We welcome the proclamation of 15 December as the World Turkic Language Family Day through the adoption of a resolution at today’s (3 November) session of the 43rd General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This resolution, drafted by Türkiye and our brotherly and sisterly Turkic states, will further enhance collective efforts aimed at preserving the Turkic language - the common heritage of the Turkic world - and passing it on to future generations.

The proclamation of the World Turkic Language Family Day in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which is one of the ancient cities of the Turkic world, also carries a special significance.

As is well known, the renowned Turkologist Vilhelm Thomsen announced to the international scholarly world on 15 December 1893 that the “Orkhon Inscriptions” - discovered in 1889 and recognized as the earliest known written sources of the Turkic language - were written in Turkic.

We extend our congratulations in advance on the occasion of the World Turkic Language Family Day to the Turkic world as well as to our friends who know and learn the Turkic language.