March 13, 2012

‘New charter should have no barriers to mother tongue education’

Today's Zaman

The 26th meeting of the Abant Platform, which discussed problematic areas of the constitutional drafting process, suggested in its final declaration on Sunday regarding education being given in languages other than Turkish - one of the most contentious issues that needs to be addressed in the new constitution - that as long as the official language of the country is taught and learned, everyone should be given the opportunity to receive an education in their mother tongue.

“Education in one's mother tongue is a fundamental human right. The constitution should not impose any restrictions on receiving an education in one's mother tongue and it should make education in different languages possible. Furthermore, as long as the official language of the country is taught and learned, everyone has the right to use their mother tongue in education,” said the final declaration of the Abant meeting regarding the controversial issue of education in languages other than Turkish.