TLT Launches “Turkology Talks” with Insightful First Lecture by Dr. Dženana Bračković

As of March 2026, the Turkish Language and Literature, Teaching (TLT) study program at the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) has launched a series of weekly academic meetings titled “Turkology Talks.” Bringing together distinguished scholars recognized for their work in Turkish language, literature, history, and culture, these meetings aim to connect researchers in the field of Turkology and make a valuable contribution to academic scholarship.

The first “Turkology Talks” session was held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, featuring a presentation by Dr. Dženana Bračković, TLT Program Coordinator, titled “Active Structural Names and Ethnonyms of Turkish Origin as Traces of Migration in Surnames in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

In her presentation, Dr. Bračković emphasized that the influence of Turkish language and culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina began with the arrival of the Turks in these lands. This strong cultural connection, which deepened particularly with the conversion of Bosniaks to Islam, was further reinforced through kinship ties. Over time, many words of Turkish origin related to places, professions, and social life entered the Bosnian language and were gradually adopted as surnames, many of which remain in use today. Examples include surnames such as Ćutahija, Adanalić, and Izmirlić.

Dr. Bračković concluded her presentation with an analysis of the grammatical features of selected examples, offering additional insight into the linguistic and historical traces of migration preserved in surnames in Bosnia and Herzegovina.