The resolution, adopted at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, is recognised as a significant milestone that symbolises international recognition of linguistic, cultural, and historical unity among Turkic-speaking peoples.
The initiative was proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye and received international support. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan also joined this initiative. The resolution was approved by a total of 26 countries, including Türkiye and Turkmenistan. Turkic languages are spoken by more than 200 million people, reflecting a shared history and cultural values. 15 December was chosen as a particularly meaningful date because it was on this day in 1893 that the Danish scientist Vilhelm Thomsen announced the decryption of the Orkhon Inscriptions from eighth-century monuments, which proved the roots of the Turkic languages. As the oldest known written documents of the Turkic languages, the inscriptions are regarded as symbols of cultural heritage.
A ceremony took place to mark the adoption of this resolution during the UNESCO General Conference. The event was attended by UNESCO representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Hungary, as well as academics and representatives of international organisations. The event featured a speech by the Ambassador of Turkic Culture and Heritage and a performance by the ethno-folk dance ensemble "Turan."
The resolution is regarded as an important indicator of international recognition of the Turkic civilisation's contribution to world culture and human cooperation, and it will be celebrated every year on December 15.