Turkey: Four Politicians on Trial for Speaking Kurdish

Kurdish Southeastern region of Turkey, — Hakkari Mayor Fadil Bedirhanoglu, former mayor Kazim Kurt and officials of closed Democratic Society Party Fahri Kurt and Rahmi Temel stand trial for addressing their electorate in Kurdish in the run-up to the 2009 local elections.

The Court of First Instance of Hakkari in the south-east of Turkey tries four politicians from the closed pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) on the grounds of having addressed their electorate in Kurdish in the run-up to the local elections on 29 March 2009. The second hearing of the case against Hakkari Mayor Fadil Bedirhanoglu, former mayor Kazim Kurt, former DTP Provincial Chair Fahri Kurt and former DTP executive Rahmi Temel was held on 31 March. Read more

Killed for singing a Kurdish folk song in Turkey

ANKARA, — Young man Emrah Gezer was killed because of a Kurdish folk song. Kurdish politicians and artists experience backlashes for using the Kurdish language despite the easing of regulations in the context of the democratic initiative.

On the International Mother Language Day, Turkey is a country where its citizens have to fear for the safety of their lives when singing a song in their native language on the street.

Young man Emrah Gezer was killed by a former special operations police officer in Ankara in the course of a birthday party celebrated in a bar because he sang a Kurdish song. Read more