About the Turkish language

Turkish is the principal member of the Turkic branch of the Altaic family of languages and is the official language of Turkey and one of the official languages of Cyprus.

It is spoken by around 70 million people in Turkey, Northern Cyprus and by ethnic minorities in Eastern European countries and immigrant communities in other parts of the world.

It replaced the Arabic-based Ottoman script by the Roman alphabet after its formation as a republic in 1928, at the same time removing many Arabic and Persian words from its vocabulary.

The Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey
The Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey

So why learn Turkish?

Tourism
Turkey is a very popular holiday destination for Europeans and a knowledge of Turkish will add enjoyment to your visit.

Literature and culture
Turkey has a rich culture and a knowledge of Turkish will enable you to read their celebrated poets in the original.

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