A significant cultural event bringing together the ethno-cultural roots of Turkic-speaking nations was held in the capital of Turkmenistan. A ceremonial event dedicated to UNESCO’s declaration of December 15 as the World Turkic Languages Family Day took place at the Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Turkmenistan.

The initiative to establish this international day was proposed by the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and was officially approved during the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, heads of diplomatic missions from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Türkiye, as well as media representatives, public figures, and residents of Ashgabat.

In his speech, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Türkiye to Turkmenistan, Ahmet Demirok, emphasized the importance of preserving the historical continuity of languages, safeguarding cultural memory, and passing heritage on to future generations. He also highlighted Turkmenistan’s significant contribution in this field.

According to UNESCO data, more than 200 million people worldwide speak Turkic languages, which are spread across an area of about 12 million square kilometers. This linguistic family includes the Turkmen, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uzbek languages.

The annual celebration of the World Turkic Languages Family Day will serve as an important platform for promoting the culture of Turkic-speaking countries and strengthening fraternal ties among them.

compiled by Myrat ATABALLYYEV,

teacher of the State Energy Institute
of Turkmenistan.