A historic date
The December 15 election builds on a historic moment in linguistic scholarship. On that day in 1893, Danish linguist Vilhelm Thomsen announced that he had deciphered the alphabet from the Orkhon inscriptions, some of the oldest known written records of the Turkic language family.
Its breakthrough opened the door to a deeper understanding of a linguistic tradition that today connects dozens of communities across Eurasia.
A global language family
Turkish languages ​​(including Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkish, Turkmen and Uzbek) are spoken natively by more than 200 million people in an area spanning approximately 12 million square kilometers.
UNESCO notes that these languages ​​have a rich written heritage, strong oral traditions and diverse cultural practices shared in many Member States.
The proclamation of the new Day occurred after a joint request from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan and was supported by 21 Member States, reflecting broad recognition of the value of linguistic diversity.
Strengthening cooperation
UNESCO says The annual celebration aligns with the UN’s broader multilingualism agenda.established in General Assembly resolution 71/328.
By dedicating a day to the Turkish language family, the agency aims to foster linguistic cooperation, cultural exchange and dialogue between civilizations.
Planned activities include awareness-raising initiatives, academic research and programs to safeguard Turkish languages ​​and oral traditions.
Annual celebration
The day will be marked by exhibitions, lectures, literary events and artistic performances designed to showcase the historical depth and contemporary vitality of the Turkish languages.
UNESCO says the commemoration is an opportunity to honor linguistic diversity as part of humanity’s common heritage and strengthen international efforts to protect languages ​​as essential vehicles of identity, knowledge and cultural expression.