Turkey's Education Ministry fines teacher for speaking Kurdish, Arabic with students

Turkey's Education Ministry has imposed a monetary fine on a Turkish language teacher on the grounds that he spoke Kurdish and Arabic with his students. Hüdai Morsümbül was previously expelled to another school pending an investigation.

Saturday April 30 2022 08:39 am

Duvar English

Turkey's Education Ministry has launched an investigation into a Turkish language teacher on the grounds that he spoke Kurdish and Arabic with his students and motivated his students to choose elective Kurdish language courses at the school, Mezopotamya news agency reported on April 29.

The investigation concerns Hüdai Morsümbül, a teacher of 23 years, who was previously employed at Ulubatlı Hasan Secondary School in the southern province of Mersin's Akdeniz.

As a result of the investigation, the Mersin Akdeniz District Directorate of National Education imposed a monetary fine on Morsümbül amounting to “1/30 of his salary.”

“Although you have been complained about and warned before, it has been understood that you have digressed from the Turkish [language] education program, taught Kurdish and Arabic to students in Turkish [language] classes and made students write Kurdish and Arabic words....It has been seen appropriate that you are fined with a punishment of 'cutting an amount of 1/30 from salary,'” read a letter sent by the Ministry to Morsümbül on April 25.

Morsümbül reacted against the fine on social media, saying: “The student does not know Turkish. I have asked their names. Îsmek? I have asked how they were doing. Keyfek?. I have taught their address. Is this a crime...The real crime of neglecting duty and imposing violence on students is continuing.”

Öğrenci Türkçe bilmiyor. Adını sordum. Îsmek?. Hal hatırını sordum. Keyfek?. Adresini öğrettim. Bu mu suç... Asıl suçlu görev ihmaline, öğrenciye şiddet uygulamaya, devam ediyor. Bu duruma kılıf uyduran müfettiş de, öğretmen de, Md yrd da hesap verecek. Azim Allah. https://t.co/ZG9n1nayQj
— Hüdai Morsümbül (@HudaiMorsumbul) April 29, 2022

After the launch of the investigation, Morsümbül was previously expelled from Ulubatlı Hasan Secondary School to Yenitaşkent Yusuf Bayık Ortaokulu in the same district.