Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party's (DTP) controversial Diyarbakir Mayor
Osman Baydemir's trial regarding the greeting cards he sends in Kurdish to
deputies, representatives of non-governmental organizations and citizens,
started yesterday.
The court ruled to discontinue the case on grounds that permission was not taken
from the Interior Ministry to put Baydemir on trial.
Baydemir stated that he has been sending greeting cards written in English,
Turkish and Kurdish as well to citizens, politicians and representatives of
institutions since 2004.
Claiming that the criminal charge he faced was prepared with the spirit of 1926,
Baydemir stated that things have been changed in 80 years. "Filing a suit
because of a cultural activity, a gesture is quite meaningful," said Baydemir.
"The law regarding the acceptance of Turkish letters rooted back to 1926 and set
out the transition from Arabic letters to Latin letters. There is no passage or
expression concerning Kurdish in the law."
Baydemir stated that neither in national or international law is there an
article banning the use of Kurdish. "People using or spreading their mother
language is quite natural," he said. "Sending cards also to those who don't know
Kurdish was just a cultural gesture to show that our country has such cultural
richness. Using Kurdish in greeting cards, billboards and meetings shouldn't be
interpreted as putting Turkish aside."
Diyarbakir mayor claimed that the fundamental problem is the use of "W" letter.
"According to the law, using letter "W" is not a crime. When you enter the
website of the Justice Ministry they use "W" as well," said Baydemir.
The court decided to send the case to Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor's
Office.
Joost Lagendijk, co-chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Commission,
Diyarbakir's Sur Mayor Abdullah Demirtas and
Kayapınar Mayor Zulkuf Karatekin followed the trial.
"Such court cases violate the spirit of the reforms legislated by the Turkish
Parliament," Lagendijk later told reporters.
