Turkish opposition stands firm in Ottoman language row

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has questioned both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's motives and authority with regard to his engagement in the possible inclusion of Ottoman language classes in Turkey's high school curriculum.

"You are not the prime minister or in the government anymore," CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Akif Hamzaçebi said on Dec. 9, referring to President Erdoğan's recent vow that the Ottoman language classes will be introduced "no matter what they say."

"These issues are not in your jurisdiction and you should not talk about these issues. You may voice your view, but speaking in such imperatives is not legally appropriate," Hamzaçebi said.

For her part, CHP Istanbul deputy Binnaz Toprak asked the Turkish prime minister why he did not learn the Ottoman language if it is so "important for the education of high school students."

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Toprak said: "I learned the Ottoman language but I have forgotten it because I have not used it for a while. Davutoğlu is an old student of mine. He has a good education. If this is really so important, then why he didn't learn the Ottoman language?"

Meanwhile, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş also slammed the government's apparent intention to introduce Ottoman language courses as compulsory courses.

"What is the use of imposing? You ban people from teaching their mother tongue. You say ‘Mother tongue education is banned,'" Demirtaş said in an interview with daily Bugün on Dec. 9.

According to recommendations of the National Education Council, which ended its annual meeting over the weekend, Ottoman language classes should be compulsory for imam-hatip religious...