Kurdish language to be taught in Turkish schools amid arrests June 12, 2012 - 17:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed reports on Tuesday, June 12, that Kurdish will be taught in public schools, describing it as "a historic step" for Turkey. "Our students ... will now be able to learn Kurdish as optional courses if there is a sufficient number [of students]," Erdoğan told his ruling party members in the parliament. "This is a historic step," he added, according to Hurriyet Daily News. Meanwhile, arrests of suspected members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party continue throughout the country. 16 people were taken into custody on Monday in the eastern province of Hakkari as part of a deepening investigation into the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK). On Tuesday, Aysel Tuğluk, an independent pro-Kurdish MP from Diyarbakır, was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months in prison on charges of being a member of PKK.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
