Three Out of Four Kurdish Children No Longer Speak Their Native Language

By Enver Yilmaz
April 11, 2025
Source: zazakinews.com

A comprehensive study by the Center for Socio-Political Research has revealed an alarming decline in the use of Kurdish language in Turkey, with the majority of Kurdish children no longer speaking their mother tongue.

The survey, which included 1,285 participants across 22 cities, indicates that the Kurdish language is facing an existential threat, particularly among younger generations who are increasingly disconnected from their linguistic heritage.

According to the research conducted between January 28 and February 11, 2025, only 18 percent of 11-year-old children can speak Kurdish proficiently, compared to 77 percent of people over 65 years old. This stark generational divide highlights the precarious state of language transmission within Kurdish communities.

While 80 percent of the survey participants identified Kurmanji as their mother tongue and 17 percent specified Zazaki (Kirmancki), there has been a dramatic shift in household language practices. The research found that 35.9 percent of respondents exclusively speak Turkish at home, while 14.9 percent use a combination of Turkish and Kurdish, indicating that Turkish has become the dominant language in domestic settings.

Though 67 percent of participants reported that they understand their mother tongue, their literacy skills in Kurdish remain severely limited. Only 19 percent claimed they could write proficiently in Kurdish, and 21 percent said they could read it well. Respondents overwhelmingly identified the lack of mother-tongue education opportunities as the primary factor behind this literacy gap.

The study revealed that four out of five Kurdish children have received no education in their native language, despite the fact that 97.8 percent of participants expressed a desire for their children to be educated in Kurdish. Similarly, 97.7 percent believed in the importance of preserving and developing the Kurdish language.

Nearly half of the respondents (46.5 percent) cited the absence of mother-tongue education as the greatest threat to the language’s survival. One-third advocated for Kurdish to be accepted as a language of education, while another third called for its recognition as an official language.

This study by the Center for Socio-Political Research raises serious concerns about the future of Kurdish in Turkey. The findings suggest that as fewer young people speak their native language, not only is the language itself endangered, but cultural identity is also at risk of being lost.

The researchers conclude that the preservation and development of Kurdish for future generations will require both mother-tongue education opportunities and official recognition of the language.