Armenian language courses launched in Diyarbakır
The Sur District Municipality in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır has launched Armenian language courses for both its employees and other enthusiasts, building upon its earlier initiative to provide Kurdish courses, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News reports.
"We want the same for those outside of us as what we want for ourselves. That is a must for democracy. If I want Kurds to have the right to education in their mother tongue, then I also want this for Armenians, Syrians and other peoples, too," said Sur District Mayor Abdullah Demirbaş. Some 40 people, including children and the elderly, are currently attending the Armenian language courses that are offered four days a week by Fikri Çalış, a volunteer teacher dispatched by the Armenian community in Istanbul.
Teachers from the Armenian community of Istanbul will arrive in Diyarbakır to give Armenian lessons.
"We provided Kurdish courses before. Now we [are offering] Armenian courses, and we are thinking about giving Syrian courses later on," Mayor Demirbaş said.
The courses were jointly organized by the Diyarbakır Armenian Community Foundation and the Kurdish Language Research and Advancement Association (Kürdi - Der).
It would strengthen Turkey's unity to receive education in different languages, Mayor Demirbaş said, adding that they would continue providing multi-lingual municipal services.
According to the Turkish constitution, all citizens living in the country are considered to be Turks, and the 20 million-member Kurdish community is deprived of the right to receive education in their own language.
