The preservation of the Turkish language, culture and identity is one of Turkey’s priorities, and the poetic and literary heritage of Yunus Emre is fundamental to the realization of this priority.

The celebration of the 700th anniversary of the death of the famous 13th century Turkish poet Yunus Emre was included in the list of UNESCO events for 2021. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also declared 2021 the Year of Yunus Emre and Turkish Language.

According to President Erdogan, Yunus Emre, in his poems dedicated to humanity, brotherhood, peace and tolerance, addressed all humanity in the purest Turkish language, regardless of religion, language or race.

Also, according to the President of Turkey, the famous poet was far ahead of his time, uniting people around values and making a great contribution to the development of humanity on a global scale.

The poet who left an unforgettable mark on the memory of his people

Yunus Emre is one of the brightest and most famous figures in the history of Turkish literature, a poet who left an unforgettable mark in the memory of his people.

Very little is known about the life of Yunus Emre – his biography is based on legends, autobiographical instructions and similarities in his works. At the same time, it is known that the poet was born in 1240 in the village of Sarikay under the name Eskisehir, his poems are full of hidden meanings and advice, he was a wandering dervish, thinker and poet. Yunus Emre is a famous poet who was one of the first in his poetry to use the same spoken Turkic language, and not the Persian or Arabic language that was used in his time.

The language of the poet’s poems was clear and simple for everyone, so his works were very warmly received and easily understood by people.

After his death, he received great recognition in history not only as one of the leading representatives of Sufism, but also as a poet who laid the foundations of Turkish poetry.

Language is a Defender of the Fatherland

According to the Turkish President, the main aspect of the fight against cultural imperialism is, first of all, the protection of our language!

“The country is protected first by its own language and then by its army,” he said. “That is why we need to protect the Turkish language”- Erdogan stressed.

Therefore, the preservation of the Turkish language, culture and identity remains one of the priorities of the state, and the poetic and literary heritage of Yunus Emre is a good basis for all this.

Yunus Emre Institute

The Yunus Emre Institute (a Turkish state non-profit organization) was founded in 2007 at the initiative of the Turkish government to promote the Turkish language and culture, as well as to improve Turkey’s image in the world.

The Yunus Emre Institute has branches in more than 50 countries around the world and teaches Turkish to foreigners, as well as cultural, artistic and scientific activities.

It should be noted that Turkey is recognized as one of the countries that have retained their cultural and national identity, thanks to people like Yunus Emre, whose poetry is full of humanity, human values, universal unity and love for the mother tongue.