Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

On January 9, a public discussion titled “Preserving the Purity of the Azerbaijani Language: Mobilization to Protect a National Trust” was held at the Central Scientific Library of ANAS, jointly organized by the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The event featured extensive discussions on the tasks arising from President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s remarks on safeguarding the purity of the Azerbaijani language during his interview with local television channels on January 5.

Representatives of NGOs, prominent scholars and intellectuals, staff members of scientific and educational institutions, students, representatives of organizations and civil society, as well as media professionals attended the event.

At the opening, Elnur Bagirli, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations, expressed gratitude to the President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, for his support in organizing the event.

Elnur Bagirli noted that the main goal of holding the public discussion was to strengthen cooperation between civil society institutions and the scientific community, and to discuss existing challenges and solution mechanisms related to preserving the purity of the Azerbaijani language. According to him, this public platform will create a basis for the formation of conceptual approaches for future initiatives and the implementation of consistent measures.

He emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev pays special attention to the Azerbaijani language, noting that in his speech at the 80th anniversary of ANAS and in his interview with local television channels, the head of state assessed the protection of the mother tongue as an issue of national security, national identity, and statehood. The President views the Azerbaijani language not merely as a means of communication, but as a strategic national asset that embodies centuries of historical memory, national and spiritual values, and cultural heritage. According to the President’s approach, the weakening of the language may lead to the erosion of national identity and the undermining of the moral foundations of society.

Elnur Bagirli stressed that although the Azerbaijani people have historically been exposed to various political and cultural pressures, they have preserved their national existence and unity precisely thanks to their mother tongue. Today, the fact that more than 50 million Azerbaijanis living in different countries of the world are united around the same language demonstrates that the Azerbaijani language is also an important unifying factor on a global scale.

Referring to the relevant Decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev, Elnur Bagirli stated that in 2026, the protection of the purity of the Azerbaijani language will be one of the main priority topics in grant competitions to be organized by the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations jointly with relevant state bodies. He noted that the document grants the Agency active authority to participate in determining topics and areas for NGO financing, as well as in the process of jointly organizing grant competitions.

In his speech, President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, emphasized the special significance of today’s public discussion as the first event jointly held with NGOs.

Noting that among the languages of the peoples of the former USSR, the Azerbaijani language has preserved its literary norms to a greater extent, the ANAS President stressed that the Azerbaijani identity policy pursued at that time by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, his approach to the Azerbaijani language, and the comprehensive measures implemented to ensure its active use had a major impact on the development and preservation of the language. He stated that during the period of independence, important steps were taken at the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to promote the Azerbaijani language internationally, and that the national language policy of the National Leader has been successfully continued.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that in the history of Azerbaijani statehood, the ideology of Azerbaijanism has a consistent, sustainable, and enduring position. One of the main pillars of the Azerbaijanism policy implemented by President Ilham Aliyev is precisely language policy. One of the key components of the head of state’s concept of independent statehood and the Motherland is the set of tasks related to protecting, developing, and strengthening the position of the Azerbaijani language in all spheres of society.

According to him, President Ilham Aliyev’s special attention to the issue of the Azerbaijani language during his January 5 interview with local television channels, while speaking about Azerbaijan’s international position, its place in global processes, and ongoing reforms, clearly demonstrates the important role of the language in state policy. The head of state has also shown particular sensitivity to preserving the purity of the Azerbaijani language in his previous speeches, drawing public attention to the work that needs to be done in this area: “In this regard, the views, decisions, and instructions voiced by President Ilham Aliyev regarding the Azerbaijani language in his interview with local television channels are not only an integral part of the country’s overall development strategy, but also one of the main and priority directions of language policy.”

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also noted the important meaning of President Ilham Aliyev’s response to the question “What does land mean to you?” addressed to him during the interview, and brought the head of state’s position to the attention of the event participants. He stated that in answering this question, the President metaphorically introduced the concept of “wounded land.” The powerful President who freed Azerbaijan from the wound and calamity of wounded land called on society to fight to prevent our language from being wounded as well. In his speech, President Ilham Aliyev stated that “we must always be strong and ready to defend our land; from now on, not a single inch of our land will ever fall under anyone’s foot,” emphasizing that for this purpose, the country possesses strength, political will, national unity, and a strong Azerbaijani state.

“Azerbaijani language policy is one of the main branches of the policy of the motherland and native soil. Therefore, President Ilham Aliyev’s struggle for the protection of the mother tongue is one of the main directions of the struggle for the Motherland,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli said, stressing that in his interview, the head of state touched upon important points related to the history, current state, and future prospects of the Azerbaijani language, and assessed the preservation of its purity as a matter of national security.

He emphasized that in the President’s brilliant speech at the 80th anniversary of ANAS, as well as in his in-depth interview with local television channels, a clear political and scholarly perspective was once again presented on the uniqueness, richness, power, and place of the Azerbaijani language among world languages. He noted that, as presented by the head of state, the Azerbaijani language is the language of a great people of 50 million, and protecting this language means protecting the language, destiny, and national-spiritual existence of a 50-million-strong nation.

Stating that the President’s sensitive approach to the language issue does not stem merely from cultural interest, but is directly linked to national security and the continuity of statehood, Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that the head of state has emphasized in his speeches that there is no need for artificially introduced loanwords and has underlined the importance of protecting the language from foreign influences: “Our head of state has rightly called on our intellectuals, poets, and writers to be active in this matter, urging society to demonstrate great dedication in this work as a nationwide struggle. The main tasks facing us today are to provide scientific support for enriching our language through its internal resources and to determine ways to prevent the uncontrolled entry of foreign words into our language.”

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that the Institute of Linguistics is directly engaged in language-related issues, while activities in this direction are also ongoing in other institutions representing the humanities and social sciences.

He stated that a meeting dedicated to President Ilham Aliyev’s calls on preserving the purity of the Azerbaijani language, voiced during his interview with local television channels, was held at the Presidium of ANAS. He also drew attention to the fact that at yesterday’s meeting of the Presidium, extensive discussions were held on the President’s calls regarding the development of science and the tasks of the National Academy of Sciences, and relevant decisions were adopted. The head of ANAS stressed that scientifically determining ways to preserve the mother tongue, strengthen its position, and enrich it through internal resources is a sacred duty of scholars. He informed participants about the work carried out at ANAS to preserve the purity of the Azerbaijani language, noting that a “Modern Azerbaijani Language and Speech Culture” department will be established at the Institute of Linguistics on the basis of the “Modern Azerbaijani Language” department. In addition, he stated that Orthography and Orthoepy dictionaries have been prepared, systematic work on a language corpus has been carried out for the first time, terminological dictionaries have been digitized, online dictionaries have been created for widespread modern use, and practical applications of literary language norms have been developed alongside theory and grammar. Academician Isa Habibbeyli also emphasized the necessity of reintroducing the subject “Speech Culture” in the Philology faculties of higher education institutions.

In conclusion, Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that the public discussion titled “Preserving the Purity of the Azerbaijani Language: Mobilization to Protect a National Trust,” held at ANAS with the participation of civil society representatives, is of great importance in terms of jointly fulfilling scholarly responsibility and civil society mission, as well as defining priority goals for joint activities in this direction. He emphasized that the foundation of cooperation initiatives in this field has been laid at ANAS today and that this activity will continue consistently in the future.

Later, Professor Fuad Mammadov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations, stated that after the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, one of the most important issues ahead is the development of our spiritual, that is, intellectual and moral culture. Emphasizing that one of the most critical issues in this process is the language problem, he noted that language is the main pillar of every nation’s culture and the primary carrier of national cultural identity. One of the key factors uniting millions of Azerbaijanis living in different countries around the world is precisely the mother tongue.

Professor Fuad Mammadov stated that the development of the Azerbaijani language will contribute to increasing respect and affection toward our people at the international level, emphasizing that language, as an attractive and powerful factor, is of great importance globally.

“The Azerbaijani language is very rich and harmonious. By fulfilling the tasks set by the President regarding the protection and development of our language, we must contribute to its progress and, by uniting our efforts, further elevate our national culture,” the Chairman of the Agency’s Supervisory Board added.

Professor Fuad Mammadov stressed that the valuable ideas and recommendations of National Leader Heydar Aliyev regarding the development of our national culture and language remain highly relevant today. The National Leader stated that “a people without a high level of spiritual, intellectual, and moral culture has no future. A nation is known only through its intellectuals, scientific potential, and culture.” In this regard, state bodies, scientific institutions, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of civil society must act jointly, support the implementation of state policy, and ensure the comprehensive and progressive development of our country.

He noted that the comprehensive development of the Azerbaijani language is extremely important for preserving our national culture and identity. At the same time, he stated that intellectual and cultural development, which serves to improve the quality of life, competitiveness of the Azerbaijani people, and the strengthening of the state, is a requirement of the modern era.

The Chairman of the Agency’s Supervisory Board emphasized that human capital is a great force, and its core consists of Azerbaijani citizens with a high level of culture, which requires the cultivation of individuals with high levels of knowledge, skills, morality, and creative activity. Assessing the comprehensive development of the Azerbaijani language as a key condition of this process, Professor Fuad Mammadov added that language, as a strategic, inexhaustible, and renewable resource, ensures the sustainable, secure, and progressive development of the nation.

In conclusion, he stated that for our country to be among the most powerful states, it is essential to ensure the development of intellectual labor and culture at the level of world standards, as well as to elevate the culture of governance to a high level.

Subsequently, presentations were delivered and discussions held on the topics “The Purity, Functionality, and Prestige of the Azerbaijani Language: Civic Duty, Strategic Responsibility,” “Language as a National Trust,” “Language and Stylistic Flaws in the Media: A Reassessment of NGO Names,” “The Purity of Language in Broadcasting,” and “Azerbaijani Language Lessons for Azerbaijanis Living Abroad.”

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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