WAN - The Kurdish posters prepared by DEM Party and DBP regarding the February 21 World Mother Language Day and local elections were prevented from being hung on billboards by the trustee-run Wan Metropolitan Municipality.

 

Posters written in Kurdish and Dimilkî written by the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) within the scope of the 21 February World Mother Language Day and the 31 March Local Elections were prevented from being hung on billboards. Language, Culture and Art Research Association (ARSISA) and DEM Party held a press conference in the provincial building regarding the obstruction made by the Van Metropolitan Municipality under the trustee administration.

 

'KURDISH LANGUAGE HAS BEEN ASSIMIZED FOR YEARS'

 

Making a statement on behalf of the association, Faysal Yacan said that the Kurdish language and identity have been subjected to assimilation by the invaders for years. Pointing out that there has been an unchanging mindset towards the Kurdish language and Kurdish identity for centuries, Yacan said: “DEM Party has fulfilled its motto that we will keep the Kurdish language alive everywhere. With this slogan, it prepared posters in Kurdish and Zazaki in Wan, but the trustee mindset prevented this. Kurdish posters and billboards were not allowed to be hung. This situation clearly tells us that; This ruling mindset does not accept either the Kurds or the Kurdish language in any way. The ruling mindset comes out and boasts about the partnership by saying 'I opened a Kurdish television channel and introduced elective courses in Kurdish', but these are dirty politics. We know these policies very well.”

 

'OUR PEOPLE WILL ANSWER THE TRUSTEE MINDSET’

 

Emphasizing that the trustee was even against hanging banners in Kurdish, Yacan condemned the obstruction and said that they would always fight against these mindsets. Yacan said: “We condemn this attack against the Kurdish language. After today, our people must see this well. We will respond to these attacks against the Kurdish language and identity by protecting our language and identity more. Our language is everything, and when our language is inhibited, we will be rendered ineffective. We hope that our people will protect our language more against these invader and trustee mindset."

 

'AKP IS THE RACIST MINDSET’

 

Stating that the billboards they made within the scope of February 21st World Mother Language Day were not hung by the trustee mentality, DEM Party Provincial Co-Chair Veysi Dilekçi said that the pressure and obstructions on the Kurdish language are increasing day by day. Dilekçi said: “A war has been declared against the Kurdish language. The Kurdish billboards we prepared for February 21 were prevented from being hung without justification by the trustee mentality. Even though it was built by a private company, the trustee mindset put an obstacle to the Kurdish language by preventing the billboards from being hung. While AKP Wan Mayor candidates make their propaganda in Kurdish, we are prohibited from doing so. We know their history. We have been struggling to keep Kurdish language alive in every field for years. AKP is carrying out a racist attack against the Kurdish issue, the Kurdish language, Kurdish theatre, culture and art. Everyone who has the AKP mindset today has a mindset that is against the Kurdish language and identity.”

 

'WE WILL STRENGTHEN THE FIGHT AGAINST DIRTY POLITICS'

 

Pointing out that they will further strengthen the fight against these policies, Dilekçi concluded his words as follows: “AKP is an occupying and racist mindset and we will continue to defend democracy against this mindset. Just yesterday, a Kurdish theater play in Istanbul was blocked by the governorship. Why these restrictions? Because it is a racist and invasive mindset. Today, our Kurdish posters and billboards are prevented from being hung, and this situation clearly reveals racism. Neither our people nor we accept this situation. The Kurdish language has been kept alive in these lands for years and the Kurds keep it alive. We will respond to these dirty games by continuing to keep Kurdish language alive in every street, in every neighborhood, even in the most remote corners.”