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Today's Zaman, Turkey
July 4 2012
Ministry launches probe into multilingual signboard in Diyarbakır
0 4 July 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into a
multilingual signboard reading `Welcome to our city' in four languages
-- Kurdish, Turkish, Hebrew and Armenian -- at the entrance to the
city of Diyarbakır.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs asked for a written defense from the
mayor of Diyarbakır's Sur district, Abdullah DemirbaÅ?. The ministry
also asked the municipality when the signboard was erected, which
authority was responsible for the decision and whether the
Transportation Coordination System (UKOME) was informed about plans
for the signboard or not.
Speaking to reporters, DemirtaÅ? remarked that a city containing people
of various ethnic backgrounds, languages and religions should
recognize its cultural diversity. `The signboard was placed there
one-and-a-half years ago. The fact that this signboard is the subject
of an investigation after one-and-a-half years is so
thought-provoking, launching an investigation into a Kurdish signboard
at a time when Turkey is preparing to teach elective classes in the
Kurdish language at Turkish schools. The government should adopt
necessary legislation to eliminate such contradictions regarding this
issue as soon as possible.' On June 12, the government announced that
Kurdish will be offered as an elective language course in schools,
provided there is a sufficient number of students interested in taking
such a course.
July 4 2012
Ministry launches probe into multilingual signboard in Diyarbakır
0 4 July 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into a
multilingual signboard reading `Welcome to our city' in four languages
-- Kurdish, Turkish, Hebrew and Armenian -- at the entrance to the
city of Diyarbakır.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs asked for a written defense from the
mayor of Diyarbakır's Sur district, Abdullah DemirbaÅ?. The ministry
also asked the municipality when the signboard was erected, which
authority was responsible for the decision and whether the
Transportation Coordination System (UKOME) was informed about plans
for the signboard or not.
Speaking to reporters, DemirtaÅ? remarked that a city containing people
of various ethnic backgrounds, languages and religions should
recognize its cultural diversity. `The signboard was placed there
one-and-a-half years ago. The fact that this signboard is the subject
of an investigation after one-and-a-half years is so
thought-provoking, launching an investigation into a Kurdish signboard
at a time when Turkey is preparing to teach elective classes in the
Kurdish language at Turkish schools. The government should adopt
necessary legislation to eliminate such contradictions regarding this
issue as soon as possible.' On June 12, the government announced that
Kurdish will be offered as an elective language course in schools,
provided there is a sufficient number of students interested in taking
such a course.