Language scorecard of DEM Party municipalities: 45 websites remain Turkish-only

By Azad Altay, MA

February 19, 2026

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — The two-year performance of municipalities held by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party regarding the Kurdish language has remained largely limited to awareness-raising activities.

Despite the party’s platform prioritizing mother-tongue rights, only two out of 62 municipalities have opened multilingual daycares. Data reveals that 45 municipal websites continue to operate solely in Turkish, highlighting a significant gap in the implementation of election promises.

Digital and educational shortcomings

More than two years after local elections, digital integration of the Kurdish language remains stagnant. Websites for major hubs and districts, including Igdir, Agri, and Mus, provide services only in Turkish. Currently, only 10 municipalities offer multilingual websites, primarily concentrated in the provinces of Diyarbakir and Van. Some platforms remain “under construction” or are entirely offline.

The discrepancy is equally stark in early childhood education. While the party pledged to establish multilingual daycares in every city, only the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality and the Peyas (Kayapinar) District Municipality have taken action, opening a total of four centers. Yilmaz Gunes, Deputy Mayor of Peyas, noted that demand far outstrips capacity, with over 600 families applying for limited spots.

Institutionalization and public spaces

Institutional progress has been slow, with only Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality establishing a formal “Directorate of Language Protection and Development.” In the Serhat region, renowned as the heartland of the dengbej (Kurdish bardic) tradition, no “House of Dengbejs” has been established to date.

Furthermore, new public projects often bypass Kurdish naming conventions. In Diyarbakir, a newly announced ecological project was named “Naturapark” in English, rather than using a Kurdish equivalent. While billboards and cultural festivals frequently use Kurdish, the core administrative functions and infrastructure of most municipalities remain monolingual.

Statistical Overview of Language Services

Category	Current Status
Multilingual Websites	10 out of 62 municipalities
Kurdish Daycares	2 out of 62 municipalities
Language Directorates	1 out of 62 municipalities
Social Media Outreach	Predominantly bilingual (Kurdish/Turkish)

Source: MA, Botan Times