International Success from SOYAÇ: Gagauz Language Project Secures First Place in the TÜBİTAK-Moldova Cooperation Program

The project titled "A Socio-Cultural Model Experiment to Prevent the Disappearance of the Gagauz Language and Culture: Turning Healthy Bilingualism into an Advantage for the Gagauz People," led by Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı as the principal investigator, has secured first place among all fields in the evaluation conducted within the scope of the 2530 TÜBİTAK - Moldova (NARD) Bilateral Cooperation Program.

The project, which will be carried out in collaboration with SOYAÇ and Komrat State University in the Gagauzia Autonomous Region of Moldova, with the partnership of Trakya University, is set to be implemented between 2025 and 2027.

This international achievement highlights the significance of the sustainable model developed to preserve the endangered Gagauz language and culture within the project conducted under Maltepe University's Center for the Application and Research of Street-Working and Homeless Children (SOYAÇ). At the same time, it paves the way for new perspectives on transforming bilingualism into a social asset. With SOYAÇ's long-standing efforts in the social integration of at-risk children, this project is expected to strengthen academic cooperation between Moldova and Turkey and contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations.