Language Policy and National Unity: The Dilemma of the Kurdish Language in Turkey

Linguistic diversity has emerged as a major source of conflict affecting the stability of numerous political entities around the world. Language policy makers often face the question of accommodating the needs of linguistically diverse communities. This paper examines the motivations, aims, and consequences of the Turkish state’s language policies in regards to the Kurdish language. The study also attempts to answer the question of why the status of the Kurdish language recently changed from an officially “prohibited language” to “a free language” in Turkey.