An event marking the World Day of Turkic Languages was held Wednesday at the Turkish Embassy Cultural Center in Ashgabat. The day was established by UNESCO at its General Conference in Samarkand in November 2025 and is observed annually on Dec. 15.
Attendees included Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Demirok; Turkmenistan Deputy Culture Minister Nursakhet Shirimov; Azerbaijan Ambassador Gismet Gozalov; Kazakhstan Ambassador Nurlan Nogayev; Kyrgyzstan Ambassador Azizbek Madmarov; Uzbek Embassy counselor Jasur Ashurov; as well as experts and media representatives.
In remarks, Demirok stressed the importance of preserving, developing and passing languages on to future generations. He highlighted Turkmenistan’s role in promoting its national language and culture since independence and noted the contribution of Turkmen scholars and linguists to the study of Turkic languages.
Discussions also focused on preserving and developing the cultural identity of Turkic-speaking countries, joint study of history and literature, exchanges among scholars and educational institutions, and the role of TURKSOY and the Organization of Turkic States in strengthening cooperation and promoting shared linguistic heritage.
The Turkic language family includes about 30 languages, among them Turkmen, Turkish, Kazakh, Uzbek and Azerbaijani, and has more than 200 million speakers worldwide.
