Language is more than a means of communication; it is a repository of culture, history, and identity. In Türkiye, efforts to shape and modernize (i.e. coining simple and new Turkish words in place of those borrowed from foreign languages) the Turkish language have been deeply intertwined with the nation’s journey toward modernization and cultural revitalization. The history of language policy in Türkiye reveals a complex interplay between nationalism and multiculturalism. Terminology planning, a specialized area within language planning, has played a pivotal role in this process, addressing the need for an evolving lexicon that reflects societal, scientific and technological advancements.