Turkish is a member of the Turkic language group, a branch of the Altaic language family. The language and its sister Turkic languages are spoken by over 200 million people. Turkish, the national language of Turkey, is also spoken in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and various communities in the Balkan and Central Asia as well as immigrant communities around the world.

The knowledge of modern Turkish provides access to a region in which a number of world civilizations were conceived. Works of literature, from Turkish folktales featuring the trickster Nasreddin Hoja to the works of Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk are well known throughout the world. The language is extremely helpful for students interested in learning Ottoman Turkish or one of the Turkic languages of Central Asia (Uzbek, Tatar, Kazak, Azeri, and Turkmen). It is also useful for conducting research or business both in Turkey and in Central Asia.

The Turkish program at UT offers a BA degree. Students interested in advanced degrees concentrating on Turkey may enroll in other programs such as Middle Eastern Studies, Government, History, Ethnomusicology, or Anthropology. Students in the Turkish Studies program can learn Turkish at first, second, and third year levels. These courses are offered regularly every year. Training in the Turkish language is accompanied by other course offerings on a variety of topics including Ottoman and modern Turkish history, Turkish music and folklore, the geography and urban development of Turkey, the Turkish economic system, the Turkic languages and cultures of Central Asia, Turkish minorities in the Balkans, and Turkish migrant workers in Europe.