An event marking December 15 – the World Turkic Language Family Day, declared by UNESCO, was held in Helsinki. The event was dedicated to globally promote the historical, scientific, and cultural heritage of Turkic languages.

The event featured speeches by Ambassador of Türkiye to Finland Deniz Chakar, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Finland Azamat Abdraimov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan accredited to Finland Timur Rakhmanov, members of the Finnish Parliament Ville Skinnari and Kimmo Kiljunen, Head of Helsinki Azerbaijan House Ulviyya Jabbarova, Chairman of the Islamic Society of Finland Golten Badraddin, Head teacher at the Department of Language, Helsinki University Ekaterina Gruzdeva, teacher at the Department of Language, Helsinki University Hasan Mesut Meral.

The importance of cultural diversity and international dialogue, as well as the preservation of Turkic languages and their transmission to future generations, was highlighted in the speeches. It was explained that this holds strategic importance both for preserving cultural heritage and for strengthening mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among peoples.

Ulviyya Jabbarova, Head of Helsinki Azerbaijan House, described UNESCO’s declaration of December 15 as World Turkic Language Family Day as a result of the special attention given to Turkic peoples.  She expressed her confidence that this initiative would further accelerate efforts aimed at preserving and developing the Turkic languages.

An artistic part of the event was unforgettable with its colourful musical performances. The music of Turkic-speaking peoples, masterfully performed by Azerbaijani pianist Leyli Huseynova from the Helsinki Opera and Ballet Theatre, created a special atmosphere. The song “Sari Galin”, performed by Mona Savojifar, the Finland coordinator for the Scandinavia Azerbaijanis Coordination Council, was met with great enthusiasm in the hall. Gulzhaukhar Alimkhanova, Alisultan Adilkhanov, and Aylin Adilkhanova showcased Kazakhstan’s rich musical heritage through their engaging performances. The Finland-based music group “Tatar Band” further enriched the cultural flavour of the program with Tatar folk songs.