Turkish language gains official status in Kosovo

The municipality of Lipjan, Kosovo, has made a historic decision to grant official status to the Turkish language. The initiative was proposed by Enis Kervan, a deputy from the Democratic Turkish Party of Kosovo (KDTP), and was unanimously approved by the city council.

Lipljan has become the third municipality in Kosovo to recognize Turkish as an official language. Previously, Turkish had also had official status in the municipalities of Prizren and Mamusë. In addition, Turkish is used as an official language in other areas such as Pristina, Gjilan, and Mitrovica.

The decision aims to strengthen the rights of the Turkish minority and preserve cultural diversity in Kosovo. According to Kosovo law, any language, regardless of the number of speakers, can be granted official status if it has been traditionally used. However, this does not require mandatory use of the language, but rather provides for the creation of conditions for its official use.