Ankara: An event on the newly proclaimed World Turkic Language Day took place on Tuesday in the historic Uzbek city of Samarkand. Samarkand is where UNESCO on Monday proclaimed the adoption of Dec. 15 as World Turkic Language Day during its ongoing 43rd General Conference.
According to Anadolu Agency, the event was organized by the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation and was attended by officials of Turkic states, representatives of the co-sponsoring countries, and numerous guests. Among the notable attendees were Kursad Zorlu, deputy chair in charge of relations with Turkic states of Trkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party, Trkiye's envoy to UNESCO Gulnur Aybet, and Aktoty Raimkulova, head of the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation.
During the event, Zorlu emphasized the significance of the decision, stating, "With this historic decision, it has been reaffirmed that the Turkish language is a living world language, with all its branches, in diverse geographies." He highlighted the historical and cultural depth of the Turkish language, noting its ability to transcend words and embody the memory, emotion, and thought of a nation. Zorlu further described the Turkish language as a unifying force, likening the various Turkic languages such as Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen, Azerbaijani Turkish, and Tatar to branches of a single language tree born from the same root.
Zorlu also addressed the global presence of the Turkic language family, acknowledging the diaspora's role in promoting cultural visibility. He remarked on the competition between languages as a struggle for cultural visibility and emphasized the importance of the Turkic language in shaping the future. He called on the community to maintain and strengthen the Turkish language in various domains, including science, art, and the digital world, with the aim of making it a universal language of science and civilization.
Trkiye's commitment to establishing a common language of communication was underscored, as Zorlu hailed UNESCO's decision as a shared success and vision of all Turkic states. He urged for the recognition of December 15 on common and international platforms, signaling a new era of language unity and collaboration among Turkic nations.