NORTH KURDISTAN, — One million and 100 thousand signatures have been collected within the framework of the campaign launched two months ago by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) to demand “education in mother language” and yesterday have been presented to Assembly Petition Committee of the Turkish Parliament.
The petition which began two months ago after the call of Democratic Society Congress (DTK) to demand “education in Kurdish mother language” has ended. While more than 1 million 100 thousand signatures were collected within the framework of the campaign, it was underlined that the number of signatures would have exceeded 10 million if the campaign had not been carried out symbolically. Signatures were collected to present to Speaker’s Office, UNESCO, the UN and the EU.
About 10 packets of paper full of signatures collected under the campaign with the support of institutions such as HAKPAR, KADEP, İHD, MAZLUMDER, Eğitim Sen and Mesopotamia Cultural Center (MKM) were taken from Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) general building to the Assembly. Nearly a million signatures collected with same demands will also be conveyed to UNESCO, UN and EU officials. According to information received, some of the signatures will be sent to UN Representative in Ankara on Monday while the other two institutions are expected to respond to the appointment request.
Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Aysel Tuğluk and BDP Group Vice President Ayla Akat Ada, representatives of organizations supporting the campaign, held a meeting in the Assembly. Speaking at the meeting, Tuğluk remarked that 1 million 100 thousand signatures were collected within the framework of the campaign DTK started two months ago to demand education in mother tongue with a million signature target, noting they reached their goal in a very short time by turning the campaign into a common struggle. Underlining that the signatures will afterward be conveyed to the European Union, European Commission, UN and UNESCO as well, Tuğluk pointed out that the problem of education in mother-tongue can not be handled separate from the Kurdish problem and added; “The Kurdish issue is a multi-dimensional problem of rights and freedoms. This hundred-year problem can be solved through the extension of rights and freedoms which passes through dialogue and reconciliation”.