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Fri, 30. Jun 2006
The governor's Office of Diyarbakir opposed to the decision by general
compact of the Provincial Council to write the names of the villages in
Kurdish near the Turksich ones. The governor`s Office that sued in the
Administrative Tribunal for the revocation of the decision claimed that "the
former names had been used informally by the people and that the decision
would promote the use of the words in that way." Diyarbakir Governor Office
carried the decision about the names in Kurdish near the Turkish names on
the signboard, to the court.
The Provincial Council accepted on 3rd March 2006 by general compact that
the former names of the places in Diyarbakir city centre and other provinces
to be written in Kurdish in brackets near the names in Turkish on the
signboards. After the decison was accepted, Deputy Governor Hidir Kahveci
sent a written document to the Administrative Tribunal on duty and requested
that the decision were to be annuled. The governor's office said in the
written reason document that the term in the number 5442 Law of Provincial
Administration indicating that the names that are not Turkish and that give
rise to confusion should be changed.
'It will cause contradiction between the people and the official
instituions'
In the justification, it was said that if the new names are writeten near
the old ones, it will be difficult for the people to get used to it. Thus,
the aim will not be able to be reached." In the justification, where it was
said that the names have been used unofficially, it was said that the new
use in Kurdish will be promoted. In the justification, where it was said
that the new names would be forgotten among the people, it was said that it
will give rise to conflict between the people and the official instituions
and that there will be great economic damage.
'Village names are not known as Turkish'
Provincial Council Director Kerem Duruk, who said that it was necessary to
write the old names as a favour to the cultural atmosphere of the Syrian,
Arabic and Kurdish, said that they know that the Provincial Council have no
authority to change any name, but that it was just a proposal. Durukan, who
said that, considering the language of the region, almost 90 per cent of the
population are Kurdish and that no one says these names in Turkish, said
that therer should be toleration for this.