Turkish Language Association, Language regulator in Ankara, Turkey
The Turkish Language Association, known as Türk Dil Kurumu, is a language regulator in Ankara, Turkey, housed in a standalone building in the city center. The facility includes offices for linguists, archives of language documents, and library rooms where historical texts and research materials are kept.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the institution on July 12, 1932, to modernize the Turkish language through systematic study and targeted simplifications. The organization developed new terms, replaced many Arabic and Persian loanwords with Turkish alternatives, and introduced revised spelling conventions.
The institution publishes dictionaries and guides widely used in Turkish schools and media, shaping everyday language choices. Linguists advise government offices and private individuals on proper word usage and spelling questions.
The institution offers free online reference works and language tools through its official website, accessible from any location. Some events and lectures occasionally take place in the building and are usually open to the public.
During the 1930s, researchers traveled across Anatolia to collect dialect forms and record words at risk of disappearing. This fieldwork uncovered tens of thousands of local expressions, many of which later entered official dictionaries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
