Kosovo’s N. Mitrovica province approves Turkish as official language

The municipality of North Mitrovica in Kosovo grants official use status to Turkish, a language traditionally spoken by many in the community

In a recent municipal council session in North Mitrovica, Kosovo, primarily inhabited by Serbs, a proposal to recognize Turkish as a “language in official use” was approved by a majority vote.

The decision was put forward by Enis Kervan, a member of Parliament from the Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party (KDTP), who stated that the approval of the proposal reaffirmed Kosovo’s status as a multiethnic and multicultural state.

Approximately 50,000 people in the country are capable of speaking Turkish alongside their native language.

Currently, Turkish is an “official language” in the municipalities of Prizren and Mamusha and a “language in official use” in the municipalities of Pristina, Gjilan, Viti, and South Mitrovica.

Under Kosovo laws, a language traditionally spoken within municipal boundaries can attain the status of a “language in official use,” irrespective of its representation ratio. However, this status does not mandate the mandatory use of the language in official communications within the municipality’s jurisdiction.

According to the results of the last census conducted in 2011, there are a total of 18,738 Turks residing in Kosovo, with approximately 50,000 individuals capable of speaking Turkish alongside their native language.

Source: Newsroom

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