Published Paper Details:

This paper examines the language policy of the Turkey, and its assimilationist policy towards Kurds and Kurdish language. Language diversity has emerged as a major source of conflict which is affecting the peace as well stability of many political entities all over the world. Language policy makers usually face the questions of accommodating the needs of linguistically diverse communities. It studies how the Turkish nationalist elites, the Kemalists throughout the 20th century systematically as well intentionally suppressed the language of the Kurds as part of their aim to construct a homogenous nation- state of Turkish speakers. It shows that this linguicidal policy was strongly informed by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the consequent Kemalists emphasis on complete ethno-linguistic homogeneity as criteria for being Turkish, Western and civilized. The article discusses the various Turkification strategies of the authorities, such as banning the Kurdish language, the denial of the existence of the Kurds, changing the names of towns and villages, the forced re-settlement of Kurds and the assimilation of Kurdish children. It also focuses the recent developments in Turkey's Kurdish language policy and the reform efforts put by the recent governments as part of the country's European Union membership. The article reflects that whilst looking good on paper but these reforms have had little or totally negligent impact in reality and Kurdish speakers in Turkey are still denied their basic human and linguistic rights.