Which Turkic languages are spoken in Iran and Afghanistan?

Several Turkic languages are spoken in Iran and Afghanistan, reflecting the historical migration and settlement of Turkic-speaking peoples in these regions.12

Languages in Iran

• Azerbaijani: This is the most widely spoken Turkic language in Iran, used by roughly one-fourth of the population, particularly in the northwestern region of the country.34
• Turkmen: Spoken by a small number of Turkmen primarily in the northern parts of Iran.45

Languages in Afghanistan

• Uzbek: Spoken by the Uzbek people, who are among the country's more recent settlers.1
• Turkmen: Spoken by the Turkmen population, with approximately 500,000 speakers residing in the northeastern and northwestern parts of the country.15
• Kyrgyz: Spoken by a small group located in the extreme northeast of Afghanistan.1

These languages are part of a broader linguistic landscape where Turkic and Indo-European languages have coexisted and influenced one another for centuries.14