Groups in Aleppo learn dances from Northern Kurdistan against the cultural genocide in Turkey
The Turkish state is trying by all means to eradicate the culture and existence of the Kurdish people. On July 27, Turkish police arrested 15 people in the cities of Siirt in Northern Kurdistan and Mersin in Turkey who were dancing the Halay to Kurdish songs.
In response to the cultural genocide attacks against the Kurdish people, the women’s cultural movement Hîlala Zêrîn, in cooperation with the Cemîl Horo Cultural and Art Center in Aleppo, organized special teaching events on the folk dances of Northern Kurdistan.
27 members of the Cemîl Horo and Hîlala Zêrîn movements are taking part in the sessions. The students are learning folk dances from the regions of Botan, Amed, Van, Mardin and Varto called “qûre, bagiyê, milanî, koçerî and şemê”.
Horîk Elo, a member of the Stêrkên Efrînê group, said that they supported the Kurdish people in Northern Kurdistan by learning the Halays specific to their region and condemned the Turkish state’s intimidation and assimilation policies and attacks on Kurdish culture.
Horîk Elo also said that the members of the Stêrkên Efrînê group hope to celebrate Newroz in Northern Kurdistan next year.
Saya Osman, a member of the Hîlala Zêrîn movement, said that members of her folk dance group try to learn the Halays from other regions of Kurdistan.
Saya thanked the teachers of the sessions and said: “It is known that the Turkish state has banned Kurdish songs and halays in Bakur Kurdistan. We see this lesson as a step towards protecting Kurdish culture from the genocidal attempts of the occupying and fascist Turkish state to destroy the identity and culture of the Kurdish people.”
Osman expressed her support for the struggle of the people of Northern Kurdistan to protect their Kurdish identity and culture.
