At its 43rd session of the General Conference in Samarkand, UNESCO decided to establish World Day of the Turkic Language Family, which will be celebrated annually on December 15.

The date was chosen in honor of a significant event in the history of the study of Turkic languages: on December 15, 1893, Danish scholar Wilhelm Thomsen deciphered the Orkhon inscriptions of the VIII century, which are among the oldest written monuments of the Turkic alphabet.

The initiative to establish the day was put forward by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The proposal was co-sponsored by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The project was supported by 26 countries, including Turkmenistan.

According to UNESCO, Turkic languages are currently spoken by over 200 million people worldwide. Türkiye’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Gülnur Aybet, noted that the decision demonstrates the organization's commitment to strengthening multilingualism and cultural diversity.

The conference included a celebratory event attended by representatives of the permanent missions of Turkic-speaking countries to UNESCO, scientists, and international organizations.