Each language is a mirror reflecting the culture of a country. It is of
utmost importance that languages are protected for preserving and
maintaining the cultural heritage. Hence, in a world where over 6000
languages are spoken, language is the only tool to sustain the
particularities and elegance of a culture.
By the initiative of the Council of Europe and European Union, the European
Day of Languages has been celebrated every year on 26 September since 2001.
Today, when one out of two people is bilingual or multilingual, lifelong
learning of all languages needs to be promoted to better understand each
other and to communicate, and cultural and linguistic heritage should be
preserved in this manner.
Referring to the great philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein who says “The limits
of my language mean the limits of my world”, we should remember and remind
once again on the occasion of this special day that the language that we
use and the richness of languages are the elements that determine the
limits of our horizons.
The preservation of the current cultural and linguistic diversity on which
societies are based on should be an essential component of social policies
that will shape the future. As said by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi “there are
many languages in the world, many languages, but their meaning is the same.
Break all the pots, the jugs, see how the water flows on its way. Once
unity is achieved, cast fighting and war aside, see how one runs and tells
others about this.” All languages provide an opportunity to understand
cultures and people and overcome barriers. The European Union has
prioritised multiculturalism with its principle of “unity in diversity” and
has supported this with its principle of multilingualism.
On this occasion, I would like to congratulate 26 September Turkish
Language Day and the European Day of Languages.