Anti-Kurdish Racism

Kurdish Identity in the Education System: Racism, Assimilation and Microaggressions

In her lecture, Selda Akbayır will present statements on Kurdish identity in the school context and demonstrate how anti-Kurdish racism manifests itself in the education system. Particular focus will be placed on the national indeterminacy and the pressure to assimilate to which many Kurds are exposed, as well as the role of microaggressions.

Biographical Notes
Selda Akbayır is a teacher and teacher educator with a focus on antidiscrimination. In addition to her professional work, she is involved on a voluntary basis with questions ofKurdish identity as well as the effects of anti-Kurdish
racism in the education system.

Turkish Nationalism and the Kurdish Question: From Denial to Performative Pride

Nationalists in Turkey were among the first to discuss the Kurdish issue. From the late 1940s onward, this group addressed the Kurdish question and referred to the Kurds in a cautionary framework, warning the state that they needed to be assimilated. Turkish nationalists claimed that “the Kurds are essentially Turks” and treated them as
part of the Turkish-Islamic Synthesis. They argue that external forces are responsible for Kurds “thinking” of themselves as Kurds, and they attempt to “scientifically” prove the thesis that Kurds are in fact Turks.
Today, especially through social media and in everyday life, the number of people who take “pride” in their Turkishness has increased. “Taking pride in Turkishness” does not remain merely at the level of discourse; it can also translate into action against the “other” in daily life or on social media. In this context, we particularly observe performances of Turkishness directed against migrants and against reform or “opening” processes concerning the Kurdish issue. In this lecture, I will discuss Turkish nationalists’ perspectives on the Kurdish issue from the 1960s to the present.

Biographical Notes
Bayram Koca (1988) is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Kilis 7 Aralık University. He studied Political Science and Public Administration at Kocaeli University between 2005 and
2010. His master’s thesis examined ‘The Relationship Between Islam and Socialism in Turkey: The Labor and Justice Platform and Anticapitalist Muslims’, for which he received his master’s degree in 2013. He received his PhD in 2019 from Hacettepe University with a dissertation on ‘The Far Right and the Kurds in Turkey, 1945–1980: Security, Identity
and Development’. His research focuses on Turkish political life, migration, the relationship between Islam and the left, Kurds, the Turkish right, and Alevis.

Admission

Admission only after prior registration and subject to organiser approval!

The organisers reserve the right to restrict participation to registered individuals. Persons who are members of far-right extremist parties or organisations, who can be identified as part of the far-right extremist scene, or who have previously made racist, nationalist, antisemitic, or otherwise dehumanising statements are excluded from the event.

Participation is free of charge. Registration is required for each event individually . Please register at least 3 days before the events you are interested in by emailing: projekt-retra@oth-regensburg.de.
After organiser approval, you will receive confirmation email as well as the video conference link shortly before the event.

Content Note

This lecture series addresses topics such as racism, political violence, antisemitism, and far-right extremism. Some content may be distressing.