Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined President Abdullah Gul and reaffirmed on Friday Turkish as nation’s official language.
However, he said everybody in Turkey is free to speak his or her mother tongue.
Erdogan’s remarks came a day after President Gul, who was on a visit to the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, said, "Turkish is and will be the official language of the Republic of Turkey. Also, Turkish is the language of the state and public institutions. It is our common language."
Erdogan, who was asked about his wish for the new year, urged unity and solidarity against terrorism.
He said, "we must stand firm against discord. I have always been saying that Turkish is our official language, which secures our social peace with the understanding of single flag, single nation, single country and single state."
"But I must add that everybody is free to speak their mother tongue. No one has the right to touch it and also to overshadow our official language," he added.
(TÇ-DO)