Human Rights and the Laz People

“A language silenced is a people erased. The fight for Lazuri is the fight for Laz existence.”

Language Rights

The Laz language has never received official recognition in Turkey. Unlike Kurdish, which gained limited broadcast and educational rights in the 2000s, Lazuri remains excluded from formal education, government services, and official media. There are no Laz-language schools anywhere in Turkey, and the language is not offered even as an elective in the public education system, despite provisions in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages that Turkey has signed but not ratified.

The Ban Period (1980u20131991)

Following the 1980 military coup in Turkey, a sweeping ban was imposed on the use of languages other than Turkish in public spaces. Law No. 2932 of 1983 made it illegal to express or publish in languages prohibited by the state. For the Laz, as for the Kurds and other minorities, this meant that speaking their mother tongue in public could result in social sanctions, fines, or worse. The ban was lifted in 1991, but its effects on language transmission were devastating. An entire generation grew up without fully learning Lazuri, breaking the chain of intergenerational transmission that had sustained the language for millennia.

Cultural Preservation Efforts

Despite these obstacles, Laz cultural organizations have made significant strides. The Laz Institute (Lazuri Enstitu00fc), founded in the early 2000s, has been instrumental in developing educational materials, publishing books in Lazuri, and advocating for language rights. Social media has also become an important platform for Laz cultural expression and community building, allowing Laz people from Istanbul to Berlin to Hopa to connect and share their heritage.

Ongoing Challenges

The Laz community continues to face significant challenges. Most fluent speakers are over 40, and intergenerational transmission has largely ceased. Economic pressures drive migration away from traditional Laz areas toward cities where Turkish dominates. There is no political representation specifically advocating for Laz cultural rights. International organizations, including UNESCO, have classified Lazuri as “definitely endangered” and called for greater protection measures. The situation is urgent: without sustained institutional support and a dramatic increase in language education, the Laz language risks falling silent within one to two generations.