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In 2016, Google announced it had added Kurmanji Kurdish to its translation service, alongside 12 other languages, but not Sorani, which is spoken in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat), in addition to the southern parts of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Google Translate on Wednesday announced it will add 24 new languages, …

The use of Kurdish in public was banned in Turkey in the 1990s, and Kurds weren’t allowed to learn their mother tongue. There were restrictions for kindergartens, city theaters, and cultural clubs operating in the Kurdish language. A secondary school teacher at the Mersin Akdeniz District Ulubatlı Hasan Secondary School …

Boaventura de Sousa Santos Europe needs to take a hard look at itself. Because it has proved to be incapable of dealing with the causes of the Ukraine crisis, Europe is now condemned to deal with its consequences. The truth is that NATO should have been dismantled as soon as …

• Hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan have been crossing into Turkey every day over the past month• Withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, the US suggested Afghans who worked for it and their families apply for asylum in Turkey• Turkey’s Foreign Ministry denounced the US statement and said, “The US may …

Thomas Phillips During a hurried midnight taxi ride between Istanbul’s two major airports, the faces of Racep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s authoritarian president, and Binali Yildrim, Turkey’s former Prime Minister and Istanbul mayoral candidate, gazed down at me from every lamppost and roadside hoarding. I had been invited to Turkey by …

Later he too [my second son] was wounded, but it was not serious. He told me, ‘Mom, do not take me to the hospital, if you take me there, they will kill me.’ How was I supposed to know? We took him there and they killed him. This is my …

Nine years had passed in exile since he left his hometown and he had lived in hopes of having a decent life during these long years. He thought all his efforts were in vain and he had no longer the desire to experience all this loneliness and suffering in this …

I have always said I believe in words and literature. I believe that literature has the potential to make change and challenge structures of power,” he said. “Literature has the power to give us freedom. Back in August, when Behrouz Boochani was speaking with NPR over phone, the Kurdish-Iranian journalist …

The 5600-kilometre journey across most of continental Europe — crossing to Greece on a rubber dinghy, through eight countries and borders through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria — was one made by countless refugees between 2014 and 2016. Nujeen Mustafa is one of the strongest people You have ever …

The misery of death of Kurdish refugee in Switzerland The body of the Kurdish man who had applied for asylum in Switzerland was found eight months later. Emrah Adanir was a 26 years old from Kurdish region of Turkey was lost in August 2018 after had moved to Vilters Wangs …

The Turkish – Greek relations are extremely contentious in today’s world. In order to better understand this issue, Necat Ayaz interviewed Christodoulos Yiallourides, Professor Emeritus of International Politics and director of the Centre of Eastern Studies for Culture and Communication at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences . …

According to Hebrew bible narrative of Exodus, Israelites leave the slavery from the hands of the Pharaoh through Yehova, the god who promises them the land of Canaan. Prophet Moses guides the Israeli people through the Sinai Desert during the Exodus from Egypt. At the end of this long journey, …

Iraqi-Armenians who fled sectarian violence in northern Iraq for the comparative security of the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil can finally pray in their own place of worship. The Church of the Holy Cross opened its doors on April 6 in a special ceremony attended by Armenian clergy, including the …

Fatos’s 20 years have passed in constant dislocations and resistance for relocation as a result of persecutions against her and her family members. Beginning with the leaving behind of her village, she no longer could stop her never-ending move to new lands where she has not yet been successful to …

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP, Kurdish left) regained control of the main cities of North Kurdistan in the local elections held in Turkey 31 March. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP, Kurdish left) regained control of the main cities of North Kurdistan in the local elections held in Turkey 31 March. …

Eleni Takou: “It is obvious that these figures become a reality for refugees coming from Turkey. These refugees are a subject of bargaining and a card useful for diplomacy between two states.” A panel discussion addressing problem of long interview dates given to refugees from Turkey was held on March …

Necat Ayaz Besides thousands of them have already crossed the dangerous waters of Maritsa river and the routes for islands, still thousands of them have been preparing themselves secretly in Greece’s eastern neighbor have been waiting the day of liberation from persecution. No matter from where they will cross the …

Necat Ayaz At the beginning of December, at midnight, they reached the proximity of the Turkish-Greek border with by a car. As soon as the car stopped, they got off very fast and, large backpacks and they headed towards the river. From the beginning of this journey which they believed …

The Turkish government’s obligations under international conventions have already begun to be questioned with this crackdown on Kurds, which is continuing unabated. In March 2017 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released a damning report on the serious human rights and international law violations by …

MPs from opposition parties celebrated the February 21 Mother Tongue Day in yesterday’s parliamentary session with messages in Kurdish and in the languages of minorities in Turkey.The words in languages other than Turkish were recorded as “x” in the minutes of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). On the …

Iranian Kurdistan: Open Letter to UNESCO Highlights Linguistic Discrimination Ahead of International Mother Language Day Ahead of International Mother Language Day, the Cooperation Center of Iranian Kurdistan’s Political Parties, including UNPO Member the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), addressed an open letter to the Director-General of the United Nations …