On December 15, the international community celebrates the World Turkic Languages Day for the first time. This decision was made at the UNESCO General Conference held in Samarkand in November. The organization considers this an important step towards recognizing linguistic diversity, which enriches the common human heritage.
According to the UN News Service, the choice of this date has symbolic significance. In 1983, on December 15, Danish linguist Wilhelm Thomsen announced the successful deciphering of the Orkhon inscriptions' alphabet — one of the oldest written sources. These inscriptions, created by the ancient Turks in the 8th century in present-day Mongolia, were discovered in 1889. Thomsen's achievements provided invaluable information about the linguistic tradition that unites many communities across Eurasia.
UNESCO notes that Turkic languages, including Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkish, Turkmen, and Uzbek, are native to more than 200 million people living in an area of about 12 million square kilometers.
The rich cultural and documentary heritage in Turkic languages spans over 10 countries.
The initiative to establish the World Day was proposed by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan and supported by 21 countries.
The adoption of the World Turkic Languages Day emphasizes the importance of linguistic cooperation, cultural rapprochement, and dialogue between civilizations.
The goal of the initiative is to strengthen international cooperation in linguistic research, education, and cultural exchange. UNESCO reports that this day will contribute to conducting large-scale scientific research and developing a global dialogue aimed at preserving Turkic languages.
As part of the World Turkic Languages Day, cultural and academic events are planned, including exhibitions dedicated to linguistic heritage, lectures, public discussions, as well as literary and poetic evenings.
