TİKA Establishes Digital Archive Infrastructure for the Crimean Tatar Language

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided digital archiving equipment to the Institute for the Development of the Crimean Tatar Language, established under the Crimean Tatar National Assembly.

In February 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted the “Strategy for the Development and Dissemination of the Crimean Tatar Language 2022–2032”. To implement this strategy, the Institute for the Development of the Crimean Tatar Language was founded in 2023. The Institute conducts research and leads efforts to preserve, develop, and promote the social, structural, historical, and cultural dimensions of the Crimean Tatar language.

To support these efforts effectively, TİKA provided technical assistance to the Institute to help preserve the Crimean Tatar language, which is classified as “Seriously Endangered” by UNESCO. With the book and document scanning equipment supplied by TİKA, the Institute’s digital archive infrastructure was significantly strengthened.

This support made it possible to digitize and archive scientific, educational, literary, and media works written in the Crimean Tatar language. The aim is to preserve the written heritage of the language, pass it on to future generations and ensure global accessibility. The digital library established with TİKA’s contribution fills a critical gap and represents a sustainable step toward the survival and revitalization of the language.

Speaking at the equipment handover ceremony, Mustafa Ametov, Director of the Institute for the Development of the Crimean Tatar Language, stated that the infrastructure established with the equipment provided by TİKA has made it possible to digitize many hard-to-access works. This development, he noted, will not only enrich the resources available for research on the Crimean Tatar language but also ensure that Crimean Tatar literature is preserved for future generations—a step that is expected to raise global interest. Ametov expressed his gratitude to TİKA, Türkiye, and the Turkish people for their support.

Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, emphasized that TİKA’s equipment support is of great importance for the thousands of Crimean Tatars who were forced to leave their homeland following the 2014 occupation. He noted that digitizing valuable books, documents, and publications brought abroad by Crimean Tatars will play a crucial role in preserving their language and culture for future generations. Chubarov added that these efforts will create a lasting source to communicate the just cause of the Crimean Tatar people to the world, and he thanked TİKA and the Republic of Türkiye for their continued support.