Kurdish scholar and linguist Mehmet Emin Bozarslan dies in exile at 90

Mehmet Emin Bozarslan, a pioneering Kurdish writer, linguist, and translator who spent nearly half a century in exile, has died in Uppsala, Sweden. He was 90. His family announced his passing on Sunday, noting that, per his final wishes, the funeral service remained a private family affair.

From the madrasa to modern enlightenment

Born in 1934 in the Lice district of Diyarbakır, Bozarslan began his intellectual journey in traditional Islamic madrasas. He later served as a mufti but faced immediate professional retaliation for his advocacy of Kurdish identity and language. The Turkish state removed him from his post twice. Increasing political pressure and imprisonment eventually forced him to seek asylum in Sweden in 1979.

A landmark for the Kurdish alphabet

Bozarslan secured his place in history with the 1968 publication of Alfabê, the first Kurdish alphabet primer in Latin characters printed in modern Turkey. The book was confiscated by authorities on its first day of release. The publication led to his arrest on charges of “separatism.” Despite the crackdown, he continued his mission in exile, establishing the Deng Publishing House to rescue Kurdish literary classics from obscurity.

A legacy of fifty volumes

Bozarslan left behind a monumental body of work consisting of more than 50 books. He translated Ehmedê Xanî’s epic Mem û Zîn into Turkish and transcribed historical Kurdish periodicals, such as Jîn and Kurdistan, from Arabic to Latin script. His contributions spanned comprehensive dictionaries, sociological studies, and a beloved series of Kurdish folk tales for children. A public condolence ceremony will be held on February 11 in Uppsala.

Sources: Rûdaw, Botan Times