For example, there is the Turkish language which is considered the official language of the country and then there is Kurdish, Arabic, English, Zaza etc. that are commonly used by the locals as well as foreigners. So, we are going to explore what these languages are in detail along with some other languages in this post.
1. Turkish Language
The Turkish language has a long history going back to the Mongolian Empire, and it is believed to be influenced by both the Arabian and Persian languages.
According to Article 42, Turkish is the official language that is used in Turkey and you can see that it is about 80% of the population speaks Turkish there. Even the media, schools and the government use this language. They use it for both spoken and written purposes.
And though there are more than 30 minorities in the country, Article 42 also prohibits the schools/institutes from teaching other languages as the mother tongue, stating that Turkish should be the primary language and elective classes are permitted for the people who want to learn other languages.
2. Kurdish Language
The Kurdish language is also known as Kurmanji by the locals, and it is a northern dialect that is spoken by more than 18% of the population in Turkey. It was originated in the 16th century and therefore, you might think it is cherished due to its long history. But it is not the case and has become quite problematic because some people use Kurdish as their mother tongue instead of Turkish neglecting the statements in Article 42.
3. Arabic Language
The Arabic language is spoken by about 2 million people in Turkey, and those who speak Arabic usually speak Turkish as well. You can also see that it is widely spoken by the people who are residing in Istanbul and cities in the southern areas of Turkey.
4. English Language
The English language is the most commonly spoken second language in Turkey, with more than 16 million people speaking it within the country. This is because English is taught in every school and therefore, the new generation can fluently speak it when compared to the previous generations that have been living in Turkey. So, you don’t need to worry about not understanding what the locals are saying because touristy places in Turkey have many fluent English speakers.
5. Zaza Language
Zaza language is spoken by about 1 million people in Turkey, and you can commonly see the people residing in the eastern areas of the country speaking it. Sometimes, the radio programs in Turkey are broadcasted in the Zaza language.
Other Minority Languages
Some of the other languages spoken in Turkey are Armenian Language, Ladino Language and Greek Language. The Armenian Language is spoken by more than 60,000 people, the Ladino language is spoken by only 12,000 people while the Greek language is spoken by less than 10,000 people in Turkey. These three languages are protected by the 1923’s Treaty of Lausanne, and therefore, they are widely recognized than the other minority languages in the country.