Editing Kurdish language (section)

==Current status==
[[File:Road sign double toponyms Amed DSC00179.JPG|thumb|Road signs near [[Diyarbakır]] showing the place names in Turkish and Kurdish]]

Today, [[Sorani]] is an official language in Iraq. In Syria, on the other hand, publishing materials in Kurdish is forbidden,<ref>[http://web.amnesty.org/wire/March2005/Syria Repression of Kurds in Syria is widespread] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015034722/http://web.amnesty.org/wire/March2005/Syria |date=15 October 2007 }}, [[Amnesty International]] Report, March 2005.</ref> though this prohibition is not enforced any more due to the [[Syrian civil war]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/11/syria-kurdistan-self-governance-teach-kurdish-language.html|title=After 52-year ban, Syrian Kurds now taught Kurdish in schools|date=6 November 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510184634/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/11/syria-kurdistan-self-governance-teach-kurdish-language.html|archive-date=10 May 2016}}</ref>

Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish, prohibiting the language in education and broadcast media.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/action/special/zana.html |title=Special Focus Cases: Leyla Zana, Prisoner of Conscience |publisher=Amnestyusa.org |access-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050510082350/http://www.amnestyusa.org/action/special/zana.html |archive-date=10 May 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freemuse.org/sw6195.asp |title=Kurdish performers banned, Appeal from International PEN |publisher=Freemuse.org |access-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113034636/http://www.freemuse.org/sw6195.asp |archive-date=13 January 2012}}</ref> In March 2006, Turkey allowed private television channels to begin airing programming in Kurdish. However, the Turkish government said that they must avoid showing children's [[cartoon]]s, or educational programs that teach Kurdish, and could broadcast only for 45 minutes a day or four hours a week.<ref>[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D4687417-BAB7-426A-9F30-8D16A9DEE206.htm Turkey to get Kurdish television] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513082443/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D4687417-BAB7-426A-9F30-8D16A9DEE206.htm |date=13 May 2006 }}</ref> The state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) started its [[TRT Kurdî|24-hour Kurdish television station]] on 1 January 2009 with the motto "we live under the same sky".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kurdmedia.com/article.aspx?id=15316 |title=Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey |publisher=Kurdmedia.com |access-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112035549/http://www.kurdmedia.com/article.aspx?id=15316 |archive-date=12 January 2012}}</ref> The Turkish prime minister sent a video message in Kurdish to the opening ceremony, which was attended by Minister of Culture and other state officials. The channel uses the ''X'', ''W'', and ''Q'' letters during broadcasting. However, most of these restrictions on private Kurdish television channels were relaxed in September 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trt.net.tr/Haber/HaberDetay.aspx?HaberKodu=139bfcf2-18ef-46b2-937b-010ad9411f0f |title=TRT HABER – Özel Kürtçe Kanala Yeşil Işık |publisher=Trt.net.tr |date=28 November 2011 |access-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118223608/http://www.trt.net.tr/Haber/HaberDetay.aspx?HaberKodu=139bfcf2-18ef-46b2-937b-010ad9411f0f |archive-date=18 January 2012}}</ref> In 2010, Kurdish municipalities in the southeast began printing [[marriage certificate]]s, water bills, construction and [[road sign]]s, as well as emergency, social and cultural notices in Kurdish alongside Turkish. Also Imams began to deliver Friday [[Khutbah|sermons]] in Kurdish and [[Esnaf]] price tags in Kurdish. Many mayors were tried for issuing public documents in Kurdish language.<ref>{{cite news|title=On trial for speaking Kurdish|url=http://en.firatnews.com/news/features/on-trial-for-speaking-kurdish.htm|access-date=12 June 2013|newspaper=ANF-Firatnews|date=11 May 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615172358/http://en.firatnews.com/news/features/on-trial-for-speaking-kurdish.htm|archive-date=15 June 2013}}</ref> The Kurdish alphabet is not recognized in Turkey, and prior to 2013 the use of Kurdish names containing the letters ''X'', ''W'', and ''Q'', which do not exist in the [[Turkish alphabet]], was not allowed.<ref name="cla3a">{{cite web | url = http://www.unhchr.ch/minorities/statements10/CLA3a.doc | title = Submission to the Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: Working Group of Minorities; Tenth Session, Agenda Item 3 (a) | first = Saniye | last = Karakaş | publisher = [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]] |date=March 2004 | access-date = 2006-11-07 | format = [[Microsoft Word|MS Word]]|quote = Kurds have been officially allowed since September 2003 to take Kurdish names, but cannot use the letters x, w, or q, which are common in Kurdish but do not exist in Turkey's version of the Latin alphabet. [...] Those letters, however, are used in Turkey in the names of companies, TV and radio channels, and trademarks. For example [[Turkish Army]] has company under the name of AXA [[OYAK]] and there is [[Show TV|SHOW TV]] television channel in Turkey. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070628171743/http://www.unhchr.ch/minorities/statements10/CLA3a.doc <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2013/10/24/turkey_prime_minister_erdogan_s_democratizaton_package_legalizes_letters.html |title=Turkey legalizes the letters Q, W, and X. Yay Alphabet! |author=Mark Liberman |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=2013-10-24 |access-date=2013-10-25 }}</ref> In 2012, Kurdish-language lessons became an elective subject in public schools. Previously, Kurdish education had only been possible in private institutions.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkey to allow Kurdish lessons in schools|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/06/2012612133656956705.html|access-date=12 June 2013|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=12 June 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313145427/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/06/2012612133656956705.html|archive-date=13 March 2013}}</ref>

In Iran, though it is used in some local media and newspapers, it is not used in public schools.<ref>[http://www.institutkurde.org/en/language/ ''The Kurdish Language and Literature''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013085526/http://www.institutkurde.org/en/language |date=13 October 2008 }}, by Joyce Blau, professor of Kurdish language and civilization at the National Institute of Oriental Language and Civilization of the University of Paris ([[INALCO]])</ref><ref>[http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~siamakr/Kurdish/KURDICA/1999/APR/Iran-policy.html The language policy of Iran from State policy on the Kurdish language: the politics of status planning] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609144508/http://www.cogsci.ed.ac.uk/~siamakr/Kurdish/KURDICA/1999/APR/Iran-policy.html |date=9 June 2009 }}
by [[Amir Hassanpour]], University of Toronto</ref> In 2005, 80 Syrian and Iranian Kurds took part in an experiment and gained scholarships to study in [[Kurdistan Region]], Iraq, in their native tongue.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4528599 |title=Neighboring Kurds Travel to Study in Iraq |publisher=NPR |date=9 March 2005 |access-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126080226/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4528599 |archive-date=26 January 2012}}</ref>

In [[Kyrgyzstan]], {{pct|12700|13200|2}} of the Kurdish population speak Kurdish as their native language.<ref>{{cite web|title=. Number of resident population by selected nationality, mother tongue in 2009 |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/2010_phc/Kyrgyzstan/A5-2PopulationAndHousingCensusOfTheKyrgyzRepublicOf2009.pdf |access-date=9 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710092216/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/2010_PHC/Kyrgyzstan/A5-2PopulationAndHousingCensusOfTheKyrgyzRepublicOf2009.pdf |page=53|archive-date=10 July 2012 }}</ref> In Kazakhstan, the corresponding percentage is 88.7%.<ref name="kazakhstan">{{cite web|title=Table 4.1.1 Population by individual ethnic groups |url=http://www.eng.stat.kz/publishing/DocLib/2011/%D0%90%D0%9E%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC.pdf |work=Government of Kazakhstan |publisher=stat.kz |access-date=9 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227170112/http://www.eng.stat.kz/publishing/DocLib/2011/%D0%90%D0%9E%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC.pdf |page=21|archive-date=27 February 2012 }}</ref>