Will Gülen Movement schools offer Kurdish-medium education?

Journalists and Writers Foundation Vice-President Cemal Uşşak
Journalists and Writers Foundation Vice-President Cemal Uşşak


Date posted: October 7, 2013

Journalists and Writers Foundation Vice-President Cemal Ussak, regarding the Kurdish-medium education at the Gülen community schools in southeastern Turkey, said “It is a matter of course following the amendment to the current regulation.”

Vice-president of Journalists and Writers Foundation, regarded as the institutional face of Gülen Movement, Cemal Ussak brought to minds the fact that the movement’s schools abroad are offering education in the respective local languages anyway, in response to the question as to whether the movement’s school will launch Kurdish medium or not. “Following the amendment to the current regulation, it is as a matter of course that Kurdish education starts at the movement schools.” Noting that he anticipates the Kurdish education will be offered based on demand, not the location, “It shouldn’t be confined solely to private institutions. Kurdish, Laz, Abkhazian and Circassian citizens too should be able to study their languages at state-financed schools, just like Turkish citizens do their native language,” Ussak remarked.

Previously, in an interview with T24 in April 2013, in response to the question “Is Gülen community ready to offer Kurdish-medium education?” Ussak had said, “I believe so. The private schools in particular are ready for that.”

Speaking of his previous remarks in question, “I had made that remark based on an overall reasoning and conclusion. Kurdish is offered at the Hizmet schools in Iraqi Kurdistan. Moreover, given the fact that the respective local languages are available at the affiliates worldwide, it is as a matter of course that Kurdish education starts in Turkey too, following the amendment to the current regulation.” Ussak said.

In response to the question on whether the groundwork at the schools has been underway, “Currently, there is no groundwork going on. As is released by PM Erdogan, the progress in the issue depends on the regulation to be amended by the cabinet” Ussak said.
Mustafa Yesil: Kurdish might be an elective in Istanbul

Previously, Journalists and Writers Foundation President, Mustafa Yesil spoke to T24 on education in mother tongue:

T24: What is the stance of Gulen community, which attaches top priority to education, on education in mother tongue?

M. Yesil: Four different languages, namely the local language, regional language, English and Turkish –none of which is favored over another- are offered simultaneously at the movement schools abroad. When we earlier had proposed a constitutional model too, we had put forward the proposal that no constitutional restriction should exist for the Kurdish language to be taught as a local language. In this regard, it is essential that the curriculum at such schools is redesigned in line with the local people’s demands in the Southeast.

Kurdish might be offered as an elective in Istanbul. I believe Ministry of Education is not against that. Yet, first of all, the academic staff to teach Kurdish need to be trained and its infrastructure to be established. However, if you come up and say: “Let’s teach math, such and such in Kurdish,” then you will automatically eliminate some particular students in nationwide exams, which will result in another discrimination.”

Source: HizmetMovement.Com , October 7, 2013


Related News

Why did Turkey seize Bank Asya?

In September 2014, in an address to the Turkish Industry and Business Association, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the following statement: “No effort is underway to cause the bankruptcy of a bank. That bank is already bankrupt. They are carrying water by hand to keep it afloat.”

“We will celebrate a new world”

The languages, faiths, colors, countries or flags of the two thousand Turkish Olympiads participant students who hyped up millions in 55 cities and on tens of TV channels were different. Yet, they shared the common mission to build a new world filled with love.

Purge-victim mother of three dies of heart attack

Rana Ozturk, a mother of three children and the wife of Engin Ozturk who has been under arrest for 15 months over alleged ties to the Gulen group, died several days after a heart attack, media reported on Nov 21.

Iran’s Turkish gold rush

While the gas-for-gold scheme may have been technically legal before Congress finally shut it down in July, it appears to have exposed the Turkish political elite to a vast Iranian underworld. According to Today’s Zaman, suspicious transactions between Iran and Turkey could exceed $119 billion — nine times the total of gas-for-gold transactions reported.

17,000 women, 515 babies in Turkish prisons: SCF report

Thousands of women in Turkey, many with small children, have been jailed in an unprecedented crackdown and subjected to torture and ill-treatment in detention centers and prisons as part of the government’s systematic campaign of intimidation and persecution of critics and opponents, a new report has revealed.

Gülen-linked journalist association urges President Gül to take action over interventions on graft probe

“We call on the president to observe his duty to prevent the constitutional order, the independence of the judiciary, and the rule of law from being put at risk,” Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) Chairman Mustafa Yeşil said in a press statement.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Mr. Gulen is trying to interpret the broad humanistic principles of the Qur’an for the modern world

New constitution must bear spirit of Abant

Informant on Gülen movement members says he fabricated testimony to avoid jail time

Turkey’s crackdown threatens German stability, Gulen followers fear

Government oppression of confederation hurts Turkish exports to Africa

Kimse Yok Mu’s Ramadan packages for Filipino families

Is the Hizmet movement statist or populist?

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News