Gagauz (
Gagauz dili,
Gagauzca) also called
Gagauz Turkish (
Gagauz Türkçäsi) is a
Turkic language spoken by the ethnic
Gagauz people of
Moldova,
Ukraine,
Russia, and
Turkey, and it is the official language of the
Autonomous Region of Gagauzia in Moldova. Gagauz belongs to the
Oghuz branch of Turkic languages, alongside
Azeri,
Turkmen,
Crimean Tatar, and
Turkish. Gagauz has two dialects, Bulgar Gagauzi and Maritime Gagauzi. Gagauz is a distinct language from
Balkan Gagauz Turkish.