Whistle language, Hıdırellez on way to UNESCO

ÇANKIRI – Anadolu Agency

UNESCO’s Turkey National Committee has been preparing for the inclusion of a whistle language, Hıdırellez, and the ancient city of Aphrodisias in the western province of Aydın to the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

The head of the committee, Oğuz Öcal, said that UNESCO had many representative lists and programs, and among them were the World Heritage List and the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, which gained significance only in recent years. 

He said Turkey was represented in both lists. “According to the 1972 World Heritage Convention, Turkey will be in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by the end of 2017. We were the head of the committee last year, when the ancient site of Ani entered the list. This year we are working for the ancient city of Aphrodisias to enter the list,” he said. 

He added that they would submit various files to UNESCO. “The committee meeting was organized at the end of 2016 in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. In this meeting, a file on Nevruz and the Turkish traditional flat bread lavash were included in the list. In 2017, the Hıdırellez file, which we prepared with Macedonia, will be sent. We prepare national and international files for the intangible cultural heritage list every year,” he said.  

He said this year they aimed to bring the whistle language to recognition. 

“In many parts of the world there are languages which are different from each other but defined as whistle language. One of them has entered the list as a Spanish cultural heritage on the Canary Island. People communicate with each other with the whistle language in the Black Sea region. Its file is ready to be sent. I believe it will enter the list,” Oğuz said. 


Two presentations 

Oğuz said they were doing their best to promote Turkish cultures in UNESCO. “2017 is the general conference year of UNESCO. We delivered presentations about Ahmet Yesevi and Fuat Köprülü in a previous general conference. This year we will deliver two presentations highlighting the importance of marking the 150th anniversary of the Turkish Red Crescent and the 950th year of Kutadgu Bilig. We show our existence in every possible way,” he said.  

Oğuz said they were also in efforts to mark one day to celebrate the Turkish Language Day by UNESCO.