Hasan Namli
February 20, 2021•Update: February 20, 2021
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey
A municipality in southeastern Turkey will launch courses next month that features six different languages.
The Languages of Civilization courses will be held for Kurdish, Zaza, Ottoman Turkish, Farsi, Arabic and Assyrian languages at the "Language of Civilizations" workshop in Diyarbakir Municipality.
To maintain and improve language proficiency, educational social and cultural activities will be incorporated into the workshop for the language.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, the head of Cultural and Social Affairs at the municipality, Ali Celik, said the workshop is intended to strengthen cultural ties through languages that it sees as wealth.
Working to actualize the project for the past two-and-a-half years, Celik said the group contacted universities and the Ministry of National Education for educational equipment needed for Kurdish, Zaza and Assyrian.
He noted that Kurdish and Arabic should be learned better by getting to know the civilizations peculiar to the country just like Western civilizations learn English and French by getting to know their own.
"If we need to read [Turkish poet, writer and thinker] Fuzuli in order to understand this civilization, we need to read and examine Malaye Jaziri [Kurdish writer, poet and mystic]. For this, we need to learn Kurdish, the language of Malaye Jaziri," Celik said.
He said the main purpose for launching the courses is not only to teach languages but to ensure the emergence of new cultural and artistic works that will serve unity, solidarity and brotherhood among people in the country.
Another official at the Directorate of Culture and Social Affairs from Diyarbakir Municipality, Aziz Altunboga, said registrations will be held virtually.
He said courses are organized according to social distancing and hygiene rules for a maximum of 10 students and classes are made ready in case of high demand for courses that will begin March 5.
"For the first time, we will conduct a course on Assyrian, one of the ancient languages spoken in the region. We will also start our courses on Zaza, which is one of the forgotten languages," he Altunboga.
