15.02.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance

ECRE: prohibition of non turkish mother-tongue teaching ("Third report on Turkey: Adopted on 25 June 2004 and made public on 15 February 2005 [CRI(2005) 5]") [#30573], [ID 13222]

"62. In its second report ECRI recommended that the Turkish authorities lift the constitutional prohibition on mother-tongue teaching in a language other than Turkish.

63. Article 42 of the Constitution, which provides that no language other than Turkish may be taught to Turkish citizens as their mother tongue in educational and training establishments, has not been amended. However, ECRI notes that substantial progress has been made towards a more open approach to cultural and linguistic diversity. Since the third package of reforms dated 9 August 2002, it has been possible to open private schools to teach “languages and dialects traditionally used by Turkish citizens in their daily lives”6. Kurdish language courses opened in the towns of Batman, Sanliurfa and Van in January 2004 and others are expected to open by stages. This is obviously a positive development in spite of numerous reports that persons wishing to offer this type of course come up against major obstacles stemming both from the stringent requirements laid down by the decree and sometimes from administrative obstruction. ECRI also notes that to date no consideration has been given to the possibility of courses in languages and dialects traditionally used by Turkish citizens in their daily lives being taught in state schools.

64. In its second report, ECRI recommended that the Turkish authorities take initiatives to ensure that children of non-Turkish mother tongue can adequately follow classes taught in Turkish. ECRI is not aware of particular steps taken to this effect, though the difficulties encountered by these children appear to persist. The children concerned are both those of immigrants and children of Turkish nationality who are of non-Turkish mother tongue.

Recommendations:

65. ECRI recommends that the Turkish authorities pursue their efforts in favour of tuition in languages and dialects traditionally used in Turkey. It recommends that they ensure that the authorisation granted for private courses is fully implemented in practice, particularly by removing all barriers arising from administrative obstruction.

66. ECRI encourages the Turkish authorities to revise the wording of Article 42 of the Constitution, which prohibits the teaching of non-Turkish mother tongues in state schools. It should be possible for such tuition to be provided alongside tuition in the official language.

67. ECRI recommends that the Turkish authorities look into the situation of children of non-Turkish mother tongue and ensure that every effort is made to enable them to learn Turkish, the teaching language, properly. Measures such as additional courses or methods for teaching Turkish as a second language could help to improve the situation. Care should be taken to ensure that children of non-Turkish mother tongue have equal opportunities in access to education, since this also conditions equal opportunities in employment."

Document(s): Open document

27.03.2002 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Special Rapporteur on the rights to education: Mother tongue and teaching of foreign languages ("Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the right to education: Economic, social and cultural rights (E/CN.4/2002/60/Add.2)") [#10410], [ID 13223]

"61. The term Turk refers to all citizens of Turkey without distinction as to ethnic origin,
race, religion, or language. Turkish is the mother tongue of the majority; others speak Kurdish,
Armenian, Arabic, Greek, Roma or one of the other 30 or so languages that are estimated to be
spoken in Turkey. [...]
65. The language of instruction was thus determined by the 1982 Constitution: “No language
other than Turkish shall be taught as mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institutions of
training or education.” The teaching and learning of foreign languages has in the meantime
become a praiseworthy symbol of change. The Ministry of National Education reported in
November 2001:
“From the 1997-1998 academic year onwards, a weekly two-hour foreign language
course has become obligatory, and a second foreign language for the fourth and the upper
primary classes has been included among the selective courses.”91
66. The exception to introducing the teaching and learning of foreign languages is Kurdish.
On 8 February 2002, the Special Rapporteur met a group of university students who informed
her about the ongoing suppression of attempts to introduce Kurdish as an elective
foreign-language course at the university. While it was possible to study Hungarian three hours
per week, petitions to the university authorities to introduce Kurdish as a foreign language were
rejected. The petitions were reportedly signed by 15,000 students at 35 universities. Apparently,
personal details about petitioners were forwarded by the university authorities to the law
enforcement bodies, leading to arrests on the grounds of “membership in, or support for an
illegal separatist organization”."

Document(s): Open document
hcr-tur270302-educ..pdf