The Crimean Tatar language carries the historical continuity, worldview, and cultural experience of a people who, despite deportations, forced resettlement, and assimilation policies, have preserved their connection to their homeland for centuries.

It began to form in the 5th–6th centuries CE and belongs to the Kipchak-Nogai subgroup of the Turkic branch of the Altaic language family. The language includes three main dialects: the Southern Coastal (yalıboylü), the Central (tat or orta yolaq — the basis of the literary standard), and the Steppe (noğay). It is characterized by rich word formation through combining various morphemes, allowing for nuanced and expressive meanings, as well as the absence of grammatical gender, distinct consonants (q, ğ, ñ), and verb-final sentence structure.

At different points in history, the Crimean Tatar language used three writing systems: Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic. The switch to Cyrillic in the 1930s was driven by Soviet policies of unification and accompanied by the rollback of earlier language reforms that had begun at the All-Crimean Orthographic Conference in 1927.

To honor that very conference, held from September 10–12, 1927, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People initiated the establishment of the Day of the Crimean Tatar Language and Literature on September 10, officially announced on May 30, 2024. The conference laid the foundation for the modern literary language by approving the use of the Latin alphabet, adopting the central dialect as the standard, and introducing unified spelling rules. Although those reforms were later suppressed by repressive policies, they provided the groundwork for language revival in independent Ukraine.

Today, the Crimean Tatar language is officially recognized as one of the languages of Ukraine’s Indigenous peoples, yet it remains highly vulnerable. UNESCO classifies it as a language at risk of extinction — a status shaped by both the historical trauma of forced deportations and the present-day challenges of Russia’s ongoing occupation of Crimea, where most native speakers reside. In some cases, there have been documented attempts to push the language out of education, media, and cultural life.

Despite these threats, Ukraine continues to uphold and protect the linguistic rights of the Crimean Tatar people. On April 4, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a new Crimean Tatar orthography based on the Latin script. The document was developed by a Working Group under the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience and approved by the National Commission on the Crimean Tatar Language, in line with a 2023 government directive. The Latin script itself was officially adopted in 2021.

An important component of language policy is language’s symbolic and public recognition as a cornerstone of national identity. That is why the initiative to designate 10 September as the Day of Crimean Tatar Language and Literature holds both commemorative and practical significance. It promotes the language’s visibility in the public sphere, encourages civic engagement, and fosters intercultural dialogue between Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian communities.

This initiative was endorsed by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, academic experts, civil society organizations, and supported by Ukrainian Members of Parliament Mustafa Dzhemilev and Akhtem Chyihoz. In May 2024, the Mejlis submitted a formal appeal to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, proposing to officially establish 10 September as the national Day of Crimean Tatar Language and Literature.

The introduction of this observance would honor the contributions of linguists, writers, and educators who have worked to revive the language throughout the 20th and 21st centuries; strengthen institutional protection of the linguistic rights of the Indigenous people; support the long-term preservation of Crimean Tatar as a language of intergenerational communication; and ensure Ukraine’s compliance with international obligations on Indigenous rights. This initiative is a vital part of language policy during wartime and a necessary step in the post-war reintegration of Crimea.