Engin ERKINER Wrote Exile and Language
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EXPORT AND LANGUAGE The majority of Turkish exiles who came to European countries, especially after September 12, 1980, could not even learn the language of the country they lived in enough to read a newspaper. While the majority of these people are high school graduates, some of them have also studied at the university. What could be the reasons why exiles do not learn, while tradesmen and less educated people can learn a language better, if not perfectly? The first reason is that they do not need to learn new languages. They came from one Turkey and came to another, there are not a few people who speak Turkish in the country they came from. Most of the deportees do not feel the impact of being in trade that forces them to learn the language, as they do not work for years and "make a living socially". The second reason is the thought that “we will be back soon anyway”, which was especially dominant in the first years of exile. In this case, there is no need to learn the language. In these years, language learners, even if very few, were not considered well. “They will not return, they are learning languages.” Years pass, but the conditions of return are never formed. In the meantime, some language was learned, but it was learned incorrectly. After that, it is more difficult to learn the language correctly because it is necessary to get rid of the wrong one first. The third reason is not to be interested in the country of residence. The majority of the exiles are of interest to Turkey; They don't care what's going on in the country they live in. Indifference will bring ignorance. About ten years ago I attended a panel on exile in Arnheim, the Netherlands. There, someone who knew me from my writings came to me and said, “All of the approximately one hundred people here are political people. Ask who the Dutch prime minister is, half of them don't know.” In Germany, the country where the Turkish exiles are most political, the situation is not that bad, but not good at all. It can be said that the exiles from Turkey – including the Kurds – have a nationalist mindset. They are closed to matters that are not related to the country they have been living in for at least 20 or even more years. If a reason is sought, it will be found. Some say that they can't find the time to learn a language, which is not true. Considering that even primary school graduates dealing with commerce learn a language, even if not at a good level, it can be said that "if there is no desire, it cannot be learned". Some claim that "they do not have the ability to learn a language", which is an invalid justification. Everyone can learn a language other than their mother tongue, and especially in a long period of at least 20 years… Years pass and it can be said that it is no longer possible to learn the language of the country where you live. In the first place, the will to learn is not enough, and learning is more difficult than for those who don't know at all. Because the language also called “Bahnhofdeutsch” in German is a wrong and makeshift language. This must be forgotten and the truth must be learned, which is more difficult than the one who does not know. The level reached in the 42 years after September 12, 1980 is bad, but this is the reality.
