prohibited”

All the above mentioned articles may be regarded withen the anti terror law.

6 out of 10 points under article 5 of association law directly bann the Kurdish language and culture.

Ahmed Turk, the cocherman of the DTP, which is a legal Kurdish party and myself have been given six months prison punishment only for saying “Mr Ocalan” and now the case has been transfered to the high court.

As is known Kurdish language is banned from begining founding state and is banned in public building and in all place. There was money penalty for those using Kurdish. Now it is forbidden to write letters such as “x”, “ê”, “î”, “q” û “w” in  official correspondence. This year government didn’t accept writing ‘’w’’ letter for new year festival (Newroz)

There is no oppurtunity for education with mother language. There are obstacle for making research about Kurdish culture and language.

Many names of city, town, village and mountains were chanced in 1952 and renamed in Turkish.

There is permit for Kurdish radio broadcast for only 45 minutes a day. Indeed Kurdish writers study in this situation is very difficult and respectfull.

Thanks and three proposals:

Thanks for International PEN's Rights language and translate committee since they organized conference in Amed in 20-25 March 2005. It was first Kurdish to be taken into a conference with Turkish and English. 

1.It must be organized in Amed/Diyarbakir or other cities such as Wan, Batman, Hewlêr, Duhok, Silêmanî or Kobanî where peoples speak in Kurdish.

2.Turkish government should be called to use Kurdish language in education in Kurdish region where they live in majority.

3.I hope that the Tukish PEN who have initiated this coming conference in İstanbul next December can inveted Kurdish Writers from all parts to enrich the conference with the peace concept to for sake of strogthening frater with I tolerance and diversity. 

I offer mine and Peace commity and Kurdish PEN centers regards.

Thank you very much.   

24 March 2007 syurtdas@yahoo.com

Sedat YURTDAŞ

Member of the Kurdish PEN Center

Head of the Peace Committee

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