Ozgur Politika
Jan 11, 2002
Campaign for mother tongue continued with thousands of petitions submitted to Van, Kocaeli and Sakarya universities' administrations. In Van 526 students were detained by soldiers.

In Van Yuzuncu Yil University 2500 petitions were submitted to the rector while 526 of the students were taken to Van Gendarme Command. In Sakarya and Kocaeli activities continued. 

In Van Yuzuncu Yil University students submitted 2500 petitions to the rector within the framework of the campaign for education in one's mother tongue. But meeting with the Students' Initiative, university officials stated that they could accept the petitions only if they were submitted individually. Then gathered in front of the rector's office, nearly 800 students signed their individual petitions and submitted them. At the same time almost 2.000 gendarmes who had been surrounded the university since the early in the morning assaulted on the students. 526 campaigners were taken to Van Gendarme Command by 9 buses. Then they were brought before the prosecutor.

The students stated that they would continued their activities today (yesterday) and tomorrow (today), pointing out that although the campaign coincided with the finals it drew great attraction and repression would not intimidate them. The students noted that they would fax the petitions to the Presidency of the Republic, the Prime Ministry and the Chairman of the Parliament.

They will speak only Kurdish

On the other hand in Van, one of the important centers of the campaign, students decided to speak only Kurdish in all schools in Van till Friday. Students who do not know Kurdish will not speak in courses in order to support the campaign. The campaign to speak Kurdish is reported to be successful the other day.

Sakarya and Kocaeli

The campaign organised by Kurdish Students' Initiative for Kurdish Education continues in other provinces as well. 

In Sakarya University students submitted their petitions to the rector but they were turned down. The rector's office claimed that they should also submit copies of their identity cards. And in Kocaeli University students whose mass petitions were turned down began to submit their petitions individually. And Kocaeli University students Bilal Serhat Saridas and Azat Mete who have been detained were released the other day.

Campaign transferred to Europe

Kurdistan Students' Union (YXK) made a statement in protest of the repression on the campaign and detention of more than 500 students in Van. YXK said that they organised a similar campaign in Europe. The statement emphasized the following: "We as Kurdish students living in Europe say that we organise a similar campaign in Europe and state that we will not remain silence against the repression and take the matter to all organisations and institutions in Europe. We call on all democratic organisations to be sensitive."