According to Kurdpress, Zana Farghini, a Kurdish linguist, pointed to the necessity of recognizing the Kurdish language in the framework of the legal steps related to the "Peace and Democratic Society" process, and said that granting official status to the Kurdish language is one of the basic demands of this process. He emphasized that in a situation where linguistic and cultural assimilation policies continue, protecting the Kurdish language and turning it into the language of education and everyday life is an undeniable necessity.

In a conversation with Mesopotamia, Farghini stated that every nation is known by its language, and considered language to be the most important element that shapes the culture, identity and historical memory of a society and said: "States and governments that are aware of the importance of language, set their first goal to limit or weaken it; Because they know that language is the main pillar of a nation's identity."

Pointing out that assimilation is not limited to banning the use of one language, he added: "Assimilation is a gradual process that begins with forgetting one's mother tongue and continues to change people's attitudes, ways of thinking, and even identity." In such a process, a new identity is imposed on the society and people gradually distance themselves from their roots and background.

This Kurdish linguist expressed concern about the increasing use of the Kurdish language among the new generations and said: "Today, the Kurdish language is like snow that melts slowly under the rain. If we look at the level of use of this language by the young generation, this fact can be clearly seen. "In the past, a larger percentage of people in the society spoke Kurdish, but now this amount is gradually decreasing."

He added: "Even those who still speak Kurdish, often only use it in everyday conversations, and many of them can no longer write in their mother tongue, produce scientific and literary works, or discuss social, cultural and political issues in Kurdish." This issue shows that the language remains only at the level of everyday communication and has been excluded from many areas of life.

Emphasizing the responsibility of elites, politicians, intellectuals and all those who play a leading role in society, Farghini said: "All those who consider themselves pioneers of society have a responsibility to work to preserve, strengthen and expand the Kurdish language. This language must be present in all areas of life, from education and culture to economy, media, art and social activities, so that it can survive.

He also considered the role of families in preserving the mother tongue to be very important and stated: "Fathers and mothers should speak Kurdish at home with their children and pass this language on to future generations from childhood. This is one of the most important foundations of the struggle to preserve the mother tongue."

This Kurdish linguist further considered the formalization of the position of the Kurdish language and its transformation into the language of education as one of the most basic demands of the Kurdish community and said: "One should not only wait for official and legal decisions, but at the same time, one should also try to prevent the assimilation process. "Everyone must accept responsibility for securing recognition of the Kurdish language and play their part in this endeavor. Until Kurdish becomes a language of instruction, one cannot speak of the language's future—or even of the Kurdish community’s liberation from the consequences of assimilation."

Emphasizing that advocating for the Kurdish language does not imply opposition to other languages, Farqini stated: "We are not opposed to learning other languages; indeed, we champion linguistic diversity and richness. However, learning other languages ​​must not come at the expense of neglecting one's mother tongue and culture. We must ensure that other languages ​​do not absorb or displace our mother tongue, and—above all—we must not allow a foreign language to take the place of the mother tongue within the family environment."

He further warned: "A language that is not used in daily life will gradually lose its vocabulary and capabilities, and when it no longer has the power to resist the dominant language, its speakers will abandon their language." As a result, this idea is formed among them that their mother tongue is no longer effective and valuable; While this is exactly one of the most important goals of assimilation policies.

Who is Zana Farghini?

Zana Farqini (born in 1967 in Farqin, Diyarbakir), is a Kurdish linguist, writer, translator and lexicographer. He studied sociology at Istanbul University and has worked in journalism, Kurdish language research and lexicography for many years. Farghini was one of the founders of Azadia Walat newspaper and has been in charge of editorial duties in various Kurdish publications, including Walat and Walat. He also worked in the Istanbul Kurdish Institute for many years and was the head of this institute. Among his most important works, Kurdish-Turkish and Turkish-Kurdish cultures are among the most well-known bilingual cultures of the Kurdish language.