Once again Kurds have been victims of the arbitrariness with which Turkey deals with language diversity. Ahmet Turk, a Kurd deputy in the Assembly of Turkey belonging to the Democratic Society Party (DTP), was addressing the Kurdish MPs in Turkish but switched to Kurdish as soon as he referred to the International Mother Language Day observed by UNESCO on February 21: "In order to show that there is nothing to fear in using other languages and to emphasise brotherhood of languages during the International Day of Mother Tongues, let me continue my speech in Kurdish," he said. Immediately after he went off air as state television channel cut the live broadcast.

Ahmed Turk, though, went on as Kurdish deputies applauded his colleague, and added: "Kurds have long been oppressed because they did not know any other language. I promised myself that I would speak in my mother tongue at an official meeting one day."

Koksal Toptan, president of the Turkish Lower House, strongly criticised the Kurdish politician but said he would not be fined. Some Turkish MPs believe Turk's attitude is a "provocation". Kurds reminded that Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke a few words of Kurdish in a campaign rally just on Saturday without triggering controversy.

Further information:

• Hurriyet: DTP speaks Kurdish in parliament, speaker says constitutional breach
• Al Jazeera.net: Kurdish speech triggers Turkey row