Can the minority ethic groups of Turkey speak their native languages in paece?

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Bix

My grandmother's native language is Ladino (medieval Spanish of the Sephardic Jews) and although she has never been to Spain, she speaks Turkish with a Spanish accent. Her mother didn't speak Turkish at all. In no other country (including European countries) the culture of the Sephardic Jews is better accepted than in Turkey. There are concerts (classical and modern music sung in Ladino), theater performances and other cultural activities of the Sephardic Jews in Turkey and there was never a problem with that.

My other grandmother grew up in Crete when it belonged to the Ottoman Empire and I witnessed her speaking with her brother in Greek.

Kurdish is not only spoken in the Eastern Anatolia but also in Istanbul and other places in Turkey. Just go to the Taksim Square in Istanbul and listen to the taxi drivers there. Many of them speak Kurdish.

I have never met any Armenians personally but I'm sure that they can speak Armenian freely as well. Once, I saw a newspaper stand selling "Agos", a newspaper published in Armenian and Turkish. Some freak killed the editor of "Agos" and many Turks went protesting alongside with their Armenian brothers and sisters. This is a film of Hrant Dink's funeral:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FasASHcT210

I heard Arabic all the time when I grew up in Southern Turkey. They spoke it freely.

So yes, they can.

arpsy

Are natives in Canada or in America able to speak their own language when they go to University (if they can go) italian communities, Chinese communities, frances speakers speak outside their own communities in USA can they speak in their own language?, or they have to speak English whenever they have to lead with government's affairs; can they speak in their native languages to do so?, can an arabs or turks or Chinese in Germany speak their own lenguage outside their communities. Why now, in order to get citizenship to be Canadian or to be German you have to speak English or French (in Canada) or German in Germany if you are not native of that countries? can a Palestinian speak arabic if he is living in Israel countries?...In every country there is a language called OFFICIAL LANGUAGE, so, same in Turkey and every country in the world you can speak in "peace" as you are implying your own language with your own people but, in order to lead with things that concern to government or society that does not belong to your people but you are living with, you have to use this OFFICIAL LANGUAGE of that country, other wise it would be like the Biblical Babylon tower. Do not you think so?.

Keyser

Every person should learn the main language of the country they are staying in and communicate that language in society.

kunter

if we had any, why not?

Moreover, it is called ETHNICS, if I might correct ethically.

We may not be presenting the finest example of democratic thoughts and movements for the rest of humanity but I assure you this is not part of the concern for my really colorful and must be beautiful country.

We've always been a nation of Armenian originated scholars, Greek and Arabic originated folks, at least the lands were all ancient greek and the religion was Arabic, moreover the Italians or whomsoever had been traders the merchants, and so on.

I doubt the pattern was totally broken though it's not the exactly as how it seems today.

Armenians and Greeks had been part of the empire for centuries - Neither Turkiye nor the Ottomans were not based upon a single race, they had their original language, the Ottoman not Turkish, and they had acquired new people to their sovereignty preserving their own cultures.

The term kurd and kurdish accordingly, nevertheless, was invented by the British imperialists nearly a century ago, and the idea or campaign I should say, is being invested by Israeli and the American republicans for only the devil knows why reasons.. On the other hand we have a ton of different and independent local dialects and you're welcome to call them Kurdish if you like. There is even an official kurdish TV station run by TRT, set your dishes and join the fray.

They constitute a portion of the country now and for everybody's sake they will speak their tongues or choice of languages.

While the illiteracy is still one god-damn issue unresolved in Turkiye,still I don't know why - it seems nobody will take care of this situation!

Instead, they are being politically invested. If you come across someone unable to speak Turkish, he is then given an automatic ID as "oo welcome to our Kurdish brotherhood" - What we know is, they don't under each other, so many dialects and no single education. These are from the first hand experience.

Other than that, we have very little naturally Arabic spoken citizens in the south, around Hatay as I know of, Greek Armenian Italian and Jewish people of course spoke theor own languages - though none of them I saw speaking their ancient languages - at least when they're among us. I had a several great friends on that region, they were gathering together while in the military, and started to talk in their Arabic. If I approach them they were getting shy, and used to start their half-Turkish accents till I signal them not to do so.

Besides, Turkiye is full of Synagogues and churches of the every sects of Christianity all over the place, since any of them existed on Earth before the other. We won't impose sanctions on the people who have rights to talk to God in their faiths, and languages :)

As far as I know we have protected them, even the Greeks from a near extinction and most others, including the Jews and our other fellow neighbors got their shares from the same understanding. We'll be damned if we do so.

This is why no-one believes some race called Turks might go out and starts cutting the Armenians.

If it was so, Russians would never respected us, neither we'd have any Armenians in the world today!

Do not get excited or be tempted by the temporary and bizarre implementations of the current governors - because we are also mostly terrified or still unaware what the hell is going on in here :) as far as we know, or at least what is seems from inside, they are onto something else and their hidden agendas will not be mentioning about a white crescent on a red flag as - we know of today :)

There is no telling if it would be of any good or any bad, but what is certain is no-one is sincere!

In conclusion, should you be a minority in Turkiye? Then you'll soon realize that this country is not one of the banana republics you might come across, bearing in mind that our fathers had quite a large map on this world which had full of different people, so the minorities. In contrast to what was believed, Turks did not torture or assimilate their own people, even they had minor or major importance, as I do know of from my own very Bosnian roots, for example.

Still I must have Christian relatives speaking Macedonian somewhere in the region. ok is the question now resolved?

Please don't take my words as part of your home-works or thesis, because I had been subjective, realizing I was part of the sides at any given situation, accordingly these were solely my own opinions upon how I had observed the things and evaluated, with regards to the history.

Best regards;

Totally Blunt

Yes, everybody speaks his/her language freely. My mother's mother tongue is Adige Caucasian. There are more cultures and languages than you can count here.

Having said that, the official language in Turkey is Turkish and until USA accepts Spanish as an official language, our official language will stay as Turkish. If, in some happy planet, all existing languages become official languages, Turkey will turn into the tower of Babylon.

As will Greece, you know. There are minorities in your country, too. And EU dressed down Greece just a couple of days ago for not giving minorities enough rights, didn't it?

Marc

Is this a rhetorical question or are you serious? I haven't heard of anyone brutal treatment of people speaking their native tongue.

frankturk50

All restrictions on speaking Kurdish were dropped years ago.

Koray

Can Greece Turkish population speak turkish in greece as a official language?
Ä°f you say daily life,yeah everybody can speak their language!!!!but not as a official language

KRC

I would say that in Turkey, you could speak your native tongue at home, but in order to do anything in public you are pretty much obliged to learn Turkish.

I know Kurdish people are forced to attend Turkish-speaking schools. That's one of the hot issues with Turkish treatment of Kurds.

Irmak

Yeah, sure.

Fatih

Yes, Everybody is free to speak their own mother language,Some of them mentioned about Kurdish people,The government opened a new tv channel whose language is kurdish.Of course, Our official language is Turkish like germany,england.france.

TÃ¼rkiye

of course they can!

DanyBoy

yes they can in privet in music public life etc. yet the official language is Turkish and Turkish must be learned by all turkish citizens yet you amy learn speak listen to brodcast in anyother language you like

Eclectic Mind

geez.. ask a serious question and the clowns roll up...

Zoi ((Î–Ï‰Î®))

The same thing again and again.
My answer is to search in google and study the last report of European Union about Turkey and the steps she must make about this kind of issues.
I know that immense progress has been made last five years, but there were times -not that distant- that were taff enough for minorities.

I am just so very sure that we, Greeks, Turks and some other folks that forcibly (I underline the previous word) co-existed, won't manage to communicate effectively, NOT IN THIS LIFE. Future generations will maybe have more things to say and do about it.

I think that if you say or admit you are a Turk, you are willing to mingle with them and adopt their ways, you can speak whatever language you want and you can believe in any God you like (this was not the case during the Ottomans, though, present day Turks want to forget it)...but you have to admit you are a Turk!
If not, you have it bad.

Well, for Greeks it is difficult to accept someone, who will just admit he is a Greek, we are a 'closed' society, BUT Greeks just let others exist with their -separate- identity...separately.

Keyser

not, and if they do it, then the Turkish police kill them

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