ANKARA (AA) - Turkish politicians running for elections will be free to make propaganda in 36 languages spoken in Turkey.
Before allowed to speak only in Turkish, candidates will be able to speak Abkhazian in Bilecik, Eskisehir, Samsun, Amasya, Tokat and Duzce, Arabic in Mardin and Siirt, Armenian in İstanbul, Hatay, Diyarbakır and Kars alongside languages such as Kurdish, Jewish, Spanish, Laz languages, Greek and Assyrian.
Thus, the candidates will have the chance to make election promises to their constitutiencies in local languages.
Linguistics Foundation President Professor Nadir Engin Uzun told AA that there were 36 languages spoken in Turkey according to the 1965 census and it had to be updated.
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