This study examines the impact of education and the implementation of standard language ideologies in a context where there are assimilationist efforts towards minority languages. In Turkey, the state’s rigid language policies have promoted a Turkish linguistic identity by accepting Turkish as the only official language. These efforts have resulted in the marginalization of non-standard accents and minority languages, especially those of Kurds due to the ongoing political conflict. This research investigates how these policies influence the attitudes of standard-accented Turkish speakers towards Kurdish-accented speakers of Turkish. Using a mixed-methods design, the study involved 50 participants who completed a survey employing the matched guise technique. In the survey, a Kurdish-accented speaker was recorded in both standard and non-standard Turkish accents. The results reveal significant bias as the Kurdish-accented speaker received the lowest ratings across categories such as pleasantness, correctness, and educatedness. However, when the same speaker used a standard Turkish accent, the ratings improved, and participants were more likely to identify the speaker as "Turkish" rather than "Kurdish". Interviews with participants shed light on the influence of nationalist ideologies, which are reinforced through the educational system and the state’s strict language policies. The results show that these ideologies not only shape linguistic perceptions but also contribute to the marginalization and discrimination of Kurdish speakers. This study highlights the role of education in creating linguistic inequalities and the broader implications for linguistic minorities in a context in which language is used as a tool to assert national identity and implement state policies.