Massacres , such as the Dersim ethnocide and the Zilan massacre , have periodically occurred against the Kurds since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 . The Turkish government categorized Kurds as " Mountain Turks " until 1991 , and the words " Kurds " , " Kurdistan " , or " Kurdish " were officially banned by the Turkish government . Following the military coup of 1980 , the Kurdish languages were officially prohibited in public and private life . Many people who spoke , published , or sang in Kurdish were arrested and imprisoned . In Turkey , it is illegal to use Kurdish as a language of instruction in both public and private schools . The Kurdish language is only allowed as a subject in some schools
Zilan massacre
Zilan massacre
Kurds in Turkey