Turkey detains writers for preparing Kurdish language learning book

Turkish authorities have detained four Kurdish writers over a Kurdish language learning book that they first prepared in 2008.

Wednesday March 05 2025 11:02 pm

Duvar English

Turkish authorities on March 5 detained four Kurdish writers in early morning raids as part of an ongoing investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The arrests have drawn criticism from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, which called the operation an attempt to undermine hopes for peace.

Among those detained were Mevlüt Aykoç in Istanbul, Sami Tan in Urfa, and Ronahî Önen in Diyarbakır. Authorities cited their involvement in creating "Hînker," a Kurdish language teaching book, as the reason for their detention.

The book, first developed in 2008, has been widely used by Kurdish institutions, including the Istanbul Kurdish Institute, as an educational resource.

Police stated that Hînker was found during home searches in previous detentions in 2023 and has now been officially cited as evidence in the latest arrests.

During his questioning at Urfa Police Department, Tan was asked about the book’s purpose. In his defense, Tan responded, “I prepared it to be used in officially recognized private Kurdish language courses that were established in 2005.”

The DEM Party issued a strong statement condemning the detentions, arguing that they target Kurdish cultural activists at a pivotal moment for Turkey.

“As Turkey enters a new era following the historic ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society,’ these anti-democratic and unlawful attacks on Kurdish language advocates like Ronahî Önen, Sami Tan, and Mevlüt Aykoç are unacceptable,” the party said. “These operations aim to undermine the hope for peace.”

Tarihi "Barış ve Demokratik Toplum Çağrısı" ile Türkiye yeni bir döneme girerken, Ronahî Önen, Sami Tan ve Mevlüt Aykoç şahsında Kürt dili emekçilerine yönelik bu antidemokratik ve hukuk dışı saldırılar kabul edilemez. Bu operasyonlar barış umudunu baltalamaya yöneliktir. İktidar… pic.twitter.com/BOnlxXzfU7
— DEM Parti (@DEMGenelMerkezi) March 5, 2025

The party called for the immediate release of the detained writers and urged the government to take concrete steps toward democratization. “Our teachers Ronahî Önen, Sami Tan, and Mevlüt Aykoç are dedicated to preserving the Kurdish language. They must be released and the light of the Call for Peace and Democratic Society must not be extinguished,” it said in Kurdish.

Topics Kurdish language Kurdish DEM Party