The Dîvânu Lugâti’t-Türk was spoken in the 950th year of its writing.

The symposium “Dîvânu Lugâti’t-Türk” met with literature lovers in Kahramanmaraş on the 950th anniversary of its writing. The program, held at the KSÜ Sezai Karakoç Conference Hall, brought together experts and master writers who approached the Turkish language from different perspectives.

Organized with the contributions of the Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality, the symposium was held in collaboration with Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University (KSÜ) and the Turkish Language Institution (TDK).

At the symposium in the KSÜ Sezai Karakoç Conference Hall, experts and authors addressed literature enthusiasts.

In his speech, Governor Mükerrem Ünlüer stated, “Both of our universities, which continue their education with great sacrifice and dedication despite the earthquake in our city, have made significant contributions to Kahramanmaraş’s rapid recovery. This symposium and similar meetings that enliven not only social life but also cultural life contribute to this process in the city. We believe that this program has strategic importance within the framework of Kahramanmaraş’s UNESCO candidacy, which has been the capital of poetry, poets, and literature from the past to the present. Kahramanmaraş has made significant progress in its candidacy process, applying to the UNESCO City Network as a ‘City of Literature.’ With this symposium, another addition is being made to the ongoing efforts in literature, art, and culture in the city,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Osman Mert, President of the Turkish Language Institution, emphasized the importance of the symposium for the Turkish world, stating, “As long as words exist, culture is transmitted; as long as culture exists, language lives. These two are interconnected and cannot be thought of separately. There is a relationship between the vocabulary of languages and their level of development. In other words, there is no civilization in the world that has a developed language but is behind in other aspects, and there cannot be. Similarly, there cannot be an individual who is underdeveloped in vocabulary but is a qualified and equipped person according to their education and age. This is also true for these individuals. It is one of the fundamental characteristics that make a person human. Looking back at that time, Kaşgarlı says, ‘I did not take unused words,’ but I wish he had. There are about 8,000 entries, but the total vocabulary of current Turkish is about 9,000, which is extraordinary for that time,” he spoke.

Duran Doğan, Head of the Culture, Youth, and Sports Department of the Metropolitan Municipality, stated, “As the Metropolitan Municipality, we continue to host various cultural and artistic events in our city. One of these is the symposium organized on the 950th anniversary of the writing of ‘Dîvânu Lugâti’t-Türk.’ We are happy to hold this beautiful event in our city in collaboration with the Turkish Language Institution and Sütçü İmam University. We highly value such organizations held in our city. Under the leadership of our Metropolitan Mayor, Mr. Fırat Görgel, we will continue to bring various cultural and artistic events together with our fellow citizens.”