Turkish President Abdullah Gul 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", Anadolu Agency reported
President Gul paid a visit to the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.
He first met with Mustafa Toprak, the governor of the province.
"I have visited Diyarbakir two times since I became the president. I am very pleased to be here. Diyarbakir is one of the most important provinces of Turkey. Diyarbakir has been the center of civilization, trade and culture throughout the history. I am here to see problems of Diyarbakir. I will be here for two days. I will get necessary information from the governor. Briefings will be given and I will visit the university," Gul said at his meeting with the governor.
Later, he met with Osman Baydemir, the mayor of Diyarbakir.
Baydemir gave a Turkish-Kurdish Dictionary to President Gul as a gift.
President Gul said, "the issue of language is high on agenda of Turkey recently. 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. On the other hand, it is a fact that there are citizens speaking different languages among Turkish people. There are people speaking Kurdish, Arabic and the other language. They all belong to us."
"It is our duty to protect the cultural heritage. We are proud of our different elements in our nation. We consider those different elements as our assets," he said.
Meanwhile, Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir made a presentation to President Gul during the meeting.
Baydemir said that Kurdish problem was the biggest problem of Turkey and added that there were proper conditions for the solution of the problem.
"Demands of Kurdish politicians on mother tongue and democratic autonomy can not be endured. This is very worrisome," Baydemir said while referring to the recent discussions on mother tongue and democratic autonomy.
Baydemir said, "we should not forget that we can only restore peace by listening and understanding each other and by getting free from prejudices."