Bendevi Palandöken, President of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen, emphasized that the number of signs using the Turkish language is decreasing day by day, stating, “Foreign sign pollution must be stopped immediately.”

The President of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), Bendevi Palandöken, expressed his reaction to the use of foreign signs.

Palandöken emphasized that the Turkish language is rich and rooted, saying, “Signs using the Turkish language are diminishing day by day. Colorful, differently sized, and signs with frequent foreign words cause visual pollution on the streets, harming the city’s culture. In addition, even our citizens find it difficult to enter the places with those mixed signs because they do not know what is being sold.”

Pointing out the excessive increase in the use of foreign signs, especially in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey due to recent migrations, Palandöken stated, “This directly harms our national identity. Therefore, what needs to be done is to have a sign unity and limit the use of foreign signs.

It is essential to strictly adhere to the rules stated in the signage regulations and increase public inspections. Even in areas heavily visited by tourists, if the use of foreign languages is necessary, they should be accompanied by their Turkish equivalents. Because it is necessary to know who that establishment is and what they are selling.”

Emphasizing that signs play a critical role in creating a professional and reputable image for businesses beyond just being a promotional tool, Palandöken said, “One feature of signs is that they serve as a means to highlight the corporate identity. Business signs are the first thing that catches customers’ attention.

Therefore, the colors, texts, and visual elements used in signage designs are extremely important. Designing signs according to certain standards creates a sense of trust and strengthens the business’s corporate identity in the long run. Setting standards for signs also increases the recognition of the business and makes its location easily noticeable. As a result, businesses achieve a more organized and professional appearance, maintaining the aesthetic of the streets and giving cities a more organized look. Therefore, controlling signs that disrupt the foreign and visual elements is one of the important steps to preserve our language and culture.”