The 26th day of September is marked as "Language Day" in our country in commemoration of the inauguration of the first Turkish Language Congress, chaired by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in 1932.

A ceremony was held at the building of the Turkish Language Society (TDK) in Ankara as part of this year's celebrations. TDK President Prof. Dr. Gürer Gülsevin, Atatürk Culture, Language and History High Council President Prof. Dr. Derya Örs and Culture and Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Dr. Ahmet Halûk Dursun delivered opening speeches.

In his speech, Dursun celebrated the Language Day. "In our time, it essential for us to promote the Turkish language and mobilize campaigns to this end. We have to address this matter with total mobilization," he said.

Atatürk Culture, Language and History High Council President Örs drew attention to their efforts to uphold Turkish as a language of science, art, literature and culture globally. "Historically, every language has created a culture, but not every language has established a civilization. Turkish is also the language of a civilization. This constitutes huge responsibilities, source of pride and elation," he said.

Following the TDK President Gülsevin's account of the historical process of the Language Day, a presentation was performed concerning the TDK's activities.

At the end of the ceremony, the competition program "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" was awarded with the "Prize for Contributions to the Turkish Language." The host of the program, Murat Yıldırım, received the award from Deputy Minister Dursun.

Language Day is marked in Poland

Yunus Emre Institute has teamed up with Bilkent University, University of Warsaw and Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Cooperation and Solidarity Foundation to organize the 13th International Grand Congress of Turkish Language in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, between September 25 and 28, 2018, as part of the 86th Language Day celebrations this year.

The opening of the Congress, which attracted some 120 academics from Turkey and a number of countries around the world, was conducted at the University of Warsaw.

Yunus Emre Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş delivered a speech during the ceremony, stressing Turkish as a language of heart. He pointed out that the Institute supports, and contributes to, a number of high quality activities and events.

Noting that written texts are what sets a language apart from others, Ateş explained: "Language is the carrier of culture. And culture plays a role in making people act with fairness and take into merits of individuals in employment. Can we say that no language is superior to another? Superiority is based on the richness and distinction of written works."

Prof. Dr. Rasim Özyürek, the Head of the Congress Organizing Committee and an academic member of Bilkent University, emphasized that everyone has primary duties to protect the Turkish language. "We must protect our language just as we protect our flag," he said.

The Grand Congress of Turkish Language is an international, scientific event organized to discuss the developments related to the Turkish language, promote assets and characteristics of Turkish and address emerging issues related to the language with an academic approach.

"Our Turkish language is one of the leading values what makes us a nation"

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message in connection with September 26 Turkish Language Day. "Our Turkish language, one of the world's oldest, richest and most commonly spoken languages, is one of the leading values what makes us a nation," he said.

President Erdoğan stressed that it is their priority to promote the Turkish language as a language of art, literature, science and education, which is the most influential instrument for conveying the unifying spiritual values of the Turkish nation from one generation to another. "Our Turkish is our strong bond with other peoples with whom we shared a common past across diverse geographies and it makes us members of a grand family who can understand each other, who show solidarity with each other and who support each other," he said.