Turkey’s General Directorate of Foundations has approved the creation of the Mesopotamia Foundation (Mezopotamya Vakfı), which plans to open a university to offer education in the Kurdish language in Diyarbakir, according to Today’s Zaman

Among the founding members of the foundation are Şivan Perver, a Kurdish folk singer who currently lives abroad, and several rights advocates, businessmen and academics.

According to a report that appeared in the Star daily on Thursday, the foundation has already begun preparations for the opening of a university that will offer courses primarily in Kurdish. The university will be named Amed University, using the Kurdish name for Diyarbakır. The university will also offer courses in Turkish, English, Armenian and Syriac.