GUNAY: CULTURE MINISTRY READY TO BACK DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE

Today’s Zaman
Sept 19 2009
Turkey

The culture and tourism minister told reporters Friday that the
ministry has been working to support the democratic initiative,
recently launched by the government aiming to reach a final resolution
to Turkey’s Kurdish question, by taking steps in the areas of music,
literature and theater.

"We are pursuing a determined policy to heal all kinds of pain,"
said Ertugrul Gunay, explaining the recent plan of the Culture and
Tourism Ministry to support the government’s Kurdish initiative. He
noted that officials from the ministry have launched research on
traditions in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey.

Gunay also pledged that they are preparing to publish a Kurdish
book next year titled "Mem u Zin" by Ahmet Hani in Turkish and
Kurdish. Stating that the ministry had started to prepare the
publication of "Mem u Zin" before the government launched the
democratic initiative, he said they will kick off a restoration
project for the tomb of the book’s author.

The minister also stated that the ministry is showing their support
for the initiative by encouraging the singing of turku, Turkish folk
songs, in Kurdish and the staging of Kurdish plays in state-sponsored
theaters. "We have taken some steps in Van to stage a Kurdish
play. Yet, there are some technical problems and legal procedures
for Kurdish plays to be performed in state-sponsored theaters," added
Gunay. Recalling his statements during his visit to the southeastern
province of Hakkari, he underlined that "Kurdish songs are also the
wealth of this country, and they should be placed in state archives."

Gunay said his ministry is conducting studies to edit cultural works,
and he also stated that his ministry transferred publications to a
state archive, when he was asked by reporters whether the ministry
had carried out a project to collect Kurdish literature. He also
touched upon the recent reconciliation attempts with Armenia and said
if the grievances of the Azeri people are solved, Turkey is ready to
establish relations with Armenia.

Gunay complained that Armenians are not interested in cooperation
with Turkey in the restoration of historical places such as the Ani
ruins in eastern Anatolia.