The DEM Party’s Commission on Language, Culture and the Arts stated in a release issued to mark the start of the 2026-2027 academic year that education in Türkiye is facing crises such as child poverty, insufficient funding, commercialization, the transformation of children into workers, and gender-based policies. The release stated that millions of children, particularly Kurdish children, are unable to benefit from the opportunity to receive education in their mother tongue, and called for this right to be secured by law and the Constitution. It emphasized that education in one’s mother tongue is necessary for identity, quality education, and social peace. Referring to the Peace and Democratic Society Process, the release noted that democratic and egalitarian coexistence would be possible by guaranteeing the rights of different languages. It stated that the right to two hours of elective classes was an achievement, but that the essential step was to make one’s mother tongue the language of instruction. Criticizing pressure targeting Kurdish language institutions and Kurdish speakers, the release called on the TBMM and all institutions to take action.
Why it matters
The demand for education in one’s mother tongue brings not only the scope of elective class options but also the education system’s understanding of equality and citizenship into question. The view that the current two-hour elective class is insufficient raises the question of how children’s relationship with the language of instruction should be regulated as a fundamental right. This issue concerns a broad segment of society, particularly because of the connection between Kurdish children’s educational experience and access to mother-tongue education, identity, and quality education. The approach set out in the release makes the protection of different languages part of the debate on social peace and democratic coexistence. However, how this demand will be turned into a legal and constitutional guarantee, and how institutions and the TBMM will respond, remains unclear.
Background
The party is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 5 news articles mentioning it in the last 90 days; the most recent was dated September 13, 2026.