Naharnet

Kurdish to be Taught in Public Schools

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Kurdish would be taught in public schools, "a historic step" for Turkey.

"Our pupils ... will now be able to learn Kurdish as optional courses if there is a sufficient number (of students)," Erdogan told his ruling party members in the parliament.

"This is a historic step," he added.

Turkey is home to a sizeable Kurdish population, mostly in its southeast.

Since it came to power in 2002, Erdogan's government has swept a number of reforms to ease restrictions before Kurdish language and Kurdish broadcasts under pressure from the European Union.

The Kurds can now broadcast in Kurdish, teach their mother tongue in private courses and use it in political life.

But it is the first time Turkish public schools will be offering Kurdish language course at a time Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is criticized for dragging feet on its so-called Kurdish initiative.

Ankara announced "Kurdish opening" in 2009 in a bid to cajole Kurdish rebels into laying down their arms, raising hopes for an end to the conflict which has already claimed 45,000 lives since 1984.

But the initiative faltered amid continued violence and a Turkish nationalist backlash.


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