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Is Kurdish spoken in Turkey?
Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) is the largest dialect group, spoken by an estimated 15 to 20 million Kurds in Turkey, Syria, northern Iraq, and northwest and northeast Iran. Central Kurdish (Sorani) is spoken by an estimated 6 to 7 million Kurds in much of Iraqi Kurdistan and the Iranian Kurdistan Province.
Is Kurdish language hard?
Learning Kurdish can be hard in terms of grammar and learning resources, especially if you don’t speak any middle-eastern language. The Kurmanji dialect can be easier for speakers of European languages because it uses the Latin alphabet, while the Surani dialect uses the Arabic script.
Are Kurds different from Turks?
Kurds are one of the ethnic groups of people living in Turkey and many other parts of the world. Turks speak Turkish; Kurds speak two or more languages and are multilingual people. Kurds are mostly Sunni Muslims, some minorities are Shia Muslims too; Turks are mainly Muslims but the country is a Secular State.
What language do Kurds speak in Turkey?
Almost all Kurds in Turkey are bilingual so they also speak Turkish. The Kurdish language was officially banned from 1980 to 1991 by the Turkish government. Kurmanji is a group of Kurdish dialects that you can find mainly in Kurdish-majority regions of Turkey.
Why can’t I learn Kurmanji Kurdish?
Speaking Kurmanji Kurdish in public and private was banned in Turkey from the 1920’s until 1991. It was literally illegal to speak the word “Kurd.” Therefore, there are less resources for learning Kurmanji Kurdish (which is more popular in Turkey) than the other Kurdish languages.
What percentage of Turkey is Kurdish?
According to various estimates, they compose between 15\% and 20\% of the population of Turkey. There are Kurds living in various provinces of Turkey, but they are primarily concentrated in the east and southeast of the country, within the region viewed by Kurds as Northern Kurdistan.
What happened to the Kurds during the Turkish-Kurdish conflict?
During the Kurdish–Turkish conflict, food embargoes were placed on Kurdish villages and towns. There were many instances of Kurds being forcibly expelled from their villages by Turkish security forces.