Magded Sapan

This article commemorates the 125-year anniversary of the publication of the first Kurdish newspaper.

In 1898, Mikdad Midhad Bedir Khan, a Kurdish prince, established the first Kurdish newspaper, Kurdistan, in Cairo. Prior to this, the Kurdish language had been mainly used for poetry and spoken communication, with education and writing conducted in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. After all, the Kurdish people had been deprived of their basic rights, including the right to publish their own language, after Kurdistan was invaded and divided by Sultan Salim I and King Ismail after the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514-1515.

Bedir Khan, the founder of Kurdistan, was a member of the Bedir Khan family, a prominent family that played a leading role in Kurdish national politics. He believed that the promotion of Kurdish language and culture was essential for the survival of the Kurdish people and the establishment of Kurdistan was an avenue to achieve this.

The publication of Kurdistan was a significant moment in the history of the Kurdish language and people. It represented a move towards asserting Kurdish identity and promoting the use of the Kurdish language, which had previously been suppressed by various colonial powers. While it initially focused on political and cultural issues affecting the Kurds, it afterwards played an essential role in shaping Kurdish national consciousness and identity, as well as raising awareness of the Kurdish cause and struggles.

Since the publication of Kurdistan, there have been many other Kurdish-language newspapers, magazines, and other publications that have contributed to the development and promotion of the Kurdish language and culture. However, Kurdistan remains a significant milestone and its founder is revered as a pioneering figure in the Kurdish nationalist movement.

“What have you done for your homeland?”

Prior to the late 19th century, the Kurdish people had no access to newspapers published in their mother language, nor schools or printing houses dedicated to cultural matters. It was not until after the publication of the first Turkish, Arabic, and Persian newspapers that this first Kurdish newspaper was established.

Bedir Khan, a skilled Kurdish prince, came up with the idea while on a trip to Cairo, then a regional political, commercial, and cultural hub. However, printing a newspaper in the mother language while in exile posed a challenge, as the printing house staff did not speak Kurdish, and there were few Kurds living in Cairo or Egypt. Therefore, Bedir Khan had to print Kurdistan at the Hilall printing house and send 2,000 copies of the first issue to Kurdistan.

Kurdistan quickly extended beyond being a cultural medium, serving as a unifying platform for Kurdish intellectuals. It fostered a unique relationship with its readers as demonstrated by Bedir Khan's call in the first issue for readers to contribute articles, with the aim of expanding its readership and encouraging people to take ownership of the publication for their benefit.

Bedir Khan published the first five issues of Kurdistan in Cairo, targeting the Kurdish literate class and feudal lords. The newspaper was not simply a mere sequence of Kurdish letters and words; it carried valuable messages, with Bedir Khan communicating directly with his readers and posing questions like, in the second issue: Princes and lords of Kurdistan, what have you done for your homeland thus far?

This statement reminds us of the famous words that John F. Kennedy evoked 63 years later – “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country – which became a widely quoted slogan around the world and reveals Bedir Khan’s vision.

Appealing to the Sultan

From the earliest issues, including the third and fourth, Bedir Khan encountered challenges in publishing in Kurdistan itself. For the fifth issue, he penned an open letter to Sultan Abdul Hamid II, explaining the resistance that he was facing. The sultan did not reply favorably, so, in the following issue, Bedir Khan publicized that the sultan had not even permitted the princes of King Bedir Khan to publish Kurdistan newspaper from Istanbul.

Bedir Khan repeatedly wrote open letters to the sultan in several issues of the newspaper, including 6, 7, 10, 13, 20, and 26. These letters, written in Turkish, primarily addressed the publication of Kurdistan and criticized the oppressive situation for Kurdish people, as well as the corruption of Ottoman officials and authorities.

Bedir Khan also used the newspaper as a platform to highlight some negative behaviors within the Kurdish community, such as disunity. Similarly, Abdul Rahman Bedir Khan, who took over the responsibility for publishing the newspaper from issues 6 to 31, encouraged Kurdish nationalism, unity, and love of their homeland, most notably in an article in issue 9, at a time when people were increasingly disapproving of Sultan Abdul Hamid II in Istanbul and beyond.

A selfless prince

Bedir Khan consistently advocated for justice in the pages of Kurdistan. He recognized that true justice would not come from the sultan but must be won by the Kurdish people. His commitment to honesty and integrity earned him a loyal following among readers who were eager to engage with his thought-provoking articles. Unlike other writers of the time, he never used the newspaper to further his own interests, always writing with the goal of guiding and enlightening Kurdish society. As a result, readers eagerly awaited each new issue, eager to stay connected with him and his important message of justice for all.

Bedir Khan's goal in publishing Kurdistan was twofold: to promote the name of Kurdistan and to use the content to advance Kurdish education in the Kurdish language. The newspaper also served as a platform to expose the injustices committed by the Ottoman Sultan and his officials, opening the eyes of the people to their plight. Through this four-page publication, Bedir Khan emerged as a beloved and devoted leader who inspired his people to demand reform, revolution, and equal educational opportunities for all Kurdish children regardless of their social status or gender.

Bedir Khan’s writings reflected a Kurdish perspective and advocated for the freedom, justice, and prosperity of Kurdistan. Despite his position as a Kurdish prince with wealth and privilege within the Ottoman state, Bedir Khan remained selfless and sacrificed his own comfort for the sake of his people's progress and aspirations.

Kurdistan was not merely a small, four-page publication for amusement: instead, it served as a powerful tool for awakening a nation and inspiring them to turn their aspirations into achievements. Bedir Khan provided a masterpiece of journalism to future generations that Kurdish people can take pride in.

Magded Sapan is an academic and author. He has a PhD in journalism from the University of St. Petersburg. [1]