POLISH AMBASSADOR MACIEJ LANG
HIS FAVORITE WORD IS ‘EFENDİM,’ THE MOST CHALLENGING ONE IS ‘GERÇEKTEN’
Maciej Lang, who first came to Ankara in 2018 and served as Poland’s Ambassador to Türkiye for two years, returned to the post again in February 2023. Known for his linguistic skills, Lang speaks seven languages and taught himself Turkish after arriving in Ankara. “I started learning Turkish after coming to Ankara at the age of 50. It’s not that difficult; the grammar is like mathematics. It’s a very logical language,” he said. Also fluent in Persian, Lang often uses Persian words in his Turkish, remarking, “I insert Persian words among Turkish ones, and the result is Ottoman Turkish.” While his favorite Turkish word is efendim, he finds gerçekten the most difficult to pronounce.
Having added Turkish to his repertoire entirely through self-study, Ambassador Lang described his language learning process: “It has always been my custom to learn the language of every country where I have the privilege to work. First, I study the basics on my own. I never attend courses. Then, I start talking with local people and reading simple texts. I believe that for a diplomat, this is not only useful, but it is essential. Establishing direct contact with the local environment is of utmost importance. I jokingly say that speaking through an interpreter is like kissing through glass. No matter how skilled the interpreter is, I always feel something is missing.”
I ADD PERSIAN WORDS, AND THE RESULT IS OTTOMAN TURKISH
Lang, who began learning Turkish after coming to Ankara at age 50, said: “It’s not too hard, because I studied at the Faculty of Oriental Studies in Poland. So, I also speak Persian. Turkish grammar is like math, it’s very logical. I incorporate Persian-origin words into my Turkish, and the result is Ottoman Turkish. I am fascinated by Türkiye’s history and have read a lot about it. Ottoman Turkish is also, to me, a beautiful language.”
THE FRUIT OF EFFORT IS THE BLESSING OF TRUTH
“The Turkish word I find especially graceful is ‘Efendim’. This word perfectly reflects the natural elegance and delicacy of the Turkish language. The word I struggle with most is ‘Gerçekleşmek’ or ‘Gerçekleştirmek’. I don’t know why, it’s hard to explain,” said Ambassador Lang.
He also explained the advantages of knowing Turkish: “Knowing Turkish opens up new horizons. For example, we try to have conversations with fascinating people, sometimes with very distinguished individuals. It also gives you access to books that exist only in Turkish. Life in Türkiye becomes easier. Learning isn’t simple, but I assure you: the fruit of effort is the blessing of truth.”
Lang expressed his satisfaction with language learning, saying, “Language is something alive. When I am stationed in a country, I learn its language. But if I don’t practice, I forget it.”
He added that he speaks Turkish, English, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Persian, and Romanian.
I LEFT ANKARA WITH A HEAVY HEART
Recalling his first arrival in Ankara in 2018, Ambassador Lang described his return years later with these words: “My mission back then lasted only two years. When I left Ankara, I felt a deep sorrow in my heart. I didn’t think I would return. I had no hope. But life brings surprises, and it brought me this one. I am very happy to be back in Ankara. Generally, ambassadors come to a country only once. But when we look at Polish-Turkish relations, in every century, some ambassadors served in Türkiye at least twice.”
THE THEME: SECURITY, EUROPE!
Commenting on Polish-Turkish relations and Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, Lang stated: “Our cooperation is improving every day in all areas. We have strong collaboration in the defense industry, in particular. But we are also enhancing ties in culture, education, and trade.
The theme we chose for our EU presidency is ‘A Secure Europe.’ Because security is essential. It has multiple dimensions, internal affairs, foreign affairs, health security, cyber security, and food security. Security is a crucial issue across all fields. During our presidency, we aim to strengthen Europe–NATO relations and deepen transatlantic cooperation.”
