Turkey, Kurds, Language: Nicholas Glastonbury at TEDxGallatin

I'm a Kurd raised in Turkey, now living in London. I remember being 6 years old and going to school for the first time and when we arrived at the gates, my mum telling me "baby, remember what I told you, do not ever mention we are Kurdish to any of your friends and teachers" initially I couldn't understand why this had to happen but then learning the loyalty oath and repeating it every day came along, just as told in this ted talk. I appreciate this talk and love to see people learning about our existence which was denied for many years. It means a lot to us for people to educate themselves and their friends on this topic and gives us hope. This video briefly covers aspects the Kurdish experience but there's a lot more that's been going on and we need you to learn more about it so that we can create change all together for future generations. Thank you

[@ensarozdemir639]

That was my mom ,yours and many .... Long live the people have broken the language barriers.

[@mechanicfury]

Küçükken, altı yaşlarında filan hiç unutmam yaşıtım olan mahalle arkadaşım bana terörist demişti. Ben anlamını bile bilmiyordum.. Çok uzunca bir süre dışlandığımı hatırlıyorum.. Daha altı yaşındaydım ve hiçbir şeyden haberim yoktu. Sizin de küçükken yaşadığınız şeyler benziyor..

[@kurdezaza3347]

Kurd from kurdistan

[@jasmine-gx2pq]

@@mechanicfury o çocuk nereden biliyor, değil mi? zehirliyorlar çocukları, onlar da bizi zehirliyor ve uzaklaşıyoruz, asimile oluyoruz. aşağı yukarı aynı şeyleri yaşadım, yaşıyorum. hayırlısı olsun.

[@another_random]

@@jasmine-gx2pq asimile değil, kovmak.

[@perunamuusionhyvaa5948]

as a kurd my mom always tells me to not speak my language in turkey because we could get in trouble. she always tells me about how my grandpa was tortured and she didnt recognise her dad after the torture. (keep in mind that he went to jail for being kurdish) we cant live our culture or speak our language in the country we say we are from.

[@ertugrula6291]

Perunamuusi On hyvää come Turkey and speak in Kurdish if someone says bad anything say me. We all Muslims we all brothers.

[@gamze9106]

Europe and America give people a bad image about Turkey. Turkey multicultural country. we respect everyone. Please don't let politics mislead you. We hope to see you in Turkey ♥️

[@amed2408]

@@gamze9106 He's saying he is told not to speak his own language in Turkey for his self safety. This has nothing to do with international politics, This has to do with internal politics.

[@lohrine]

@@gamze9106 turkey isn't a multicultural country LOLLL it's usually just turks. it seems that you're the one that's being misled. turkey isn't the new york you think it is

[@123meenasalih]

I’m sorry that happened:(

[@janan1108]

I am Kurdish and I am proud of my language and identity. Kurdish dance is the happiest dance in the world

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@Rabiaaya2]

​@@kemaldedemmMalarzgitin yarışı Kürttü

[@Yusufsnmz07]

As a Kurd,firstly thank you for making our voice heard on this issue. No identity or language is recognized in Turkey except Turkish. The situation is the same today, but the thought of assimilating the Kurds existed before the foundation of the republic. It goes back to the last years of the Ottoman Empire, but despite the passing of 100 years. We are still standing and we will always be. We have been always Kurds and we will be always Kurds❤

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@aliakturk2418]

I am glad that you are the voice of the Kurds👏👏✌️✌️

[@titandangeliyorum6630]

Soyadın çok ironik

[@doublemosasaur5091]

Hahaha even his name has "türk" in it, wtf.

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@clgnbiyolog1863]

Poor people who make fun of you because your last name says Turk, this is the result of Turkish fascism, you are making fun of them instead of apologizing for this, you Turks are really very ununderstanding.

[@ashna7421]

I'm Kurdish and I learned so much from this.. It's so sad what the Turks were taught and made to do to the Kurds 😔

[@ashna7421]

@@yasin_58_ oh and you live in Kurdistan so you know our history right?? Yeah didn't think so.

[@ashna7421]

@@yasin_58_ When I say Kurdistan I mean Kurdistan not "east Turkey" 🤗

[@ashna7421]

@@yasin_58_ LMAO ok babe you keep being the delusion self you are. You can think anything you like but whatever you do there will always be a Kurdistan ❤🤭

[@mahsunilis6814]

@@yasin_58_ Kurds came from Iran? So where did you come from? 😀 Why don't you look like Asian People when we compare your phenotype:)

[@ערביםהםזונות]

@@yasin_58_ Where did You come from?

[@yorunge3980]

Thank you Nicholas. i really appreciate your speech as a Kurdish. i hope turkey will understand what humanity is.

[@zaraakpinar8017]

I watched this a few years ago and I’m watching it again. Such an important topic that hardly anyone knows about and as a Kurd I’m so proud and happy that Nicholas who isn’t Kurdish himself, took the time to research about things that have affected us. 🙌🏻

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@RebwarMohamadLLM]

Be proud that you are Kurdish

[@mertcanaslan9898]

Ok

[@roj1512]

@@mertcanaslan9898 yo! That offer does not include assimilated Kurds.

[@mertcanaslan9898]

@@roj1512 I am not kurd so whatever. I think race is not a thing to be proud of. My English is bad sorry if I did mistake at grammar. Loves to kurds and all humankind.

[@roj1512]

@@mertcanaslan9898 cool. Happy life.

[@alvinbernstein1045]

@@mertcanaslan9898 Right. You should tell this your fellow Turkish people.

[@ZeinaIan]

I'm from the Iranian part of Kurdistan so thankfully I retained and can speak Kurdish but I know a couple Kurdish girls from the Turkish part and they can't speak any Kurdish because their grandparents were banned from doing it so their parents were never able to learn it and in turn they were never able to learn it and can only speak Turkish and English now (since we live in Australia). It's so sad to me that such a huge part of their culture and identity has forever been erased.

Can relate to this a lot, now that I live in the UK, I'm trying to learn my mother tongue from foreign resources. It's heartbreaking

[@jasmine-gx2pq]

@ i can so much relate. i'm dreaming of traveling to erbil and learn kurmanji or sorani there. how ironic :d

[@janan1108]

I am Kurdish and I am proud of my language and identity. Kurdish dance is the happiest dance in the world

[@umranyildiz4968]

Türkiye'de Kürtçe konuşmanın yasak olması kesinlikle yalandır

[@carpediemmementomori1643]

@@umranyildiz4968 daha dün gercekten dün youtubeye ac bak yine dayanamamis ama sen inanmazsin sana link atayim polis gelip sokakta sarki söyleyen gence burasi benimdir heryer felan kürtce konusmasina tahammülü olmayan bi sürü densizz var bide utanmadan bu halka yapilan zülmleri hicleyerek gelmis burda insanlik tasliyorsun sen ve senin gibilerin namazi da yalandir kilsanizda gecersizdir Göz yumun bakalim

[@peshawaykurd313]

Kurds cannot self-identify as Arabs because they're NOT Arabic. They are of Indo-European origin, like most Europeans, Slavs, Balts, Germanics (English, Scandinavians, Dutch, Germans, Celts, Greeks, etc. The Kurdish language is distant related to English, Latin, French, Welsh, Lithuanian, Armenian… it is in the same IE subgroup, Indo-Iranian as Persians (Farsi, Skythian, Hindi, Urdu, Pashto

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@TheSecludedWarrior]

Finally someone with actual knowledge of language and history, most Kurds do not know there bloodline or language at all.

[@Qingeaton]

The scene of the children reciting the pledge in call and response form struck me as like that of communist countries. Turkey is now on the way to becoming more intolerant of minorities and less secular, which I personally believe will be a drag on its future.

[@Qingeaton]

@@onurcevik53 The genocide of the Armenians in the past would make anything current look good. Still becoming more radical Islamist all the time though.

[@oog3411]

@@Qingeaton They don't recognize that a genocide happend to the Armenians or to the Assyrians or to the Greeks of Pontos so yeah leave them live in their world

[@Qingeaton]

@@oog3411 Yes, I just like to remind people about it because too few understand what was done and by whom.

[@Leaf682]

As someone who doesn't support Erdogan or the current government, Turkey is not becoming more Islamist and has become more tolerant in the last 20 years. But we are starting to buy weapons from countries other than the US, so your media makes us look like we're getting worse :) That's not to say that we dont have MUCH more progress to be made, but your comments show that you dont know much about Turkish history

[@Qingeaton]

@@Leaf682 Since I don't live in Turkey, then you are right that I don't get a perfect picture of over here. I just hear Erdogan promoting Islam. Perhaps that is in response to declining numbers of young people following it. The government seems more interested in it than the people do, from an outsiders point of view.

[@thetagang6854]

Thank you for shedding light on the horros the kurds have faced

[@smyrnianlink]

Where is the Scottish language? What happened to American indian languages? How did they dissapear? What is the state of Turks in Iran? Turks in China? Turks in Greece? Turks in Bulgaria? At the moment Kurds have free press, literature and even TV channels (one of which is public channel, spending our taxes) IN KURDISH. Do american indians have TV channels in their own language? Any Turkish press in Iran? Anything being published in scottish or welsh?

[@hamajaff8236]

turks are fucking occupying our lands and w if it wasn't for pkk no one would be talking kurdish in turkey don't try to justify your massacres and discrimination by comparing your people to others

[@smyrnianlink]

So called Turkish "occupation" took place 1000 years ago and historically contemporary to the Anglo-saxon "occupation" of Britain. (Much much older than white occupation of america and Russian occupation of Asia) Kurds have been subject to political pressure for only the first 60 years of the republic. Before that (and since then) they have always been free. That is WHY : Unlike the languages of britain or america (and many in Russia) Kurdish still exists. (and that is why they make a problem of it) It has not been destroyed.

[@hamajaff8236]

smyrnianlink i stopped reading after you wrote "since then they have always been free"

[@hamajaff8236]

Emine FİLİZ i don't think turks know what peaceful means

[@hamajaff8236]

Emine FİLİZ is banning other people's language,their culture and committing massacres against them peaceful? because those things happened before pkk was created and these things are the reasons why pkk was created int he first place

[@Leaf682]

As a Turk, I always respect people like Mr. Glastonbury who are actually educated about Turkey and are able to share nuanced information about the complicated problems related to Turkey. There is just one issue about the talk, I do think it was historically dishonest to mention the conflict in the Eastern side of Turkey and OHAL without mentioning things like the PKK. We need more people talking about these issues in an honest and educated fashion so that we can can unite as a country - not as a country of ethnic Turks who speak Turkish, but as a country with a beautifully diverse history and population who speak Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Greek, Arabic, Persian, Zaza, etc. When we realize our diversity is what makes us great, we will truly be great.

[@RavenTheGrayWitch]

That beautiful moment when you see an educated person from your country

[@user-yc6vr8vn5j]

@@RavenTheGrayWitch its so rare ☹

[@ChocolateRuko]

PKK only exists because you banned their language, dont play the victim 😂😂

[@Leaf682]

@@ChocolateRuko actually that’s not true, I have never banned any language; I don’t work for the Turkish government

[@ChocolateRuko]

@@Leaf682 when i say “you” i meant “your government”

[@ChildOFmars1996]

Yeah when i studied in Turkey we had to read the pledge i guess. " i am a turk, i am honest i am hard working..." which was odd because i am a Kurd and my classmates were of diverse heritages. There are Greek, Bulgarian and çerkez people who live in Turkey. I don't speak Kurdish, nor do my parents. Since it was illegal to speak it my grandma never taught my father. Two weeks ago my friend told me she was disgusted by my ethnicity and that it wasn't a "personal problem" rather she was just "prejudiced towards kurds." In Turkey a common insult is calling someone a Kurd. Yes our nationality is an insult. "Look at him, what a kurd!" I was embarrassed of saying i was Kurdish. Embarrassed of it because my friends would not believe me due to my pale white skin. Apparently kurds are supposed to be dark skinned and barbaric. Whatever that's supposed to mean. So to people who are commenting and denying what happened to kurds, the systematic assimilation- stop it. There are millions of kurds in Turkey most don't know Kurdish. How can you explain any of these things without saying yes, there is exteme nationalism going on? You can't. Because the fact is, as a Kurd EVEN I AM a nationalist Turk. Can you believe it? As a kurd im a Turkish nationalist? My grandma hides that shes a kurd. My friends hide their nationalities all because of the stigma they will face. It's tragic that the world has come to this state. That my friend can openly say she's disgusting by my nationality. Or that someone can say "oh but you don't look like a kurd" (a comment i get much too often) as if kurds look a specific way. Or some say"kurds are turks" which is ridiculous, but that's another discussion. Thank you for this Ted talk, I'm glad that there are people who don't say my nationality doesn't exist. WHEN I AM LIVING PROOF THAT IT DOES.

[@blgram]

+Earth To Mars It's not illegal to speak another language other than Turkish in Turkey. It's your parents fault that you can't speak Kurdish. I know many Tatars who can't speak their mother tongue. They don't revolt. I'm sorry but from the beginning of the republic Kurds has become a big problem. They demand an independent state. I'm so sorry but Kurds have chosen their way.

[@outlaw6261]

+Ramazan Bilgin are u so naive stupid or just ignorant, didnt u watch the clip, didnt u hear how kurdish or other languages were forbidden and assimilated for almost 80 years and u still want to say something stupid like that, wtf is wrong with u? just fir one moment forget u are a turk and consider urself just as an human and now think and speak ( again forget u are a turk) , now u will speak something fair and sane!

[@cemerturkan8089]

+Earth To Mars Keeping in mind that I only read the last two sentences of your comment, I would recommend you to have a look at my comment to perhaps avoid the misunderstandings that the whole world have in mind for this minority against Turkish nationalism case.

[@anaisraelyan8438]

"Armenian" "Greek" and "Kurd" are used as insults in Turkey

[@ashleyjohn9427]

Earth To Mars long live Kurds and Kurdistan

[@Cryptoversity]

Almost every major problem in the world traces back to England, most that aren't can hold the US or Israel to account. Anyone else notice that?

[@dalyaahmad6724]

Appreciate your speech, it’s makes me very proudly . You can kill kurd ,but not kurdistan we are not turkish not arabic not Persian we are kurdish we are fight to show who we really are 🙏🏻

[@cemasikoglu9597]

Dalya Ahmad you are iranic your motherland is Iran zagros mountains

[@kurdistanm8245]

cem asikoglu and you are from Mongolia 🇲🇳 😂go back to Mongolia

[@cemasikoglu9597]

Kurdistan M donkeys boyfriend , we have fought and defeated Roman Empire to take anatolia with blood and swet try to take it !!

[@cemasikoglu9597]

Dalya Ahmad dalya you got lost too haa??

[@kurdistanm8245]

cem asikoglu turkgay mogul 🦃😂😂😂

[@aligurata8374]

I was born and grew up in Ankara into a "Turkish" family, but when I see some of my citizens make some senseless and inconsiderate comments here, I feel ashamed of being "Turkish". In the first place, I don't think we, the Turks, should be offended with the remarks of this guy in the video. If you just try to have an objective perspective over Kurdish question (and yes, I do believe it is the most important problem of Turkey right now), most of the things this guy is saying are facts. If only we could stop talking with the mindset of a guilty person who is trying in vain to defend himself in the court, and for once try to empathize the party we acted badly upon, and for god's sake say that we are sorry. Only then we might start to get the respect of other nations. Maybe I am a dreamer but I'm not not the only one :) I hope I have managed to get myself understood correctly. "Peace at home and peace in the world." M. K. Ataturk

[@அவானிஉயர்ந்தது]

Save your breath. Neither Atatürk nor Erdogan is subject to their objection or approval. Theirs is pure hate of everything about Turkey fueled up by imperialists for ages. So nothing new here.

[@revankasm6604]

As someone with a Kurdish background it warms my heart that a Turkish person acknowledges that assimilation against Kurds is cruel. Bless your heart

[@Evîn22126]

Dude ataturk was the main issue, he is the reason why both kurds and turks suffer , so please do not even talk about that monster , everything else you said i agree with

[@aligurata8374]

@Hellodarknessmyoldfriend26 Well, no one is perfect. Take other founding fathers like Washington or Gandhi, for example. They are considered heroes for their nations, but they have their flaws, don't they? We should be criticising them for their flaws, too. That's another issue, though.

[@sinannn000]

Another Kurd here! Thanks for enlighting this topic, we have been denied for a very long time but we still exist! Hope one day we will have a homeland which we will sth to be proud.

[@SaeedNebo]

thanks for revealing part of that what happening to a kurdish people by invaders

[@another_random]

You werent invaded, the greeks were.

[@aribakur4245]

Thank you as a Kurd.

[@jasmine-gx2pq]

wow, it's rare to have this kind of turkic name like nationalist turks as a kurd. good luck :d

[@muuezza5588]

@@jasmine-gx2pq because even kurdish name was banned in the past thats why most of them have turkish name i knew so many kurds from there their name was murat or bayram or fatih which its turkish name but they were kurdish even super nationalist..

[@jasmine-gx2pq]

@@muuezza5588 yeah, i know that. even my name is turkish/persian. it's common and totally understandable to have turkish, arabic or persian names and ofc kurds should have the right in which language they want to give to their children. i just said atilla is really rare toward kurds :)

[@aribakur4245]

@@jasmine-gx2pq Well it depends how you look at the picture. Yes, it is nothing that I like but it is also nothing that they will love to see I believe. Because I may have a turkish name but I am totaly diffrent from them. You have to see their faces when they find out I am Kurdish and I support Kurdistan with such name:). It shows us they may ban our names or whatever they can do but we will always be Kurd and Support Kurdistan...

[@jasmine-gx2pq]

@@aribakur4245 yeah i can imagine it lol :d even still some stupids think if you're blonde you can't be a kurd or if you speaking turkish well (sometimes even better than turks lol) you can't be a kurd... the list is crowded and complicated but i appreciate to have someone like you in my folk. thanks.

[@robertberger3475]

In Iran , at least a quarter of the population are ethnic Turks, Azerbaijanis, Turkmen, Qashqais, etc . The Iranian government has been treating them at least as badly as the Turkish government has been treating Kurds .

[@AlanXalil]

No that's not true because Turks in iran are wealthy and most of iran authorities are turk like Ruhani or Khamini

[@seyedmohammed3575]

yea and i think this is why they rule the country 😂😂

[@MiddleEast-4Ever]

long live 40 million Kurds and an independent Kurdistan in turkey iraq and syria, living in europe here.

[@Regalya]

You wrotten 30 wrong.

[@Azadkurd86]

This guy is talking 100% sense and facts. Only the uneducated and people who are ashamed of their past will not accept this guys knowledge.

[@noworldlikethisone4762]

Almost all Anatolians have accepted the idea of being Turkish. Being Turkish means being Anatolian and having been influenced by Central Asians and others around this beautiful piece of land. The Turks today are the children of the Anatolians that have been living in Turkey for many millenia. They have been influenced ethnically and culturally by neighboring regions. The only people who didn't wanted to be one with the others were the Kurds. If somebody is fascist than it's certainly the Kurds who don't want to live peacefully with all the other Anatolians.

[@Azadkurd86]

+Noworldlikethisone turks have not been in anatolia for many millenia, if you know how many years in a millenia theirs a 1000 years and turks have not been in anatolia for MANY millenia and being anatolian does not mean being turkish thats where Your wrong because being anatolian is older then being turkish and been populated by many empires way before the turks started to migrate to anatolia with their suljuk mongol horde. I dont think you know the meaning of fascism to define kurds as fascist and you must be blinded by how fascist the turkish regime is and how its creating an ignorant society. Kurds didnt accept being turkish because we are kurds not turkish. We dont bend over to forget our identity for comfort. Peace.

[@noworldlikethisone4762]

+Azadkurd86 That's exactly my point, dumbass. The Turks today are mostly Anatolian. Anatolian blood runs through their veins. They are the Greeks, the Phrygians, The Luwians, the Hittites, the Laz etc. from older times. The Anatolians have intermarried the Central Asians that came after the first millenium and took over their culture. They assimilitated without force to the Turkish language. The only ones who didn't are you. Instead of being strong and united, you choose to be fragmented in a historically very hostile region of this world. United we're one. Without you'll be just like Iraq and Syria: wartorn, helpless and begging for help.

[@Azadkurd86]

+Noworldlikethisone first of all your the dumbass and second of all please dont bull shit me about turks integrated with anatolians with out force thats plain rubbish because you people spread islam with the edge of the sword. You people always go on as if everyone opened their doors for you with flowers yh. Just like you most of us anatolians are related to urartu, hittaite persian, greek median etc but only difference is we didn't bende over and forget our identity for comfort and ease to be turks unlike you. If you love your country so much why have you and many turks like you immigrated to europe? The joke thing is many of you have applied for asylum as kurds any way i had many debates with ignorance on these forums and its like talking to a wall because because people like your self only understand one side of the coin, cant think beyond the spectrum you are stuck in.

[@noworldlikethisone4762]

+Azadkurd86 There are also a lot Kurds that migrated to Europe and we all now why: for the money. If you don't know this than you must surely be really stupid. Second: the Anatolians didn't bend over. It's a process. Before the Greeks they were Hittites and before them they were others. It's only since the Republic of Turkey exists that we are closer than ever to a nation that is truly one. Nobody asks you to forget your identity. The Laz people in the north are one of the most patriotic people of Turkey, yet still speak their language. Same goes for the Arabs in Hatay and the Circassians of Eskisehir and Bursa. The few Greeks and Armenians are the only peoples besides the kurds that resisted this unity. All Anatolians are grouped as one, even the Kurds in the central plains of Anatolia near Konya and Ankara. Only the kurds from the southeast are falling prey to the intricate games and strategies of foreign powers. And you did too. When all the oil in that region would dry up, you'll have nothing. As a unity we stand together. Alone, we'll fail. The region that we live in is shaking in war and has been this way for millenia. Only the ones who stand united will remain. Others will be lost in vain.

[@abcdfghabcdfgh8167]

I was as Kurd in Turkish school Our teacher says us we should say him if our comliitans speack Kurdish at home.

[@merlindabubu9181]

oh my god.... so scary...

[@mustafaunsal]

What has been said in this video is somewhat true. As a Turkish, the national pledge irritated me since the first day just like obligatory religion classes did in school. I wish that Turkey had more protective policies towards any minority group of language or religion because it is proven many times that not the oppression is what is going to keep you strong and in peace but justice and prosperity. As a Turkey born living in Canada as a Canadian Citizen, I can say that Republic of Turkey failed to provide these two things to its citizens in the grand scheme. I still love my native country though and respect all minorities and believe that there is always a middle way that can be found to keep everyone happy.

[@ersgtr3421]

That was basically impossible at the time. They had the simplest solution by calling everyone as Turkish. It is the very same thing that Canadians do today by calling every citizen as Canadian. They accept your dual citizenship and native country knowing that your grandchildren will no longer have that identity.

[@SunaAoimori]

somewhat? LOL

[@rahrjiyanin8072]

IF you were denied your language and turkish identity in Canada, would you and your family accept? Turks invaded the land of Kurds, Armenians, and Greeks and mandate their mixed farsi and Arabic language on the indigenous people, how is that right? how can you be proud of a nation who violates every single human right? a country that is build on fascism, racism, and hypocrisy? I would be ashamed to be a turk.

[@mustafaunsal]

@@rahrjiyanin8072 You don't need to ask me more about this:) I already expressed my feelings, however what Ersgtr said is also true about the situation at that time.

[@mustafaunsal]

@@rahrjiyanin8072 Pffff c mon I dont have time for this, feeling ashamed or bad etc...Read my initial message my friend and get the main idea from it.

[@Kurdistan4JesusChrist]

Real Kurds are Medes not Arabs or Turks

[@asakura5110]

Whatever bro we are bloody bro in turkey

[@ag-py6to]

not only, also hittites, sumerian, assyrians and urartians

[@am8516]

No real kurds are mitanis Medes empir come after mitani kingdom about 1000 years

[@roj1512]

@@am8516 Medes are Mitanis and Gotians plus some others united. Foff

[@asirnewazkhan4172]

The one thing I've understood from this thread; Kurds are a diverse group. They have no single root, no single ethnic source.

[@nameqhashemi591]

kurds are kurds not Turkish.

[@Torsengi]

Turkish isnt a nationality just like american. People who lives in america are american usually usa and people whole lives in turkey are turkish. Its turk what kurds arent that is a nationality

[@Torsengi]

@Said Seyda turkish occuppation? Since when kurds ever had a place to get occupied by others? Kurds are just another iranian group

[@Torsengi]

@Son of Mountain dear mountain person. I advise you to check some dictionary if you can find in your cave

[@tpragile]

@Said Seyda it is for u too dear person who can't think normally ve bu arada selamlar burada böyle Türkçe konuşun değil mi biraz. Nasıl olsa biliyorsunuz

[@encantevole]

@@Torsengi In the continent of America there is North America, Central America, and South America, and within, many countries, nations, and languages. USA citizens are very diverse, the difference is that they have been trying to become a real Democracy since after their independence from Great Britain in 1776...

[@ZhiggerA]

The world needs to listen to this sad truth! #FreeKurds

[@pxpq]

Seriously, any kurd living in turkey is free to leave, literally half of Iraq is controlled by kurds. Oh but if you just want our land, sorry but you are not free to take it.

[@yagmur4567]

Zor bey konuş üstad

[@azadi8770]

Zor bey ur land haha u should really check out kurdish histery before u talk all that none sense

[@Chrysaetos3]

Kurds lived there for thousands of years. I'm sorry, who's land is it? Who are the invaders?

[@kardokh4896]

Nothing but the truth , honest talk

[@StayHuman2011]

I am not remotely Turkish, I am British and I have to say this was SO completely Bias. A lot of what he said could apply to a number of nations including his. I would be interested to see one done on Israel.

[@fatosarnes]

So well said. I agree with your statements.

[@roycenord9659]

Because it reminds you of Irish Scottish and how you did the same thing to them as Turkish did to Kurdish?

[@yekbirasti5054]

So, what's your point?

[@enesugur6279]

Thanks you from kurd🙏🌹

[@haniyaomer7934]

I am kurdish from iraqi kurdistan I have mad respect for other kurds in other parts of kurdistan and kurds all around the world ❤️☀️💚

[@hamhai0]

its high time that Kurds too have their country of their own.If not than UNO should be made illegal

[@rohotmogor6747]

Kurds didn't have country for 2500 years even before Turks came. They blame other people for everythingand no one in middle east likes them.

[@ericberg9673]

Rohot Mogor you cleary have not read a single thing about kurds 😂

[@apaxx3950]

If you think so why don't you give land to them from US? You know like Texas or some other land? Just like how USA planted Israel just between all of the Arab states? I dare you, if you are so humanistic maybe you should be so in your own soil as well! Stop making one brother shoot at another in a land you have no idea about. We live under harmony with Kurds but America provoke them for their own gain and they resort to being a terrorist on a god forsaken mountain. Where they shoot at Turkish soldiers and occasionally suicide bomb Kurdish majority towns. Biggest terrorist organization in the world is USA.

[@hamhai0]

@@apaxx3950 Israel is not planted in the Middle east. Israel is the oldest nation in the middle east. Read and learn history.

[@ericberg9673]

Apax X harmony shut up the turkish state recently killed à Young kurd for just listening to kurdish music

[@cgeyik]

Quick update: Nowadays you can speak Kurdish freely in Turkey. Some years ago my farther and I had our conversations in an army hospital (GATA in Ankara) in Kurdish and guess what..... nothing happened. We were there for at least for 4 hours.

[@crazyboyattantire2694]

Quick update we're still not able to practice our culture and we can't get education in our native language moreover if we speak our Language in public probably we'd be insulted.

[@cgeyik]

@@crazyboyattantire2694 education in our own language will not happen in the close future. Kurdish culture is thriving in Turkey and is not being oppressed.

[@WunderWaffleman]

@@cgeyik why cant.there be education in the Kurdish language Mr.Ottoman

[@cgeyik]

@@WunderWaffleman Because you will get a domino effect which is highly damaging to the Turkish state (in 5 steps): 1. Allowing Kurds to learn their own language will mean that the state recognizes the Kurdish language. 2. When the state recognizes the Kurdish language, other minorities would want the same for themselves (Zaza, Laz, Assyrians and so on). 3. Being exposed to your own language will heighten your sense of identity and chances are that you will reject the current government, which doesn't have the same ethnicity as yours. 4. You will then develop nationalist ideas and get separatist ideals. 5. If the Kurds get their independence from one of the four countries (Turkey, Iran, Iraq or Syria), Kurds of the neighboring countries will want the same.

[@WunderWaffleman]

@@cgeyik all you are doing is showing why this system is despicable and how the Turkish state cannot survive without oppressing people and limiting democracy

[@JojoBojob]

Ya Turkey has a fierce assimilation policy bordering on ethnic and cultural cleansing. The Kurdish youth that are 18 and under today rarely know how to speak fluent Kurdish. Estimates have been done that place the number of Kurdish speakers in that age bracket around 20% or lower. Which means that in a generation or two, the Kurdish language might have gone extinct in Turkey.

[@Evîn22126]

That was always the goal , make them forget their language and culture and make them think that other kurds in the other regions are the enemies .make them think that their ancestors were turks and they are superior to other ethnicities because they are turks . make them forget about god and let them worship ataturk instead , and call yourselves muslims but when you see other muslims who are not turks they are less than you . This is litreally the mindset of every turk i have ever met no wonder why their economy is collapsing , may god help them. truly they are lost souls and they are filled with a hatred that will lead to worse things if not handled

[@RaterXKing]

Thanks for the Video. Good job.

[@melissamuller2363]

This comment section is contaminated with hate! All i can say is that i visited turkey and i know many turkish people who also hate the government too. Don't invent any excuses for hate about a country you definitely dont know.

[@ekindanacioglu9696]

% 60 of Turkish people hate government.Do you think we love that ignorant people?Hey,come on!We are not European or American but we can think too.

[@allsalls8022]

Melissa Müller u r smart..

[@kursatcantelli8331]

she is right.

[@rainhawk5264]

seriously? before the islamo-fascist came to power the fascist were on power. hm... anatolia is a nice country. defintely. but as well as left-wing or right-wing fascism and islamism are bad systems and definitely no oeaceful solution..

[@GM-ny9zd]

Thank you and God bless you🙏🏻🌹 ❤☀️💚

[@RenasAb]

Kurds were there thousands of years before Turks come to middle east , they occupied them and tried to destroy kurdish identity as hard as they can ..... their racism is unlimited....... thanks for saying the truth 🙏🏻

[@pauljmeyer1]

A nation's culture is at its strongest when it can be inclusive. The reasons for the contrary are all political.

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@mortezabahreii6030]

im kurd live in lorestan if iran , we want kurdestan country

[@Allesdrinn2]

Bzhi lurestan dili kurdan le Kirmaśan

[@divinejusticefeelsgood]

Also can this guy tell why so many people are speaking English?

[@Marmer]

Colonisation.

[@divinejusticefeelsgood]

@@Marmer that's the one. Well done. I like smart people.

[@Marmer]

@@divinejusticefeelsgood I'm not that smart, your question was easy. Now what is the point of your first comment?

[@alifeghehmajidi8377]

Amazing speech. Thank you for the information.

[@psikares8065]

Her biji Nicholas ! 🙏🏻

[@kemaldedemm]

Kürtler bir hiçtir topraklarıda yoktur ve sadece tarih boyunca paralı askerlik yapmışlardır

[@ahmetkaraca2960]

Tolchering is not allowed in Turkey (or at the Ottoman Empire) since the 19. century lawful. And the nationalism which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had advocated was not taking the rights of the minorities. His ideology was only to categorize everyone who lives in Turkey as a "Turk" independently of his origin, religion, gender, language or anything else. He supported the "Turkish Nationalism" to protect the country of the colonialising from the western states (England, France, ...). If you have really believable sources, that Kurdish people have been tolchered then you have to show it. Everyone has the ability to say anything without establishing it.

[@infostar8177]

And when Ardogan apologise about what turkish army done againt kurds ist than not enough for you. and whay Ataturk didnt said i fight for my turkish nation 1915 when he was fighting against UK France with help of kurd . If kurd knew about ataturks plan they could call for free kurdistan in 1915

[@ahmetkaraca2960]

The nationalism that Atatürk supported was an "Anatolian Nationalism". The Kurds and Turks fighted against Western States for their indipendence. The Kurds KNEW what they were doing. Kurds and Turks lived in brotherhood and they will keep living so if the terror organisation PKK gets illuminated.

[@ahmetkaraca2960]

KURD MEANS STRONG! Here in Turkey are still living many Kurds my dear. I have cousins who are half Kurdish and I have many other friends who are Kurdish or have Kurdish origins. We live in brotherhood and we will keep living so. You say: "Turks betrayed Kurds badly". And I ask you: "Why should Turks betray Kurds? For a piece of Land which just brings disadvantage with it? Or is that something else? How did the "Turks" betrayed the "Kurds"? Why should "Turks" betray the "Kurds"?

[@ahmetkaraca2960]

KURD MEANS STRONG! When did I say that Kurds are Turks? I just said that Atatürks "Turkish Nationalism" was an "Anatolian Nationalism". He was never a racist and he always wanted that all "Anatolian Folks" (Turks, Kurds, Arabs, etc.) live together in peace. Making people identify themselves as "Turkish" does whether mean they will get assimilated nor they genetic will change. I pesonally don't have a 100% Turkish origin.

[@ahmetkaraca2960]

KURD MEANS STRONG! That you have such Turkish friends doesn't mean that all Turkish people are thinking the same. I hope that you get "true Turkish friends" in future.

[@mortezaaminii67]

We are kurds, im kurdish from big luristan , for many yesrs say us iranian government that lure is persian and i belived that, but i knew something is wrong when i was in university i found im kirdish and leaened pure kurdish language im so proud that im kurdish

[@matrixxx3662]

You can be a kurd and Iranic.

[@mortezaaminii67]

@@matrixxx3662 yes but im not persian , im iranisn kurdish

[@mortezaaminii67]

@@matrixxx3662 i love other iranian i love gilaks ppl turk ppl , even i like persian ppl and i respect them but im not persian

[@matrixxx3662]

@@mortezaaminii67 I know. Not all Iranians are Persians,

[@mortezaaminii67]

@@matrixxx3662 where are you from

[@IvanaKupala]

Russia forced its language during the Soviet "union". Russification policies were strongest against Ukrainian language and culture, because Ukrainians had the strongest resistance against soviet rule.

[@abuhammad]

That's very terrible. I hope Kurds in Turkey get full autonomy. I am from Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in China, where we have evolved from Soviet influenced independent Republic of East Turkistan found in 1944 to incorporation into communist China in 1949 for pressure and fake promises of high autonomy and no colonization by Chinese, to dissolve Turk army in 1962 just after vicotry over India in the Battle of Aksai Chin, to today's concentration camps for Turks (Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kirghizs mainly), it's full appartheit, and no one can move around freely, not to mention leaving China at all. Only left the name of autonomy, and the laws of autonomy as decorations.

[@nerminacelik6638]

Thank you

[@janan1108]

Please note that Kurdish dance is full of words and meanings. This means identity, antiquity and history (material). The handkerchief of the first and last person shows the equality of all members of the group by the unity of the women's group in dance, the symbol of brotherhood and sisterhood between all men and women, and the social role of women in the group. The group becomes a hooray and a collective voice to scare the enemy in a meeting means to persuade the enemy and the hated group to surrender. Raising the head means seeking help from the pure God. Chains are another way of dancing in Kurdish The manner and color of the handkerchiefs means that white means we are at peace now, when the red handkerchief was lifted and the legs hit the ground faster and the rhythm danced or it was time to declare its readiness for war.

[@merlindabubu9181]

uuu interesting, thank you!

[@finduxcan]

I'm Turkish and I feel terribly sorry about how Kurds are treated in our country for years. A lot of discussion has to be made today to come to an agreement between our nations to solve these issues. But I think that American citizens should really be primarily concerned about their own national politics. Enough of addressing other countries' problems while the politics in the US has a lot of responsibility to take.

[@PhiloAmericana]

Quit bombing the Kurds!

[@terror-turk6713]

You are not a Turk !

[@markberg5541]

PhiloAmericana why don't u americans give back your land back to the indian u fucked off American if the kurds don't like living in turkey simple fuck off out from turkey its not there land and nerver has been

[@diakokn6888]

If you are honest that is something good to hear,and yes i agree the first thing that usa has to do is correcting the sykes-piccout agreement and rebuild great kurdistan then maybe we can all live in harmony and peace.

[@fatiakpi]

Like Vietnam, Iraq and AFghanistan Right? if americans give their supports, It means more blood and more tears. First they will take all petrols. Your nations and your leaders ll be control by them after they will take all lands from you to build great Israel. You will understand it but hope not too late?

[@mabast007]

Neat and informative thank you Nick.

[@Hunar1997]

بۆ هەموو ئەو تورکانەی کە لەخوارەوە لێدوانی قۆڕیان نووسیوە .. بڕۆن گو بخۆن لەوە باشترە

[@rekeshorey5571]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@freezeyou-Always-Frozen]

ama ba englizy bnusy bashtra ba Aw gawadana gueyan lebet

[@renasarian4410]

Please English or Kurmançi ❤

[@kurdi2959]

تركي گه وات

[@renasarian4410]

@@kurdi2959 Erdogan=Isis

[@murathankale]

According to professor Arnold Ludwig’s 18-year long study, examining the nature of political leaders in the world, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk stands out as the greatest leader of the century due to the fact that he was the leader of one of the earliest struggles against colonialism and imperialism, that he was an exceptional reformer in almost all social and cultural fields of modern times, that he set an outstanding example in promoting the spirit of mutual understanding between peoples and lasting peace between the nations of the world and that he had advocated all his life the advent of ‘an age of harmony and co-operation in which no distinction would be made between men on account of color, religion or race'. He transformed Turkey, with a population of 98 % Muslims, into a secular and modern country with institutions and a social and political substructure like Western countries in the middle of the Near East. Well, that's not what some people want to see. Why? Now imagine all the Arabs in the Middle East would turn into something like that. That region needs to be exploited because of its vast resources and an enlightened nation is the least that is needed over there. Underdeveloped, tribal minorities are the best instruments for this purpose. So, today it's the Kurdish card, tomorrow the Armenians, the next day something else. Well, this young "wanna be" perception manipulator is trying to do his job. It seems that he is new in this. Keep on working, Nicholas Glastonbury! Eventually, you'll find some people who will buy this shit.

[@murathankale]

itin duası kabul olsaydı, gökten kemik yağardı.

[@rainhawk5264]

First of all, this statement was made about 30/40 years ago .... at a time were FASCIST TURKS DENIED THE EXISTENCE OF KURDS AND THE WORD CLOSED HIS EYES to this... Second, Kemal was just an Macedonian-Albanian Islam convert and a european thief who immigrated from the Balkan to grab autochtone Anatolians land. The Christian Europeans were just happy to sent out all the slavic converts from the Balkan out of Europe. They should have been sent back to Albania, Macedonia or Bosnia where they came from.

[@murathankale]

@@rainhawk5264 As an ethno-nationalist beloning to a feudal/tribal culture you won't be able to understand the mindset, vision and all the greater good that Ataturk brought upon the Anatolian people and the hope he gave to oppressed people throughout the world. He once said, "It's not important to see the horizon, what counts is to see beyond the horizon". A tribal culture, lost in ignorance and centuries-old false convictions can't see beyond the curtain that covers their worldview.

[@zhizhixoxo]

Excellent talk, great job & thank you for speaking the truth

[@mrdennsiewillja]

viva kurdistan from germany

[@ZAGROSRODI]

Thank you 🙏

[@muratg9395]

everything explained clearly in 11 minutes. this is great. thank you for sharing mate.

[@ChildOFmars1996]

Oh and btw, instead of making stupid comments such as "but turkey helped the islam world" "but America did stuff to native Americans" Why don't you people acknowledge the fact that what's beautiful about north America is that Here they ACCEPT what they have done and i have professors who apologize in public health classes for what the first nations went through. They aren't saying the first nations didn't exist. And secondly, no one denies turkeys hand in development, this Ted talk is about language and how by enforcing it on a people, you may be enforcing FASCISM. And lastly, for God's sake its 2015 i can't believe there are still people who are using kurds and pkk interchangeably. Then no one should complain about muslims being called terrorists or Turks being called barbaric in Germany.

[@s2mle.100lesh]

"Ataturk's nationalism opinion" is a distinct case. It includes: "If who feels like Turkish, he/she is Turkish." These are Ataturk's words. In 1930's, in a place like Anatolia, something else couldn't be expected. Thousands of people killed and injured by Allies forces of WW1 (England, France, Italy, Greece, Armenia etc. Maybe you don't know, or you've forgotten.). Then, Ataturk and The Grand National Assembly of Turkey gathered an army and saved "our" homeland. "Our" means Turkish, Kurdish, Circassian, Albanian etc. Ataturk united all these folks and miniorities of Anatolia, and he founded the Turkish Republic with these folks and miniorities. And all the Turkey's inhabitants are respect to say "I am Turkish." This issue does not concern those who didn't suffer once.

[@another_random]

@@GoogleAccount-mt1bf btw never seen other ethnic groups create small revolts in the republic.

[@another_random]

@@GoogleAccount-mt1bf im talking about revolts, not riots. there is a difference :) I couldnt find a revolt of another group, so its my conclusion. I expect to be wrong. If you are wondering who liked your comment, i did. :)

[@roniisar]

Xwedê di serê wan dagirkeran de xerab bike. nahêlin.

[@lohrine]

h

[@muammersar8472]

Amiiiiiin

[@roycenord9659]

Em ké kurm bine û mejî wana kevin heta wana ji welatè me dernekevin.

[@MrThePlat]

Before Turkish language was priveliged by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, official language in government and communication in media was arabic and persian in Ottoman Empire and Turkey. He is criticizing a lot Turkish language preference but not explain why it will be better to stay in arabic or persian or he is dreaming that everyone will speak his own language and no common language to share to use as base. He is not focused on majority population was Turks and they were forced to speak and write in arabic and language revolution was a must to develop for the country, where arabic was not fitting Turkish language to be able to write and very few people were able to write and read before Ataturks language revolution. He needs to look at from much wider perspective and reasons of lots of changes during Turkish revolution, in parallel to other options and consequences. Also, lots of information look like collected from rumours or via word of mouth without a fact behind. I never heard someone said that every person mother language is Turkish in Turkey and i am one of the kids repeated in the clip he presented, which was mainly to motivate honesty, protect younger, respect elders, love my nation. I noticed also instead of sharing facts, he is trying to create/push a perception by using presentation methods like repeating specifc words multiple times specifically in different places.

[@rainhawk5264]

no man, the majority in Anatolia are not turks. DNA studies reveals only 10% are original Turk DNA the rest are Indoeuropeans - like Greeks, Kurds and Armenians. The only reason the took the Turkic language and opressed it on the Anatolian as they wanted to erase their origin.

[@alvinbernstein1045]

You do know that the official "Ottoman Turkish" language was formed by the Ottoman "Turks"? More than 80% of it consisted of Persian and Arabic, that's right, but it was your forefathers, the founders of the Ottoman Empire, who established that language. So what are you talking about?

[@ahmetdagdelen6180]

@@rainhawk5264 yaw he he

[@MohammedAli-xf9jk]

I am glad you give this all information. as I'm kurd but you should be fair enough to talk about genocide against Kurdish . By Kamal

[@haifa.mustafa]

well done mr. Necolas..you are right that kurds cannot speak thier mother language kurdish because of turkish goverment mony kurds killed every year because they speak kurdish..long live kurds in eveywhere in the world

[@tr.b.-edits9268]

you idiot. kurdish is just not an official language in turkey. you can speak it, and its even allowed to teach on kurdish majority schools. read the goddamn article from bbc if you dont believe me. www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18410596

[@mihaelcanbegi5203]

"and its even allowed to teach on kurdish majority schools" I've lived in turkey for 20 years and there is no this such thing! Kurdish is clearly under press! and they even close our children channels only shows cartoons and children proggrammes. Do you know what they want us to keep this children channel! they want us to make the channel 40% turkish! isn't it funny! go and live in that freaking out of mind country!

[@Sikader]

That was in 2012, when your Sultan was indeed trying to reach out to the Kurds. Not anymore...

[@ahmettas2190]

Thank you bro from Kurdish

[@isim0]

Ne diyor biliyon mu

[@isim0]

@@brayehemu8889 mal cq. Bende Kürdüm.

[@brayehemu8889]

@@isim0bi bure 🙌 ne zanıbum ku tı Kürdi. 💚🌞❤️ Ahmet teşekkür ederken sen niye soruyorsun??? Birde çok ayıp Kurd Kurde “mal” demez..

[@isim0]

@@brayehemu8889 yorumunu silmişsin. Ama işte Müslüman Müslümana onu dermi?

[@brayehemu8889]

@@isim0 kürdüm deyince sildim. Ama keşke silmeseymişim??....oraya tırk olduğunu sanıp bizi nasıl asilimize ettiğinizi yani foyanız ortaya çıktı diye yazmıştım....eee haklı değilmiyim? ...yani aynı dinden olup kalkıp Allah’ın verdiği dili konuşmayalım mı???....ve eğer onlar müslüman ise madem kardeşiz diyorlar neden eşit değiliz? Neden benim çocuklarım dedesinin dilini değil tırkın dedesinin dilini öğreniyor hamde kendi öz memleketinde?

[@stelladonaconfredobutler9459]

DUH the English did the same. Wipe out the language of whom you have colonized and their culture will follow. I cant believe it took him 7 minutes to get to the beginning of his talk

[@alvinbernstein1045]

Did he deny it? And what is your point in saying it? It won't make the situation in Turkey better. You are just trying to talk the racism and discrimantion in Turkey out.

[@ersgtr3421]

@@alvinbernstein1045 no it’s not that. It’s accusing other nations while yours truly did the same or even worse.

[@brayehemu8889]

Thanks bro 🙌 💚🌞❤️

[@edriselectrical]

Good information in this video, Ill translate to Arabic if its ok with you?

[@bilgihap5954]

These are %1 of the Kurds facts in Turkey. I am a Kurd in Turkey. These are absolutely true %110 and there are more. I had read at the same time that "Good morning my friends, I am Turkish, I love my nation more than myself..." during the primary school's everyday. Turkish student books haven't got a word, which is Kurd and Kurdistan". It is about asimilation of Kurds by Turkey.They have said that actually Kurds are Turkish and Mountain Turks and because of coming sound of "Kart Kurt". In fact I couldn't learn my native, which is Kurdish. Yes, I don't speak Kurdish. Because, My parents had said that "don't say that you are a Kurd, also Alawi(my religion) in the school and near your friends" My grandfather can't speak Turkish, and now I can't speak Kurdish. I went in my family's city when he was in hospital for after of his operation. I wanted to stay with him for to help him. He didn't want me because I haven't spoken Kurdish. So, I couldn't help him. And I had called my cousin, he had came in hospital...that was one of tragedy of my life. I can't forget that event. And now pro-Kurdish party tries to going into parliement of Turkey though %10 electrol threshold, This is the highest threshold in the world. Some people say that this had been made because of they didn't want to Kurds in parliement. We can't learn our native language in school. Turkish goverment doesn't accept it. We are destroyed by asimillation of Turks.

[@merihseriz821]

King of Reality you are free to go.

[@Chrysaetos3]

Why should he though? It's his home. Kurds have lived on that land for thousands of years.

[@siakewacc1275]

See well comments Turks These are their real faces, We were and will remain Kurds, and we will get our full rights Despite the fact that they were fascists

[@Chrysaetos3]

That's exactly what I said. Why are you telling _me?_

[@rainhawk5264]

Gobbl Gobbl... Kurds live there for hundred years? Gobble Gobble... I don´t believe in Turks...as it is proven that Kurds were before the Turks there. Fact. Keep your chicken stories for you.

[@Sirwan821]

Kurds will fight until they will get what belong to them! tnx for this great video

[@JohnDoe-xl8fr]

Sirwan Barzigar Yeah till them get the bullet

[@anlselvi6615]

Donkey in Mesopotamia.

[@alperenbaser5595]

Nobody likes you expect imperialist.

[@Torsengi]

Nop terrorists will die trying... to be usa puppets

[@htas6888]

Why is English the official language of USA? Why should Turkish not be the official language of Turkey?

[@rebazali9886]

English is not the official language of the US, as the Arabic is not the only official language in Iraq.

[@htas6888]

@@rebazali9886 I have been living in the USA for over 50 years, all schools are taught in English starting with kindergarten. Students who enter schools not knowing English are taught English. How is English is not the official language of USA :) Once we take US citizenship, we are all Americans... This is democracy, We can speak and study other languages too if we want. I copied this from Goggle search: " To become a naturalized U.S. citizen, you must pass the naturalization test. At your naturalization interview, you will be required to answer questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. " To become a USA citizen, you have to pass an English language test as well as a civics test, which is knowledge of some American history as well as how US government structure works. There are exemptions, I believe one of them is age, if a person is very old they may be excused.

[@rebazali9886]

@@htas6888 i have never been to the US. And you are correct, at least for the most part of your claims, while some states has adopted English as an official language, the majority did not. of course we all know such as yourself, in North America people speak(work) English (commonly).However, the US does not have an official language, this may come shock to you after 50 years living in a country knowing so little about, but relax a simple research of yours should confirm my claims. I dont want to go off tracks, the reason i was motivated to reply to your comment; is even in Iran, Iraq, Canada, India and surprisingly the US, the democracy driven from the support of the equality, demarginalization and respect for minority identities, the question you should be asking Sir, why Turkish is the official language of the diverse Turkey? Still nobody wants to make German the official language of Poland.

[@htas6888]

@@rebazali9886 I don't understand what you mean by official language, I suppose. If all citizens are required to be able to speak that one language and all public schools teach in that language and if you can not become a citizen without being able to speak, read and write in that language this defines it as the official language of that nation/country. Maybe you have a different definition, and you are free to do so, I suppose.

[@sutube10]

The United States does not have an "official language" it is what is widely spoken but no where is it written that it's official. Other languages are not outlawed or repressed.

[@kegkeee]

This guy presents the 80's ultra-nationalist coup "theories" as 40-50's nation-wide opinion of Kurds. Let me tell you something, here in this video Kurds are addressed as a minority. But in Turkey no one considers Kurds as a minority. In fact, they are considered as a body of the whole Turkish nation. That is because their numbers are huge and cannot be considered as an ethnic minority. They are not discriminated in the general public. The government's approach against the PKK frequently crosses lines against the Kurds living in the southeast but the people of Turkey are never in spite or hate against the Kurds. And no, no one is denying the existence of Kurds or their language. Their language cannot be made the official language is all. In the past and by past I mean the 80's and 90's these discriminatory expressions were made by the Turkish government. They are something to be ashamed of, but were never the general opinion of the public in Turkey. And I want to state, this guy compares the actions made in 20s and 30s to today's society. That is the biggest rookie mistake that you can ever do while talking about history.

[@kegkeee]

yeah i am aware of the past i was just talking about today though. i do think likewise that kurds of southeast turkey deserve an apology from the republic of turkey. but its not the same today and you know that.

[@murathankale]

Ignorance is a genetic code inherted by Kurds. Tell me any cultural achievement by Kurds that set a cornerstone for mankind? Right! None it is. Selling children into marriage, killing innocent people under cover of honor or blood revenge is just one of the backwardnesses of primitive Kurdish tribal culture. This primitive, cultural substructure of the Kurds is what scavenging global powers are dreaming to lay their hands on. PKK/YPG is America's backup policy for creating a non sovereign, puppet Kurdish country in the Middle East in order to exploit the vast resources of that region and to secure the safety of Israel. Iraq has been divided up into feudal structures and that's what they are hoping for Syria, too. Turkey is the only secular and modern country in that region with institutions and a social and political substructure like Western countries. Therefore, it needs to be destabilized by the hands of backward and underdeveloped tribal structures and religious fanatics. The only problem that global vultures come across with the Kurds in Turkey is, that most of them are too educated to be used and that the social, educational and cultural reforms since the Republic's existence have paid off. People are aware of what's going on. Obviously you are not, so keep your retarded comments and insults to yourself. They are worth next to sh*t.

[@biriciksebnem]

well said.

[@d.2542]

Helal amk

[@greenlight2323]

TheMKALEnder Really? Thats why the children from dersim have always the best marks in turkey.

[@kaanaslan3003]

As an ethnic Turk who believes in human rights and democracy, I'm very ashamed of things that we have done to Kurds so far. I sincerely support Free Kurdistan. Turkey will still be a big country and economic power with 60 to 65 million population -just as France and Italy. GDP per capita will boost from $11,000 to $20,000 and it will put the country ahead of other developing EU countries such as Poland and Romania. Kurds has proven themselves as a stragetical ally of the west and US since Iraqi Civil War and Syrian Civil War. They will literally stabilize the region and literally be a buffer zone for the Turkey in the west. Turkey -the chaotic country dealing with the constant terror attacks will finally be safe heaven since it's not gonna share any borders with Arab countries and Iran. Free Kurdistan is the only way to bring the peace to the Middle East and the world.

[@allsalls8022]

Americans never judge themselves..

[@allsalls8022]

is this giy EVER visited Turkey...looks like talkink out of his ass

[@alvinbernstein1045]

How do you know he does not judge the USA? So you are literally saying, an American person is not allowed to talk about any issues in the world other than those of the USA. If everybody would be so narrow in their thinking, the world would be much, much worse.

[@another_random]

@@alvinbernstein1045 if a nation doesnt want another nation to mess with their internal politics then the other shouldnt. Uninvited people.

[@Marmer]

@@another_random And what if your enemy is the government? How should people defend themselves then? Huh? We rely on other countries to help us when the government is oppressing us, especially because they have a monopoly on violence. You should ask yourself who will protect you from the state when you did nothing wrong.

[@Sayu277]

Regular(daily) Pledges of allegiance to a nation in schools disturb me in general regardless of the nation... But then again I'm german...

[@ersgtr3421]

On this day pledge of allegiance is officially removed from schools in Turkey while it continues in the USA.

[@ciwan_dildar]

thanks for the video .it's all true.

[@fatosarnes]

Ciwan Dildar You must realized that western people doesn’t give a dam on who is who. All they care is the resources on the land that they want to exploit. For that they create hostility among the social groups, provide them guns to have them fight and kill each other. Remember recently instead of protecting the Kurds Trump pulled his army to protect the oil fields... we (all minorities) lived in the area in centuries. Intermarried, we are cousins. We HAVE TO SEE the big picture and stop killing each other.

[@brayehemu8889]

@@fatosarnes and? We will not stop to tell the truth to everyone how you treat Kurds 💚🌞❤️

[@fatosarnes]

@@brayehemu8889 Dear Braye, do you really believe that this guy in the video really care what problems you have? He is in an American University paid by the government to come up with this kind of videos to create more separation between us. So that we get in to wars so that they can sell their weapons and create instability in the region to exploit the oil resources. This is what I am trying to underline and bring some awareness. In the video he is NOT TALKING FOR YOU, he is talking for their interests.

[@funpack]

There's a great saying: "Turks have no other friends than Turks". I can easily say tha t because everyone other than Turks has a prejudice against Turks. Please be careful! You're not speaking about one person, you're talking about the whole nation. Please mind the history and the manners. As Selcuks, as Ottomans and as Turkey Turks, they've established states, ruled people peacefully across the world and most importantly served to Islam. Catering for so many varieties isn't that easy, you all know that. Say, the US still struggles with racism, or take the example of Israel. They carry out daily violation of human rights there. In Africa, the authorities are in favour of particular clans rather than all. I guess you have seen how much effort Turkey's putting in order to save the rights of its people in Balkans, in the middle east and across the Europe and Asia. How much effort put to establish a friendship as they call "Çözüm Süreci" (Resolution Process).... How many of you can love having a party in your country which seems very humanist yet supports the killings of people from both sides, I mean the Turks and the Kurds. I always hate the idea of being one nationality. That's a mistake and has been a mistake. But being a nation is easy. Everyone working for the goodness of one country, like US or France and so on.

[@markberg5541]

***** im sorry alan wrong post mate im not a racist person and I have nothing against decent americans I just cant believe all the negative and hatred for us turks on here just few posts just got the better of me and got under my skin sorry again I guess it really hurt deep

[@jjlulu6235]

+mark berg believe me as a Kurd no one believes that all turks r like this everyone in every ethnic group has some people we just have to ignore the ignorance because not all turks move on from the past like how not all Kurds I understand that some people do get under our skins mate and from what you write you Aussie or kiwi hahah just like how Aussies compete with kiwis that's how people are at never mind that some people are racist they never learn and I'm only 15 good on you

[@levongevorgyan6789]

No its because you killed or betrayed everyone around you.

[@affye3127]

@@levongevorgyan6789 Says the Armenian who is the real traitor.

[@levongevorgyan6789]

@@affye3127 Says the invader Genocidal Turk who stole from countless peoples.

[@mesopotamianfalcon9720]

Special thanks for Nicholas Glastonbury Greeting From Rojava Kurdistan

[@didemdide6834]

+Mesopotamian Falcon you mean from Mars?

[@13ahaa]

+Mesopotamian Falcon you mean from Pandora

[@SkynetVortex]

no he means rojava. be careful in your geography lesson

[@teomaniscen2288]

Still can’t find Kurdistan on the map

[@Hishyar.Gerdi.]

Mesopotamian Falcon .biji rojava and başur

[@samokkh]

Freedom ❤

[@ege561]

My grandfather didn't know Turkish language until he went to primary school. He was speaking Kurdish until he was 7(in 1952) and even he is much more nationalist than the "REAL" turks. My father is a Turk, my mother has Kurdish roots and I'm proud of it. Ataturk said that every citizen who feels like they're a part of the Republic of Turkey, is a Turk. If you aren't happy to live here with our constitution, you can find another land for yourself.

[@nitzanshreiber6210]

One of the best ted talks I've watched. Thank you!

[@ahmetalpergultekin]

What language do Kurd's speak in the United States schools and public?

[@Tacsizkral17]

The same language as the Turks in the US does. Your comparison of the two situations are not relative. The Kurds don't pay their taxes in the US but in Turkey, so therefor they should have the right for education in their own mothertongue in Turkey and not the US.

[@lohrine]

@@Tacsizkral17 i don't get how you've come to the conclusion that all kurds evade taxes? judging from your name i can see you're a turk so i'm not surprised that you're spreading false information about us

[@gamze9106]

@@lohrine her yorumun altındasın. Siktir git

[@brayehemu8889]

@@viqeth perhaps she meant turks 🦃🦃🦃 don’t pays their taxes... lol.

[@arabpride22]

I'm a Syrian and I am suspicious of the Kurdish independence movement. I can't speak about the situation in Turkey but I know in my country nobody treats Kurds badly and they are viewed as fellow Syrians and Muslims. Personally I do not think it is in anyone's best interest to further divide our nations. Arabs and Kurds have had a long beneficial history together and I don't see why it should end. Our cultures in the Levant and mixed and one can no longer say we are simply Arab. Splitting off into separate groups will only benefit one certain nation. I will leave you that to figure out.

[@godofwarkratos8513]

cause the kurds are taking back their land

[@arabpride22]

godofwar kratos Whose land is it? The Arabs claim it, Iran claims it, Turkey claims it, and now the Kurds claim it? Excuse me if I am a little skeptical of their claim. I have looked into their history and I have found it to be very spotty and as a result, I am suspicious of their land claim. Even some of their history has been falsified and twisted many times to further validate their land claim. But what I can tell you for sure is that there is clear plan to divide and conquer the middle east. I am sure you have noticed this with the recent conflicts and what not. I assure you that splitting off into different nations will not benefit any of us. We live in an Age where every child's cry seems to merit a revolution. I hold great contempt for leisure sjw revolutionaries as they are doing more harm then good, and rely on mostly emotions than reason. I myself am a Syrian Arab but my ancestry has Kurds, Turks, Assyrians, Persians, Egyptians, and some pure Arabs. Just like the Levant, I am mixed. Our culture, although called Arab, is unique in that it incorporates elements from all the cultures of the Levant. Kurds themselves are also very mixed with other peoples. This is evident by the diversity of their own peoples and cultures. Everyone in the Levant is mixed! I am telling you this because it is a common Kurdish response to telling them not to fight for their own nation to say, "WE ARE NOT GOING TO ASSIMILATE TO YOUR SEMITIC ARAB CULTURE!" But they are wrong because the Arab culture in the Levant is only Arab in name and brings together the best of each people who have inhabited it. I don't want them to assimilate to my culture, but to our culture, the culture our peoples and more have created together.

[@susan8333]

I just read the first two sentences, absolutely you are not Kurd. Kurdish people in Syria even don't have Syrian passport.

[@arabpride22]

susan8333 I never said I was Kurd.

[@diakokn6888]

How you dare to lie to us?kurds can not have nationality in your divided faileur graveyard so piss off murderer.

[@alituran7]

Over 10 million Italians live in America.. if you people are so fair why don't you make a country for Italians living in America.. Why dont you give a chunk of your land for the Italians living in USA....?? But no...... You like dividing other countries... you bring democracy to others.. But you don't bring democracy to the minorities living in America...

[@alituran7]

Hypocrites

[@romeokurdo6534]

I'm confused u stupid or you know the truth but you pretend you stupid . Kurd not living on turks land we live on our own land .We colonised by turky iran iraq and sirya . you better go read the agreement 1916 between British and french . and you will understand .

[@alituran7]

Romeo Kurdo​​ You get confused easily.. I tell you.. You are a minority.. Never had a country.. you have no right to steal from others... How is it you going to create a country.. all of you have different culture different languages different way of living... This is a recipe for chaos

[@romeokurdo6534]

You talk like kid sems like im talking to a 10 years old kid . Stop talking about we have been on this before the mangle turk come to occupied the our land there was no turky . Stop writing childish words go read the hestory . Of meds

[@alituran7]

Romeo Kurdo​​​​​​​​​​​ You write like a three years old... I know the history but you don't know your own history.. sadly Who are the British and French to give Turkish lans to kurds... People with no answer always write the same thing.. "are you 10 years old" Have you got nothing else to say..??? Name the countries that you kurds had... Name one... You're originally from Persia... When Turks advanced into Anatolia and secured the land..Turtks invited the kurds to live.. and whom are mongol..? one idiot says one thing other idiots repeat it...

[@hasanalma8320]

The most comfortable country for Kurds in the world is Türkiye. Westerners' so called values and democracy is just a pretext to separate Türkiye into parts, as happened to Ottoman Empire. Now, as being the citizens of this beautiful country we will not allow a Palestine case in our lands. Any wrongdoing of the past cannot harm our unity and solidarity.

[@MyDefendor]

Great talk with harsh but necessary truths . Turkey has always been systematically discriminating Kurds on their own land Kurdistan and that, today, is a part of Turkey. More people in the world now knows this thanks to internet and free information.

[@ekindanacioglu9696]

Mal mısın olum sdföjhdfsgkdjsghsgkh

[@maryel6266]

KURD MEANS STRONG! No it doesn't.Kurdistan isn't even a country lmaooo

[@levongevorgyan6789]

Own land? You mean Western Armenia, right?

[@cemerturkan8089]

This whole argument is based on a complete incogitable misunderstanding of the Turkish nationalism. The whole point of this particular type of nationalism is "to be able to say that you're Turk"(which actually is the first line of the Turkish pledge of allegiance "Türküm") and more importantly to be able to feel that you belong to the Turkish nation, plus this idea has nothing to do with your origin or the nation your family comes from, it is just about the comprehending the belonging feeling. Additionally, this rigid policy that was talked about being applied by newly founded Turkish Republic during the terms like 20s, 60s and 70s is just because such obligations were necessary to speed up the integration process. More importantly, the terms that were talked about were those which are chaotic and out of control. You can make a research about 60s and 70s of Turkey on google. These are the times that the military took the absolute control from the government and applied pretty nasty and violent seris of policies not only on those who are minority like Kurds but also on the politic youth groups that the young Turkish generation was divided into. So without exceeding the borders of the topic, this idea of Turkish nationalism being completely wrong and pressurizing is something that should be reviewed again by considering the challenging terms that the Turkish nation has passed through in a pretty short period of time like 50 or 60 years. Also, the thing that my mind couldn't picture was that how it is possible for an "American"(which I strongly believe that the only group of this nation is Indians) to think about the Turkish nationalism as an overreactive one because the citizens of USA consist of countless number of nations but still able to say that they are American. So I would absolutely love to listen someone's comments about my comment which actually may work so well that it even convinces me. Also, I really appreciate the soft way used to convey the point of the ted talk to the audience which I couldn't find in the comments below.

[@cemerturkan8089]

I didn't even go into the strategies that are applied on the lands that Kurdish people want which actually is a pretty clever way to provoke a sensitive group of people against a nation that has so much potential in it.

[@Sikader]

We are all aware that Turkey was never democratic and that it tried to assimilate all those it failed to massacre in various genocides, but your claim that the Americans are somehow the same as the Turks is ridiculous. Nobody forced the Americans to forget their ancestral languages, in fact many of them still speak them, and those languages were never banned by the government, which incidentally was always democratic and never dictatorial.

[@rainhawk5264]

in America everybody can be American not only the from Asia immigrated Indian also the European and the African. Different people from all over the world but as the majority immigrated linguistically and genitcally to the US were European the countries language is English - a Germanic language with a lot of Latin words. And they have not called the countries name Türk-IYE...whereas when you see yourself as Greek, Armenian or Kurd and not as a Turk then you must be a traitor or terrorist...

[@shando4105]

@@Sikader Yea you just destroyed them and reduced them to minority, so out of pity you gave them some rights. 20M kurds with full rights live in Turkey. I didn't see an indian candidate for once.

[@shando4105]

@@Sikader You reduced the m to minority. We have 25M of ours mate. You have 25K

[@ccdj35]

This is our national march and you need to respect us. İf you don't respect than you are studying about wrong subject. Haters gonna hate! "Ne mutlu Türküm diyene" At least we didnt kill people who lived in anatolia like you did in America. Instead of killing, we are trying to combine our land and be one soul for living in peace.

[@nigelhall573]

ccdj35 the turkish soldiers are the real terrorist and those who support them, 99% of turks. also you killed 1.5 million Armenians and kurds in world war 1

[@rusarmysambo]

yeah you did kill off all the greeks in Anatolia as well as the Armenian genocide which turkey till this day calls a massacre FYI arrogant Turks, when they Armenian people were killed it was because they weren't muslim

[@rusarmysambo]

Nigel Hall yes because they Dicks aren't circumzised which they used to identify Christians from muslims

[@diakokn6888]

Dumbass it will be never your land and by the way your language is most disguting language in whole world hihihi

[@ccdj35]

+Aras Sharif yeah and they say Turk's are racist after that.

[@el-mehdibenchaib9950]

That happens now in too many countries where people and their identities suffer from this kind of assimilation in a stranger culture and nation. The Arabism had did the same thing with Kurds and its criminal atrocities had gone to far, by chemical bombing of kurdish villages. What the Turkish state did and continu doing is a sort of a cultural genocide. Many states want to assimilate people in one nation even if the culture and the language of that state hasn't any relation with the indigineous people but they'll be terrorised and persecuted until they give up their identity to a fake one to be controled by a few people. In this world you live in two nations, the nation that you belong to and the one who you find established by force. The former soviet union and Youguslavia were another example and we've seen what happened after their falling apart. This kind of cultural genocide is perpetuated for political reasons and we've a responsibility to act and to defend the right of all people to speak up their language. Nationalismcan can turn to an oppressive ideology.

[@dhitikabarua1779]

Very true... Cultural genocide is a huge problem... Anatolians to be honest have no cultural links with central Asian turks.. They have more cultural similarities with Armenians, Greeks,Kurds and nearby countries... But due to minority elitism (oguz Turks),Anatolia turned into TUREY. These Anatolian turks succumb more towards alien turks than to their brother cultures.

[@ceminay96]

How can one not speak about PKK and the deaths they caused???

[@Sikader]

How come one not speak of Tamerlane, and the dozen of million deaths he caused?

[@bawer3280]

Cem Akgun kurds didnt have any rights a few decades ago, if you spoke in kurdish you’d get executed, talked about a kurdistan or listen kurdish music etc, basically anything about the kurds was banned and the penalty was death. On top of that the turkish government has killed hundreds of thousands of kurds, after all of this the PKK was formed to fight for the kurdish people’s rights and freedom. Ofcourse the turkish government didnt want this and did everything to stop the movement. Including killing civilians, bombing villages false accusations of drug trade, even false translations making it seem that the Kurds hate the PKK and that the PKK attacks kurdish civilians, only to fuel the war and deaths. Yes the PKK has also killed civilians, but they did not focus on civilians, from the start of the PKK they focused on the turkish military and police. So, if you would’ve done some research, you’d quickly find out that PKK arent the terrorists, but the Turkish state actually is.

[@siakewacc1275]

PKK only appeared as a reaction to your injustice, killing soldiers and police And sometimes government officials who came from Turkish cities to our cities You are not ashamed of yourselves Why did you prevent our language? Why is Kurdish dress and culture banned? Why do we suffer and you enjoy? This is not fair Justice is to suffer as a result of the injustice you started first

[@rainhawk5264]

Ask yourself why have the Kurds have to call their land „Turk iyi“ (the-Turk-is-good) !?

[@crymingi]

ben de aynı şeyi düşünüyorum şu an ama yok Türkler kötü ırkçı vsvs bi halt bildikleri yok

[@ghoostmann6945]

great speech!

[@supermax4784]

The Turkish Ottoman Empire was organized by chiefs who were accountable for their peoples and subject to the Sultan, so each group was able to preserve their unique cultural identities... when it collapsed certain groups rebelled against it and it split into various national states, one of them being Turkey. Kurds were organized in various groups, often hostile to each other, blood feuds amongst Kurdish tribes can be whitnessed even in the present, so a homogenity was prevented by their own cultural criterias. Since a naturalization by the state (making the formerly fedualy organized Kurds subject of the state) meant a loss of power for Kurdish chiefs, so many of them resisted the process. These dynamics lead to the formation of resistance groups such as the PKK who are by nature anti state and prone to establish mafia structures... Turkish language reforms were based on what the majority spoke, a version of Turkic that unlike the adminstrative language, remained rather untouched by Arabic and Persian influences. Laws to establish these reforms were harsh on an adminsitrative level, for example was it the only per se allowed language to be spoken for 'state institutions' (and only until the admistration organs would be established fully). Our Kurds, how paradox it might seem to outsiders, are a success story. They don't practice FGM, unlike other Kurds of other nations, have a higher literacy rate, are part of the cultural life in Turkey, many of them are indistinguishable from other Turks and until the Soviets funded further resistance it all seemed to work out perfectly. I for exmaple make no difference between the two, it would be unconstitutional, they are Turkish citizens with all the duties and rights (which should be the main concern, establishing and protecting consitutional rights). When it comes to the Turks, you should always try to understand the historical context, instead of falling for the hate speech of some aggitating individuals that try to make catchphrases go aorund that deem us evil.

[@shando4105]

Well said. I guess this is the extend of their ''higher education''. Propaganda 101

[@koyetijja8228]

I'm... How can you jump from the Ottoman collapse straight to the Turkey-PKK conflict as if it was all about Kurdish chiefs throwing tantrums about losing power? I agree, if you give people equal rights, the freedom to express their identities and religion and culture; if you don't make their languages and names illegal; if you don't remove most of their elected mayors and politicians on unfounded "terrorism" charges; if you don't imprison or kill journalists or educators that criticise the state; if the constitution is changed so this aggressively intolerant and ultranationalist agenda is removed, then maybe - just maybe - the Kurds and other dissenting minorities won't be a "problem" for Turkey anymore. If Turkey wants to present itself as a multicultural, tolerant haven - then it should act like one, starting with its own citizens!! Acknowledging and making amends for its brutal history doesn't make the state and its people weak - on the contrary, it makes it strong. It also means foreign powers like Russia or the USA cannot take advantage of any chaos because these domestic issues are getting resolved as is agreed by Turkey's victims. Only the people in Turkey can drive change. This intolerance is at an institutional level and self-reflection and action must be taken on a national scale for long-lasting peace between the state, the Turks, and the minorities. Until one's own identity doesn't come into conflict with their nation's identity, there will not be peace. The Turkish constituon has to change.

[@shando4105]

@@koyetijja8228 We and minorities doing fine. It is fake news that displaying It as a problem. I am in that minorty BTW. And we are certainly doing better than Canada,Greece,France,US or whatsoever. We also got no neo-nazis. And we got every right that a turkish citizen has. Every single of them. And our history ain't brutal as others no need to mention nations, don't have enough space for It. And if a politician defends PKK group (Which EU and US acknowledge as terrorists) yes you can jail them. Kurds are not the problem, PKK is. And you branding my people, my culture with that communist terrorist group is really getting annoying. THEY ARE NOT ''KURDS'', call them what they areas you do to ''ISIS''.

[@koyetijja8228]

@@shando4105 Sarp Baykal hahahahahahahaha ok whatever you say Sarp. Everything I said is "wrong" and everything people say the Turkish government has done wrong is just "foreign propaganda" and people have more rights in Turkey than in Canada/France etc. - that's why Turkey is known in the world for the highest rates of incarcerated journalists 👍 And no neo-nazis?? How about the grey wolves? Turkey has so much potential, but instead of owning up to grave mistakes and working to be better for everyone, they give an inch now from a mile they stole before and claim the minorities owe their unquestioning allegiance and their futures for it. Make it make sense.

[@koyetijja8228]

@@shando4105 And I wonder what kind of magical, idyllic lives the Kurds were living before the PKK came to ruin everything... PKK clearly had no reason at all to form, not like Kurdish villages were being razed, and everything Kurdish was illegal... I wish there was no need for the PKK to form or exist. I wish there was no conflict between the state and the minorities it governs at all, but under the outdated constitution, this harms the national ego, and so freedom of expression and speech and any diverse thought must be quashed. This isn't the 1920s when Turkey had to quickly and brutally establish itself as a nation - this is 100 years later. There is no need for a bit of Kurdishness or the mention of the Armenian genocide to be an 'insult to Turkishness'. Turkey needs to act like the modern state it proudly claims to be.

[@outlaw6261]

ty nicholas for beeing so brave, this is what civil courage should be, worldwide! we have to speak up where u can see there is no justice and i mean it real, stop beeing so ignorant, take action and change ur invironment, bring peace to the world!

[@ahmedk6207]

Unfortunately for us we are surrounded by ignorance where the only dialogue the know is killing

[@lp4480]

Or looking the other way.

[@lp4480]

To not be a victim

[@ethempiskin7795]

What I'm saying right now for who watched video and thinking we are monsters. First thing is, we have issues with Kurds from 1920. Between in 1920 - 1923 (In Milli Mücadele) some groups with Kurds attacked our villages for making a Kurd Country in Turkey's East (and some European Countrys helped them). Second thing is, between in 1991 - 2002 countined attacks with name PKK. They made attacks with bombs, ambushes and in several ways. Them purpose never changed. Third and last thing is about our millitary culture. If you look our past, our ancestors lived nomadically. Because of that they lived ready for any enemy attack. But we never be like North Korea. They respected women. They respected people. They ruled with justice. You can say anything about us. But one thing for sure, when you say someting about us please look historical documents. Not words of Mister Right or some fanatics. ''Ne Mutlu Türküm Diyene!''

[@brokeradam4542]

Ne mutlu Kürt'üm diyene

[@hanartahseen2915]

You can’t forget that tukish in othmany time want to take over Middle East, this evidence enough for you to understand that east of turkey is kurdish region, proudly lam kurdi , we have to respect each other’s as we are .

[@Garibanmarti]

Thank you bro

[@maskvarussie5615]

Long live Turkey .. from Algeria with love! 🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇹🇷🇹🇷🇩🇿🇹🇷🇩🇿

[@arkdark5554]

Weldon, young man. A very clear presentation.

[@Secular_kurd]

Her Biji nicholas

[@vuralgorgun21]

Young rookie Nicholas, you need to come and live here, be a part of the conversation first, then you can speak whatever you like. I could make a video about American indians and your grandfather easily as well. But I won't because its your homeland and so you guys should solve the problem. All I can do is to respect and we wait the same from you!