How influential is Turkey in Gagauzia?

The disappearance of a Turkic language and culture (II)

Bilateral relations between the Republic of Moldova and Turkey have always been warm, based on cooperation at various levels. When it comes to Gagauzia, the then-President of Turkey, Süleyman Demirel, played a significant role in the 90s. It was Demirel who mediated the conflict between Chisinau and Comrat after the Gagauz people declared themselves a separatist republic.  

Turkey, then as it does now, defends the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. The declaration of Gagauz autonomy was also intended to preserve the Gagauz language and culture. However, this did not happen. Moreover, the current language of communication in Gagauzia is Russian, and Gagauz is taught as a foreign language. 

Turkey's efforts to support the declaration of Gagauz autonomy in the 90s were aimed not only at softening the internal conflict in Moldova but also at weakening Russian influence in the region and increasing Turkish influence in areas inhabited by ethnic Turks. As the years passed, it was not Turkey, but Russia, that benefited most from this socio-political conjuncture. 

In his official visit to Gagauzia in 2022, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa Şentop, stated: "The future of Gagauzia is nowhere else but in Moldova. Gagauzia is an inseparable part of Moldova." Turkey has always advocated for the integration of the Gagauz people into Europe together with Chisinau. Turkish ambassadors, for their part, always emphasize that they want the Gagauz people to be more integrated into Moldovan society. 

Turkey is one of the largest investors in Gagauzia, carrying out projects in various fields. Financial and technical assistance provided to the Republic of Moldova through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has been ongoing for 29 years. Efforts are underway to implement 500 projects worth approximately 40 million US dollars. Priority areas include healthcare, education, environmental protection, and infrastructure. 

For comparison, regarding the Moldovan presidential election (in the last election campaign), the police announced that almost 40 million dollars would be spent within two months by the Shor group (controlled by Russia) to corrupt Moldovan voters. 

Despite the major projects TİKA carries out in Gagauzia, Turkey does not conduct comprehensive campaigns for the promotion or preservation of the Gagauz language and culture. In terms of cultural propaganda, Russia is far ahead of Turkey. 

The Gagauz language has been included in UNESCO's list of endangered world languages. Therefore, Turkey needs to take urgent action to save a Turkic language and culture, because it has the historical, moral, and spiritual right to do so. Turkey has cultural and financial initiatives, but they are insufficient. The Gagauz-Gagauz dictionary published by the Moldova Friendship Association on September 13 was introduced at a conference of the TÜRKSOY Secretariat General (TÜRKSOY is the first cooperation organization that has been operating for more than thirty years to protect and spread the culture and civilization of the Turkic world). 

While writing this article on social media, a video of a young girl of Gagauz origin caught my attention and deeply affected me. A girl born into a Gagauz family in Gagauzia who does not know Gagauz and only speaks Russian. She chose to come to Turkey to receive education to learn her mother tongue, Gagauz. When she reached the age of majority, she began to know and search for herself. She asked herself a natural question: "Who am I?" Undoubtedly, there are many young people of Gagauz origin who ask themselves this question. But if such a beautiful culture and language disappear, how will they be able to find the answer to the above question? 

In addition to its mission to contribute to the preservation and promotion of Gagauz culture, Turkey also has a duty (as a leading country) to do so. It appears that there is political will for this. In his meeting with the President of Moldova in Baku, Mr. Erdoğan announced the decision that they would act together in protecting the Gagauz language and culture. As a great country, Turkey needs to raise awareness about the role it can play in the family of Turkic peoples, even without the contribution of Moldova. 

Let the Gagauz language and culture not disappear before our eyes!