10th International Turkish Language Congress was held

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The opening ceremony of the 10th International Turkish Language Congress, organized by the Turkish Language Association, was held on Thursday, September 26, 2024, the 92nd anniversary of Language Day, at the Conference Hall of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and History.

The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Serdar ÇAM, President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and History, H.E Ambassador Prof. Dr. Derya ÖRS, President of the Turkish Language Association, Prof. Dr. Osman MERT, along with President of the International Turkic Academy, Prof. Dr. Şahin MUSTAFAYEV, Ambassador of Turkmenistan, H.E Mekan ISHANGULİYEV, President of the Turkish Historical Society, Prof. Dr. Yüksel ÖZGEN, President of the Atatürk Culture Center, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeki ERASLAN, Vice President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and History, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet KILINÇ, President of the Yunus Emre Institute, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman ALİY, Head of the Ministry of National Education’s Board of Education and Discipline, Prof. Dr. Cihad DEMİRLİ, and Vice Rector of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Prof. Dr. Mustafa ORÇAN, as well as representatives from ministries, embassies, and other public institutions, alongside numerous academics and students.

The opening speeches of the ceremony were delivered by the President of the Turkish Language Association, Prof. Dr. Osman MERT, the President of the Supreme Council, H.E Ambassador Prof. Dr. Derya ÖRS, and the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Serdar ÇAM.

The President of the Turkish Language Association, Prof. Dr. Osman MERT, began his opening speech by celebrating the Language Day of Turkish enthusiasts. MERT stated that Turkish is a deep-rooted language that has been preserved for thousands of years across a vast geography, and he emphasized that without language, culture, a nation, science, and civilization cannot exist.

Prof. Dr. Osman MERT emphasized that the Turkish Language Association continues its work based on the noble vision of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He spoke about the “Common Turkic Alphabet” project, which has gained significant momentum recently, as well as other activities of the Turkish Language Association.

H.E Ambassador Prof. Dr. Derya ÖRS began his speech by expressing his pleasure in gathering with the participants of the 10th International Turkish Language Congress at the new building of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and History and its affiliated institutions.

ÖRS said, “Atatürk, who wholeheartedly believed that even greater victories than those won on the battlefield must also be achieved in the fields of science, culture, and art, and who allocated a portion of his personal inheritance to the Turkish Language Association and the Turkish Historical Society to make this happen, personally attended the first congress on ‘The Place of the Turkish Language Among World Languages.’ He also participated in the second Turkish Language Congress, held from August 18-23, 1934, and the third congress, held from August 24-31, 1936. Language congresses have continued regularly after his passing.”

He also stated that 2017 was declared the Year of the Turkish Language, and projects that mobilized public awareness were initiated. Following the agreement reached on a 34-letter common alphabet by member countries of the Organization of Turkic States, he added that in this historic period, filled with great joy and excitement as we move towards a common written language in the Turkish world, the Turkish Language Association has also accelerated its new and original studies in natural language processing, corpora, and artificial intelligence, which are required by the age.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr. Serdar ÇAM stated that the continuation of the Turkish Language Congress, which has been held since 1932, being initiated at the new campus of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language, and History is significant as it marks a new process. Emphasizing that establishing peace is one of the missions of the Turkish language, Dr. Serdar ÇAM noted that scientists should raise their voices more regarding the peace, tranquility, and future of the geography.

The “2024 Turkish Language Service Awards” were also presented as part of the opening ceremony. The awards were given to Prof. Dr. András RÓNA-TAS, Prof. Dr. Cengiz ALYILMAZ, Prof. Dr. Robert DANKOFF, and Prof. Dr. Zeki KAYMAZ for their scientific research and works that shed light on issues related to both the historical and contemporary periods of the Turkish language. Additionally, the awards were presented to the Turcology Department of Hungary’s Eötvös Loránd University, a pioneer in European Turcology, along with the Turkish Republic’s Ministry of National Education.