In an effort to clean up its image as a step towards membership in the European Union, Turkey’s parliament passed legislation on August 3 expanding the linguistic and cultural rights of the historically oppressed Kurdish minority. The new laws will allow Kurdish language television and radio broadcasts, and the teaching of Kurdish and other dialects in special school programs. Some lawmakers were skeptical that the new reforms would be implemented and enforced. In recent months, a number of Kurds have received prison sentences for various expressions of their Kurdish identity, and for calling for Kurdish education programs.See Spotlight Article
