Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

The remarks made by the President of Azerbaijan during the 80th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), as well as his interviews with local television channels in January this year, regarding the preservation of the Azerbaijani language, indicate that state policy in this area has entered a new stage.

These words were spoken by ANAS President, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, during his address at the conference “The Language of Media in the Context of Scientific Discussion,” jointly organized by ANAS and the Azerbaijan Press Council.

Academician Habibbeyli noted that the event is dedicated to scientifically discussing the tasks and requirements regarding the Azerbaijani language put forward by President Ilham Aliyev during the ANAS 80th anniversary meeting and in interviews with local TV channels. He emphasized that the President’s statements are aimed at strengthening the legal foundations of the independent Azerbaijani state, consolidating national and spiritual unity, and preserving and enriching the Azerbaijani language.

Habibbeyli highlighted that the strong foundations of state language policy in Azerbaijan were laid by National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Even during the first term of his leadership, under the Soviet internationalist ideology, consistent and well-planned steps were taken to promote Azerbaijani identity. The inclusion of Azerbaijani as the state language in the 1978 Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR exemplifies Heydar Aliyev’s foresight and dedication to national values.

In the modern period, President Ilham Aliyev consistently prioritizes Azerbaijani language policy as a key aspect of state policy. Academician Habibbeyli emphasized that the “State Program on the Use of the Azerbaijani Language in Accordance with the Demands of the Time in the Context of Globalization and the Development of Linguistics in the Country” serves as a roadmap for scientific research in this field.

“The President’s speech at ANAS’s 80th anniversary and his January interviews with local TV channels regarding the protection of the Azerbaijani language show that state policy has entered a new stage,” Habibbeyli said. He noted that the President’s directives on the Azerbaijani language cover several main areas: giving high value to the language, presenting it as a key marker of national identity, and balancing the use of international terminology. The ANAS President added that alongside international terms, it is crucial to create new words based on the internal capacities of the Azerbaijani language and expand national terminology. For this purpose, relevant information is published in the ANAS Institute of Linguistics’ journal Issues of Terminology.

Habibbeyli pointed out that in the era of technological advancement, showing ways to preserve the language serves as a practical guide for professionals in the field. He stressed the importance of enriching the Azerbaijani language by consulting dialectological resources, word creation, and literature.

The ANAS President also outlined the work being carried out at the Academy to implement state language policy. These include joint events with linguists and the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union, organizing Olympiads on the Azerbaijani language, preparing orthographic and orthoepic dictionaries, and compiling reference booklets on personal names. Systematic scientific research is underway on Azerbaijani grammar, with publications on phonetics, morphology, and lexicon already released, while a work on syntax is in preparation.

Addressing the significance of the event attended by media representatives, Academician Habibbeyli noted that the media is the main tool that activates and popularizes the Azerbaijani language. He emphasized the need to regulate media language and assured that ANAS is ready to provide scientific support to the Azerbaijan Press Council in this area.

He concluded by describing the conference as an important step in implementing the President’s directives on the Azerbaijani language and wished success to the event.

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