It is a long process to identify and make a linguistic classification of the Turkic languages some of which are in close contact with other Turkic communities, some in the odd corners or isolated from the geographies where Turkic languages are spoken and face the danger of becoming extinct.  The absence or scarcity of data and similar studies poses a problem in identifying the Turkic languages which are under the risk of extinction.

There might be justly made objections against the list given below, in terms of how these languages are named, whether they are endangered, and whether the list is incomplete or repetitious. Our knowledge on the endangered Turkic languages depends on secondary sources. As such, the cultural and linguistic characteristics of Turkic communities are filtered through these secondary sources before they arrive in front of us, and as a result, designations from the outside, rather than from the inside, become registered in the literature of Turkish scholarship. Aware of these problems, the present list aims to take into consideration the suggestions and warnings of the researchers on the topic and to provide a draft which would be updated during the symposium, rather than providing a fixed list of the endangered Turkic languages.

1. Afşarlar / Afshar
2. Baraba Tatarları / Baraba Tatar
3. Çalkandular / Chalkandu
4. Çulım Türkleri / Chulym Turk
5. Dolganlar (Dulgan) / Dolgan
6. Duhalar / Dukha
7. Fu-Yü Kırgızları / Fu-Yu Kirghiz
8. Hakaslar / Khakas
9. Halaçlar / Khalaj
10. Horasani / Khorasani
11. Hotanlar / Khotan
12. İli Salarları / Ili Salar
13. İli Uygurları (Tarançi) / Ili Uyghur (Taranchi)
14. Karagaslar (Tofalar) / Karagas (Tofa)
15. Karaylar / Karaim
16. Kırım Tatarları / Crimean Tatar
17. Kırımçaklar / Kyrymchak
18. Kumandı / Kumandin
19. Litvanya Tatarları / Lithuanian Tatar
20. Lopnor Uygurları / Lopnor Uyghur
21. Nogaylar / Noghay / Noghai
22. Pamir Kırgızları / Pamir Kirghiz
23. Polonya Tatarları / Polish Tatar
24. Salarlar (Salırlar) / Salar
25. Sarı Uygurlar / Yellow Uyghur
26. Sibirya Tatarları / Siberian Tatar
27. Soyotlar / Soyot
28. Songorlar / Sonqor
29. Şorlar / Shor
30. Telengitler / Telengit
31. Teleütler / Teleut
32. Truhmenler / Trukhmen
33. Tubalar / Tuba
34. Urumlar / Urum
35. Yurt Tatarları / Yurt Tatar

The list given above is based on The Map of Endangered Languages of UNESCO.  The interactive map in question includes information, such as the country or region where the endangered language is spoken, its vitality, ISO 638-3 code, the interval of the number of its speakers, and the like.  The endangered Turkic languages are identified by scanning the map for the countries in which Turkic languages are spoken.  For example, among the 131 endangered languages in the map, there are languages which do not face extinction, at least, in the short run, such as Başkurtça, Chuvash, and Yakutian in the Russian Federation.  Such languages are not included in the list given here.  However, studies on the variations of these languages, which are spoken away from the main mass, could be evaluated during the symposium. Yet, languages which are not included in the map prepared by UNESCO, but which are thought to be endangered by various researchers, are included in the list above.

There is no doubt that endangered languages are not limited to the above given list.  It is known that there are many other endangered Turkic languages in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Iran, Afghanistan and China.  In this framework, despite the information, obtained through  field research and observation of various researchers, that certain languages such as Khotan, İli Uyghur, and Taranchi are not endangered in the short run, they are included in the list due to the fact that they are not well known in Turkey, and that there is not enough literature on them.  Languages such as Kyrymchak, Polish Tatar, and Lithuanian Tatar are included in the list for similar reasons, although they no longer have any speakers left.

The real status – that is, whether they are endangered or not - of some languages, such as Kashgay in Iran whose speakers exceed hundred thousands, and which, for this reason, are not included in our list, will be found out only after detailed field studies. 

Some Turkic languagessuch as Altai, Tuvaca and Uzbek might be under risk in Mongolia, China, and Afghanistan where they are spokenby relatively smaller communities, although they are not endangered in the regions where they constitute the majority.  Such variations could be addressed during the symposium.

The symposium will also help bring the Turkic communities, which are not widely known, to public attention.

With the publication of the list, all suggestions put forward by esteemed scholars will be taken into consideration and evaluated by the Organization Committee.