Possibility of Choosing 'Turkish and Kurdish Language Majors' for Students Entering in 1995

An official from the Organization for Educational Testing stated in an interview with the IRNA news agency that the option to choose Kurdish and Turkish language and literature majors has been made available for students entering in 1995. On Saturday, August 13, IRNA quoted Hossein Tavakoli, senior advisor to the Organization for Educational Testing and Training, stating that candidates can register for the majors 'Turkish Language and Literature' and 'Kurdish Language and Literature' at the undergraduate level and through the national selection process. Mr. Tavakoli mentioned that these two majors are listed as rows 31 and 34 in the humanities group of this year's national exam booklet. Hassan Rouhani announced on July 27 of last year, at the end of his trip to Kurdistan province, that the teaching of Kurdish language and literature would begin in the current academic year with the establishment of a relevant chair at universities in Kurdistan province. At that time, the Shargh newspaper also reported that universities in Kurdistan would attract more than 40 students for studying Kurdish language and literature this year. According to this newspaper, the establishment of this major was approved by the Ministry of Science at the beginning of the 2000s, but the 'implementation permit' had not been approved by the Ministry of Science in recent years 'for various reasons.' Recently, Ali Yunusi, special assistant to Hassan Rouhani on ethnic and minority affairs, stated that the two local languages, Kurdish and Turkish, would be taught in schools in areas where they are the primary language of the local people. According to Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution, 'The official and common language and script of the people of Iran is Persian. Official documents and correspondence, as well as textbooks, must be in this language and script, but the use of local and ethnic languages in the press and media and the teaching of their literature in schools, alongside Persian, is free.' However, after nearly four decades of the establishment of the Islamic Republic, this principle is being implemented for the first time. During the presidential election campaign, Hassan Rouhani emphasized the respect for the rights of ethnicities, religions, and sects in Iran in a ten-point statement, including promises regarding the official teaching of the mother tongue of ethnic groups in schools and universities. It is still unclear which universities will accept students in the Azerbaijani Turkish language and literature major, but IRNA reflected the statements of the representative of Germi and Moghan in the tenth parliament, emphasizing that 'universities that accept students in Turkish and Kurdish language majors should be in provinces where these are the mother tongues.'