Episode 7: The struggles of a Kurdish teenager in Turkey

Our guest is Berjin, a high school student from Turkey. She is Kurdish. She has faced discrimination and racism many times in her school, social community, and neighborhood. She says that her typical Kurdish name shapes other people’s perceptions and immediately constructs an impression of her. In her environment, people associate being Kurdish with disgrace and lowness. Berjin exemplifies several incidents of discrimination against her and her family. She believes that respect is what Turkey lacks at the moment, and to establish peace, both Kurdish and Turkish people must set aside their ingrained prejudices toward each other. She calls for unity over a rift.