KurdistanObserver.com
Amed District Goes Bilingual
The New Anatolian / Ankara
05 January 2007
A municipal council decision to
offer municipal services in both Turkish and Kurdish has been approved by the
Sur district Municipality of the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, reports said
yesterday.
The decision is likely to fuel tension in the region, as it is clearly in
violation of the Constitution, according to several political commentators.
Sur Mayor Abdullah Demirbas last year faced prosecution for defending
multilingual municipal services at an international conference in Vienna.
Charges against him were dropped on the grounds of freedom of expression, but
the Interior Ministry severely criticized the move by Demirbas.
It is said that the Sur Municipality as well as the Diyarbakir Greater
Municipality started multilingual services last year without an official
decision to ease transactions by Kurdish people in the city.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the Sur Municipality, Demirbas
touted the news while arguing that Turkey, in practice, is not monolingual but
multilingual.
He also underlined that the decision was taken by a majority vote. "We don't
have only one identity but multiple identities, we have to live considering this
fact," he explained. "We'll give services taking all studies and scientific data
into account as we aim to contribute to democracy in the region and the
country."
Demirbas also said that they took the decision based on the belief that
municipalities and local administrations are also "schools for further
democracy."
Kurdish politicians in the region, spearheaded by Diyarbakir Mayor Osman
Baydemir, fiercely advocate further rights for local administrations, which
sporadically find support from the government. The ruling Justice and
Development (AK) Party had a long-term project to invest further rights to local
authorities, reducing the power and authority of the central administration, but
it has failed to implement necessary phases of this project during its four
years in office.
"I hope this decision will be an example for Parliament," Demirbas said. "I
believe that Parliament will regard the multilingual and multicultural structure
of Turkey and take a decision that will contribute to peace and democracy in the
country. We think that democracy will improve on a local basis."
The mayor added that through their decision, which is a first in Turkey,
municipal services will reach the public easier. "Both Turkish and Kurdish have
been used in the municipality before. In order to give a better service we'll
give Kurdish, Turkish, English, Armenian and Assyrian courses to personnel,"
Demirbas said.
Sociologist Aslan Ozdemir stated that they conducted a survey upon the request
of the Sur Municipality. According to the survey results, 24 percent of the
residents speak Turkish, while 72 percent speak Kurdish. "Therefore, the
municipal services should be given in various languages apart from Turkish,"
Ozdemir said.
