Mehmet Ocalan told Rudaw’s Mashallah Dekak in an interview aired this week from his hometown of Sanliurfa (Riha in Kurdish) that his jailed brother has always emphasized the importance of speaking Kurdish during the younger brother’s visits to Imrali Island, where the PKK founder has been imprisoned for 27 years.
"He repeated this three times and said finally: From now on, Kurds who engage in politics in Kurdistan and elsewhere must write in Kurdish in their institutions, speak Kurdish in their meetings, carry out all matters in Kurdish wherever possible, and speak Kurdish with their children. Since the [Turkish] state has recognized Kurdish language and culture, we too must implement this in our daily lives," he cited the PKK leader as saying during one of their meetings.
The younger Ocalan added that he has "repeatedly" informed the Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party, about the PKK leader’s recommendations.
"We have repeatedly told this to the DEM Party, to parliamentarians, to municipalities in Kurdistan [Kurdish areas in southeast Turkey] that were not taken over by trustees, and to everyone else. Everyone has become accustomed to this; our mayors, our parliamentarians - I do not want to say this, but I told the [PKK] leader this in Imrali as well."
He added that DEM Party politicians only say their greetings in Kurdish during events and then switch to Turkish.
"If Kurdistan were their concern, they would speak Kurdish. You would think Kurdish has become forbidden to them. DEM Party and [the Democratic Regions Party] DBP cadres too - though DBP members are somewhat better, let us not deny them their due - but DEM Party members have sworn to do everything in Turkish," PKK leader's younger brother stated, referring to DEM Party's sister party.
Kurdish remains barred in many of Turkey’s official state settings, though the state operates a 24-hour Kurdish-language television channel and Kurds are free to speak their mother tongue at home and in public.
Kurdish lawmakers have often faced censorship when attempting to speak Kurdish in the Turkish legislature. Ankara also drew criticism late last year after a Kurdish mother was not allowed to speak her native language during a meeting with a parliamentary delegation tasked with providing a legal framework for the ongoing peace talks with the PKK aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue in the country.
Mehmet Ocalan’s remarks have caused a controversy among Kurdish users on social media.
Roni Riha, an X user, endorsed his remarks, suggesting that the DEM Party should not allow anyone to become one of its lawmakers unless they speak Kurdish.
DEM Party MP reacts
Responding to Mehmet Ocalan's claims, a DEM Party lawmaker - who is fluent in Kurdish and often speaks it - said they are open to constructive criticism, but urged fairness.
"In all of our work and activities in recent years, we can say that Kurdish is used in 60 to 70 percent of them. But sometimes it is necessary for us to use Turkish as well. For example, as the two co-chairs of the Democratic Initiative, wherever we go, one of us certainly speaks in Kurdish and the other, if necessary, speaks in Turkish," Mehmet Kamac told Rudaw's Shawkat Harki.
Kamac added that 80 percent of DEM Party lawmakers are fluent in Kurdish, while others - including co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan - are continuing to improve their Kurdish tongue.
The DEM Party has repeatedly been censured over its use of the Kurdish language. While the party maintains social media accounts in Kurdish, its Turkish-language accounts appear to be more active. Its most recent post on the Kurdish-language X account was published around midday Monday, while the Turkish-language account posted three additional times afterward.
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