World Turkic Languages Day

December 15 World Turkic Language Family Day, is an internationally recognized cultural and linguistic day that highlights the common origins and cultural and historical ties among Turkic languages. This day has been established to increase visibility of the Turkic language family within the world’s languages, strengthen cultural cooperation among Turkic countries, and contribute to the preservation of linguistic diversity.

Language is the identity, cultural memory, and civilizational building tool of a society. In this context, the Turkic language family carries a shared history and cultural heritage spanning thousands of years. The declaration of December 15 as World Turkic Language Family Day represents a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing the international visibility of Turkic languages, promoting language preservation, language policies, and cultural cooperation. This initiative, shaped through the collaboration of UNESCO and Turkic states, signifies both symbolic and tangible achievements for the Turkic language family and the Turkic world.

December 15 is symbolically associated with the Orkhon Inscriptions, regarded as the first major written legacy of the Turkic language. The decipherment of the Orkhon Inscriptions marked a pivotal moment in understanding the written history of the Turkic language. For this reason, December 15 has been adopted as a historic and cultural date for the Turkic language family.

The selection of this date is grounded in scientific and symbolic foundations. The decipherment of the Orkhon Inscriptions holds symbolic importance in demonstrating the historical depth of the Turkic language. Therefore, designating December 15 as World Turkic Language Family Day reflects the goal of connecting the language with its historical depth and cultural roots. This symbolic meaning was also emphasized in UNESCO’s announcement.

At the 2025 Turkic States Organization (TSO) Summit of Heads of State held in Azerbaijan, President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proposed declaring December 15 as World Turkic Language Family Day. This proposal was reflected in the Gəbələ Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the summit, which also called for the submission of the draft decision to UNESCO.

During this process, the Gəbələ Declaration decided that the draft decision would be reviewed by UNESCO’s Executive Board at its 222nd session and subsequently put to a vote at the 43rd UNESCO General Conference.

_{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signing the declaration and decisions within the scope of the summit} (Anadolu Agency)

The draft decision was jointly submitted to UNESCO by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as co-sponsors. Support was expanded to include 26 additional countries as co-sponsors. This multilateral presentation was designed to advance a global vision, leveraging the multilateral platform provided by UNESCO.

The draft decision, presented at the 43rd UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and represented by Türkiye’s Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, was reviewed and adopted by a large majority. With this adoption, December 15 was officially declared World Turkic Language Family Day. According to UNESCO’s announcement, the decision was significantly influenced by consultations among the Turkic States Organization, UNESCO National Commissions, and relevant national institutions.

_{Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin at the 43rd UNESCO General Conference} (MEB)

• International visibility: To ensure recognition of the Turkic language family within the UNESCO framework.
• Language preservation and transmission: To protect, research, and transmit Turkic languages to future generations.
• Cultural cooperation: To develop collaboration and coordination among Turkic states in the fields of language, culture, education, and publishing.
• Awareness and activities: To focus annually on December 15 through conferences, panels, publications, and events centered on the Turkic language family.

World Turkic Language Family Day aims to strengthen cultural and linguistic ties among Turkic states. The Turkic States Organization provided both intellectual consensus and logistical support during the drafting of the decision. The adoption of this decision seeks not only to raise linguistic awareness among Turkish-speaking communities but also to generate new momentum for joint cultural projects and language preservation initiatives.

An international day dedicated to a language family represents an initiative aligned with UNESCO’s broader agenda for language preservation and diversity. This positions the Turkic language family within the context of cultural heritage and linguistic diversity on a global scale.

The decision to declare December 15 as World Turkic Language Family Day has been welcomed in Türkiye. Following UNESCO’s adoption, Türkiye’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and cultural and educational institutions actively participated in drafting the proposal. The Ministry of National Education and the UNESCO National Commission of Türkiye plan to organize annual cultural, educational, and scientific events on December 15.

This initiative aims to encourage the expansion of language education programs through the perspective of the Turkic language family. Publishing, language atlases, dialect studies, comparative linguistics research, and project support mechanisms can serve as key components of this effort.

The declaration of World Turkic Language Family Day holds the potential to enhance international recognition of the Turkic language family and create new opportunities for preserving its linguistic heritage. This potential can be realized through continuous, institutional, and resource-oriented implementation supported by societal engagement. For example:

• International projects: Language education, publishing, digital platforms, and translation initiatives among Turkic states.
• Academic infrastructure: Support for research centers focused on Turkic languages, as well as student and grant programs.
• Education integration: Incorporating the perspective of the Turkic language family into curricula from early education through university level.
• Public participation and awareness: Enhancing public linguistic awareness through book fairs, cultural events, competitions, and media projects.
• Alignment with international norms: Integrated initiatives with UNESCO’s language preservation programs and alignment with United Nations multilingualism principles.

_{Some of the flags of countries within the Turkic States Organization} (Anadolu Agency)