Kastamonu University held two separate events across the campus on December 15th, which is recognized as "World Turkish Language Day," to emphasize the place of Turkish in cultural heritage and its social importance. 

World Language Turkish Festival

The "World Language Turkish Festival," held on December 15, 2025, in the Sezai Karakoç Hall of the Central Library, was organized in collaboration with the Department of Turkish Language and Literature, the Culture, Art Application and Research Center (KÜSAM), the Culture, Art Application and Research Community (KÜSAT), and the Turkish Language Teaching Application and Research Center (TÖMER). 

The program, which began with a moment of silence and the playing of the Turkish National Anthem, was attended by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Selahattin Kaymakcı and TÖMER Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Hasdedeoğlu, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rabia Aktaş, KÜSAM Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeki Gürel, academic staff, and a large number of students. 

In his opening speech for the program, KÜSAM Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeki Gürel emphasized the determining role of the Turkish language in national life. Stating that Turkish has been the carrier of culture, thought, and collective memory throughout history, Gürel highlighted the importance of joint language and alphabet studies being conducted in the Turkish world. 

TÖMER Director Assoc. Prof.Dr. Onur Hasdedeoğlu stated that Turkish is not merely a means of communication, but a fundamental element reflecting the nation's memory and way of perceiving the world. Emphasizing that Turkish is a strong global language taught internationally, Hasdedeoğlu stated that the recognition of December 15th as "World Language Turkish Day" is a significant indicator of this process.

Following the speeches, the KÜSAT Folk Dance Team's performance was met with great appreciation from the audience. As part of the program, our students and those studying at TÖMER gave poetry readings and musical performances. The event continued with performances by KÜSAM Deputy Director Lecturer Dr. Osman Eroğlu. At the end of the program, certificates of appreciation were presented to the contributing students and academics. 

A Thousand-Year Breath: The Richness of Turkish

The project "A Thousand-Year Breath: The Richness of Turkish," supported within the scope of the World Language Turkish Community's initiative, was implemented at our university's Kuzeykent Campus. As part of the project, 100 banners containing the Turkish equivalents of foreign-origin words were hung along a route of approximately 1 kilometer, extending from the Faculty of Education entrance to the Main Campus entrance.

Banners prepared with the understanding that "Our language is our identity" attracted significant interest from our university students and citizens using the campus route. 

This study, which emphasizes the role of Turkish in cultural heritage and its social significance, aimed to promote mother tongue awareness by providing Turkish equivalents for frequently used foreign words in daily life.  

The project, which transformed the campus into an open-air language exhibition, also made it clear that Turkish is a living and self-renewing language.