...

“Progress” and “ignorance” in Turkey

Türkiye Materials 17 December 2014 22:07 (UTC +04:00)
Turkey has carried out reforms in many spheres since the Justice and Development Party (JDP) came to power in 2002.
“Progress” and “ignorance” in Turkey

Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey has carried out reforms in many spheres since the Justice and Development Party (JDP) came to power in 2002.

These reforms mainly covered the spheres of policy and economy. At the same time, the country carried out a number of reforms in the sphere of defense as well. Currently, domestic producers account for 54 percent of products in the defense sphere.

It was stated that the reforms are carried out to achieve Turkey's full membership in the European Union (EU). But given the lack of a serious result in Turkish-EU relations, these reforms were ultimately directed towards turning the country into a regional superpower.

It is also undeniable that along with political and economic reforms, Turkey carried out serious reforms in the sphere of education as well.

During the latest meeting of Turkey's National Education Council, JDP put forward several proposals that could cause serious resonance in the country.

The ruling party said that the old Turkish or Ottoman-Turkish language, which is regarded as a pure Turkish language, will mandatorily be taught in educational institutions.

Persian, Arab and native Turkish words prevail in the Ottoman-Turkish language as distinct from the modern Turkish language that contains French and English words as well.

JDP's proposal was welcomed by the National Action Party and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party. The National Action Party said that the Ottoman-Turkish language would enrich the modern Turkish language and expand its vocabulary.

But the Republican People's Party (CHP) considered the compulsory teaching of Ottoman Turkish as unacceptable.

Their statement said that the ruling party's purpose lies not in developing education, but teaching the Turkish youth to read gravestones.

Despite the CHP's protest, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Ottoman Turkish language would be taught in schools.

Is it necessary to study the Ottoman Turkish language in Turkey, where the number of illiterate population stands at 4.74 percent?

If one pays attention to the ruling party's policy of "returning to roots and self-belief", we can say that sooner or later the teaching of Ottoman Turkish will be introduced on a mandatory basis.

Others see this as a step to return to the past.

But as Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pointed out, Turkish youth are separated from their history if they can't read what their ancestors wrote a hundred years ago.

Considering the question from a historical point of view, one can say that Davutoglu is right.

It is necessary to seek other reasons for the CHP to be afraid of teaching the Ottoman-Turkish language, which the ruling party sees as a progress not only in language education but learning history, while the CHP considers it an ignorant, authoritarian move by the ruling party.

And here part of the matter also rests in the fact that the driving force of the opposition fears that the Latin script used in Turkey will be replaced by the Arabic alphabet.

But it is hard to believe that the government will take such a step.

Edited by CN

Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Arabic news service, follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu

Tags:
Latest

Latest