― 13 сентября 2024 г.
Presentation of a Dictionary of Gagauz Language in TURKSOY Headquarters
The Gagauzian-Gagauzian dictionary published by the Moldova Friendship Association was presented in the Conference Hall of TURKSOY by a delegation of scholars headed by Mrs. Ivanna Köksal, MP of the Parliament of Moldova. The presentation event gathered scholars and guests from many regions of the Turkic World who showed great interest in the dictionary.
The event started with a short film introducing Gagauzia and went on with the opening speech of Deputy Secretary General Sayit Yusuf who conveyed the most heartfelt greetings of TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev to the guests and underlined that TURKSOY is the first cooperation organisation which has been entrusted with the duty to preserve and promote the culture and civilisation of the Turkic World for more than thirty years. Mr. Yusuf who further said that TURKSOY has to add new innovations to the existing ones also expressed his happiness to welcome the delegation from Gagauzia in the Headquarters of the organization.
Language sustains societies and is indispensable for culture
Mr. Yusuf said: "We have to honour our language, which is our means to get acquainted with the world. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs. Köksal, the Head of the drafting Committee of the dictionary."
Starting her speech with the first stanza of the poem ‘Mother tongue’, the chairman of the drafting committee of the Dictionary and Member of the Parliament of Moldova Mrs. Ivanna Köksal said that the main motive that brought her to where she is in life is her fondness of her mother tongue and the importance she attaches to it as a means to get acquainted with the world. Mrs. Köksal who further said peoples and communities of the Turkic World come together under the auspices of TURKSOY stressed that TURKSOY is the ‘Blessed Home’ of the Turkic World.
“Gagauz language is in a difficult situation. We should speak Gagauz Turkish with our children in our homes”
Mrs. Ivanna Köksal who also stated that Gagauzian was included in UNESCO's list of endangered languages further said: ‘We should enrich curricula in schools with more comprehensive and difversified materials. We have to make our children love our language. We must do this because we owe it to our mother tongue. Every Gagauz family must teach Gagauzian to their children.’
Other participants who delivered speeches at the event were Dr. İrfan Ünver Nastattinoğlu, the Advisor to the General Manager of the Turkish Radio and Television Kürşat Özkök, the President of the Authors' Union of the Turkic World Şemseddin Küzeci, the President of the Humanitarian Aid Association of Moldova Dr. Rafet Köksal, the Former Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Moldova Hulusi Kılıç and the Vice President of the Turkish Cultural Center Prof. Dr. Ayşe Filiz Yavuz who stressed the importance of this dictionary in terms of academic research.
The presentation event ended with a short concert followed by a ceremony in which Şahsenem and Cem Gürdal received plaquettes.
Dictionary of Gagauz Language
This dictionary drafted by prepared by the committee headed by Ivanna Köksal is considered to be the first study in the field. Indeed, no scientific study was carried out to publish a dictionary of Gagauz language before. The first edition of the dictionary was published in 2008. The second edition of the dictionary drafted in Ankara, is a dictionary with explanations of ten thousand words. During the drafting of the dictionary, many other dictionaries were scanned and five thousand copies were printed.
