Yunus Can POLAT

Adnan Menderes University

Turkey is a multicultural country which contain a lot of ethnicity, religion, language, and sub-culture. On the beginning, it may be suitable to give a simple list of ethnicities which has their own language and certain district or place to understand the diversity and heterogeneity of this country.

Turks…………………… 40. 000.000 Tatar 4.000.000 Azeri 2.000.000

. Kurds………………………...8-15 million

Zaza People…………….........4.000.000 Circassians…………………...3.000.000 Laz People…………………...1.000.000 Arabians……………………..2.000.000 Bosniacs …………………….3.000.000 Albanians…………………….4.000.000 Roumanians…………… ……2.000.000 Georgians………….................2.000.000 Armenians……………………100.000 Greeks………………………...5000 Jews…………………............. 30.000 Syrians……………….. ……...17.000 Polish People……………. …..6000 Hamamashens……….......……44.000 Sudanese People………………..5.000 Nestorians………………… 1000 Keldanians…………………... 10.000 Bahaians……………………....1000 Pontusians…………………….1000 Makedonians…………………..200.000 Pomaks-Muslim Bulgarians…..500.000 Yezdies………………………..20.000

In spite of the diversity, people lives in the territory for thousands of years in peace and together. And the “other” is not generally a tool to build the identity. Identities have not been created by hate. The common culture is an collectively-composed and shared inheritance, starting with B.C. 3500 Sumerians and a continuation with Babylon, Firigs, Ions, Roma, Byzantium and Ottomans (New Rome).

But like almost whole world, in 18.century the serious effect of nationalism’s wind affected also this territories. After the first world war and decollapse of Ottoman Empire, the new state, described the citizenship in the base of a constitutional-Turkship, secularism and laicism. Nonetheless and surprisingly despite all suffer which state gave to the all etnicities including Turks, none of ethnicities including Kurds became an obstacle toward ``brotherhood of people's’’ in a new uniter republican state.

On the other hand, although every of the ethnicities we listed were able to use and enjoy their mother language freely, in their daily life and celebrations in Ottoman Empire , by 1923 and new republic, Turkish became official language of Turkish Republic and start to be used as only language in public places. And people had serious language and identity problems in the nation building process.

However these case has never been seen as a great source of a problem till the ill-fated new constitution which came with unfortunate coup d'etat 1980. After the coup using Kurdish has been banned, besides public places like Turkish parliament, public offices, schools and universities, official correspondence, also in daily life and media like TV-Radio and in the all kinds of publishments..etc

Although the well-known article of militarist constitution of 1982 about Kurdish ban, has abandoned in 1991 like countless anti humanitarian articles of the constitution, we had to wait till 2004 to hear TV broadcast on mother tongues.

While we, walk on the path of 1991 to 2004, in 2001 some other articles of constitution has changed about broadcasts. Even the new context of articles were promising a limited freedom of TV and Radio broadcasts in mother tongue. According to the new regulation, every Radio or Television channel would be able to make 5 hours ( for radio) and 4 hours ( TV ) –per week- broadcast in mother tongues. And on following period, TRT started broadcasts in 5 mother tongue, Kurdish (Zazaish and Kirmanish), Circassian, Bosnian, Arabian. But of course only 4 hours broadcast was not enough.

Finally in 2009 January 1, TRT 6 started its broadcast life as a first 24-hours Kurdish TV channel. PM Erdoğan’s congratulatory message in Kurdish language “TRT Şeş Bi Xer Be” became a motto of joy and new hopes.

No doubt, it is a great step for Turkey in the field of Human rights, recognizing of identities and living together and friendly.

Firstly, Kurdish is a very old language which is being used as mother tongue by over 40.000.000 people around the world. And, the new channel has started to being followed by all of the people in Turkey and around the world.

Hence, TRT şeş is an implementation which is beyond of being only a good public service and administration example. And it is a gift from Turkey and its Kurdish citizens to all Kurdish people around the world, by its existence and quality of its broadcast. Because there has been always a problem for Kurdish people to share their culture in a common base. And there has been always a need of this common base which does not only demonstrate the Kurds who has some political cares in their TV channels which most of Kurds does not accept because it is marginal and does not reflect kurdish identity and Kurds` cares.

TRT şeş is also an apology of state toward its Kurdish citizens because of its anti humanitarian banning of the language. And in our opinion, it is a quite successful way of trying to clean bad memories.

Language determinates our way of thinking. Our thoughts are limited by words we know and able to use, in the language we talk. In this context mother tongues have a natural tie with a person which sustain the person to understand the world, people, nature and her/himself. Thus, TRT şeş inspirits millions of people and gives them the freedom to think in their mother tongues.

TRT şeş encourage people to feel a belonging to the country which they live in and prevent an identitical conflict between people .

To compensate and maintain the cultural and identitical demands of citizens is a duty of state such as open a hospital, school, build a road or bring quicker internet connection.

Because of Kurdish language havent been used commonly in public sphere, media and arts the language could not pass through a natural self-development process. It did not give people sourced fruits and harvest of a language. Therefore, supporting the process development of Kurdish has been understood by government as a mission.

On the other hand this kind of a big Project could only be financed and sustained by state. There is some facts which make us think on this way. After 2001’ s constitutional changes and abandonments of bans. In private sector, some Kurdish people opened language schools for Kurdish ( because more than half of Kurdish citizens does not know Kurdish language) but the schools had to be closed because there was no demand from people. Than, to keep multicultural texture and mother languages the state had to act in serious ways.

Of course to ensure a democratic structure of the mother tongue TV channel was the most important issue in this case. So, government had to assert shared ideas in democratic platform and take stand points form both Kurdish people in big cities and from the places which they live traditionally, from the media, Kurdish intellectuals and scientists. So it had to form a commission from all the aspects. And it did so. Thus, a good deal arose which is most of people’s general will.

In this perspective TRT şeş is an original and prototype exampleProject in the world to support and protect mother tongues. And with this step we believe, Turkey get ahead of a lot of country like Germany, France, Russia..etc. which has millions of etnic minority.

TRT şeş has opened the way of appreciation mother tongues. After the TRT şeş Project started, government declared it will try to do it’s best to support other mother tongues which lives in Turkey.

This declaration strengthened the expectations of people who hope a Professional protection and academic researches which devoted to know, cherish and keep alive all the other mother tongues.