Striking 'Kurdish' remarks from Yavuz Ağıralioğlu! 'What do you mean by unknown language...'

Anahtar Party Chairman Yavuz Ağıralioğlu met with journalists as part of his program in Adıyaman and answered questions regarding the current agenda.

When asked by a journalist, “Your statements, stance, and attitude regarding the ongoing process are clear. Sometimes Kurdish expressions are used in the TBMM and are recorded as an ‘unknown language.’ How do you view education in the mother tongue?” Ağıralioğlu reacted to the recording of Kurdish expressions as an “unknown language” in the TBMM minutes.

Ağıralioğlu stated that writing Kurdish expressions as an “unknown language” in the TBMM minutes is “a very offensive thing” and continued his assessment.

“DEMANDING AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WILL DIVIDE THE COUNTRY”

Ağıralioğlu made the following remarks regarding the debates on an official language:

“Demanding an official language will divide the country. In unitary states, there is only one official language. It might exist in empires. We are not an empire. We are not in the age of empires either. For example, Circassians also have a language, Georgians have a language, and Albanians have one too.”

“THERE CAN BE NO SUCH NONSENSE”

Criticizing the use of language demands as a subject of propaganda by associating them with terrorism, Ağıralioğlu said:

“Now, for example, if you make the demand for a language a subject of propaganda like 'we took it by force through negotiations with the PKK,' tomorrow, for instance—though it won't happen—Circassians might also show sensitivity and demand their language. There are elements in Anatolia who will say, 'Our official language, our mother tongue, ours must also be protected.' What will we say to them, for example? 'We cannot give it just like that.

You have to kill 40 thousand of our children. Then we will catch you, we will send your terrorist founder to an island. Then we will negotiate. Then we will give it. We cannot give it immediately. Are we going to say, 'We give it in about 40 years' or something? There can be no such nonsense.”

“IT IS KURDISH, MY BROTHER, WHAT UNKNOWN LANGUAGE?”

Objecting directly to the expression in the TBMM minutes, Ağıralioğlu used the following words:

“Ha. You don't call it an 'unknown language.' It is the language of our nation, it is the language of the Kurds. What do you mean by unknown language? It is Kurdish, my brother, what unknown language? It is Kurdish. What do you mean by unknown language?”

“YOU CAN EVEN OPEN A UNIVERSITY”

Stating that education in the mother tongue is possible within the scope of private enterprise, Ağıralioğlu spoke as follows:

“You can even open a university. Plan its curriculum from kindergarten to university, create its resources, start from primary school, teach it, develop it. You can make the university equivalence in Turkish, no problem. Teach it, go ahead, it's free.”

“ONCE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ENTERS THE CONSTITUTION, YOU HAVE DIVIDED IT”

Pointing out the consequences of an official language gaining constitutional status, Ağıralioğlu said:

“But once an official language enters the constitution, once an official language enters schools, you have divided it. It tells the children, 'Kurds' class, Turks' class, Kurds' school, Kurds' team, Turks' team.' The country will be divided, the country will collapse. That is why such a thing does not happen in official, unitary states, sir.”

“WE DO NOT SAY TERRORIST WHEN WE SAY KURD”

Emphasizing that they are against the conflation of Kurdish identity with terrorism, Ağıralioğlu made the following statements:

“That is why we do not say terrorist when we say Kurd, we do not say PKK when we say Kurd, we do not say Kurds when we say Öcalan, and we never allow it to be said. We do not say Kurds when we say PYD. We believe in a Turkey without terrorism.”

Stating that they are against negotiating with terrorism, Ağıralioğlu continued his words as follows:

“A Turkey without terrorism is necessary, it must be. There should be no negotiation with terrorists. A Turkey without terrorism must be ensured, and a microphone should not be placed in front of Kandil.”

“YOU WILL TALK TO YOUR OWN NATION”

Emphasizing that the process should be carried out on legitimate grounds, Ağıralioğlu concluded his speech with the following words:

“You will listen to your own nation. It is not an unknown language, it is a known language. You will sit down and talk like a man with those who know Kurdish, those who know the mother tongue. These are your own nation. You will listen to their reasonable demands; not with the PKK, not with Apo, not with İmralı, not with Kandil; you will talk to your own nation, to your own children. It is the duty of the state to protect, develop, and preserve the innate rights of people.”