MAJOR SCIENTIFIC EVENT IN BAKU AS PART OF TURKIC WORLD WEEK: 8TH INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM HELD WITH THE TURKIC CULTURE AND HERITAGE FOUNDATION AS CO-ORGANIZER

On July 2, 2026, the 8th International Scientific Symposium “From a Common Turkic Past to a Common Turkic Future”, dedicated to the theme “Turkological Folklore Studies: Theoretical Context, Practical Dimensions and Prospects for Analysis”, commenced at the Central Scientific Library of ANAS as part of Turkic World Week.

The symposium was organized by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, the National Commission of the Republic of Türkiye for UNESCO, and Hacettepe University, in implementation of the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated October 22, 2025, “On the Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the First Turkological Congress”.

Speaking at the opening of the symposium, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, noted that the events held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress reflect the high importance attached by the Azerbaijani state to this historic event. According to Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, the idea “From a Common Turkic Past to a Common Turkic Future”, which serves as the main theme of the symposium, acts as a spiritual bridge carrying the shared historical memory of the Turkic world into the future.

In her address, Prof. Aktoty Raimkulova particularly highlighted the successful cooperation that has developed in recent years between the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. She noted that the joint projects implemented with the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, including the Anthology of Turkic Folklore, which encompasses the heroic epics of the Turkic peoples, are of great importance for the study of the shared scholarly heritage.

The opening ceremony also featured addresses by President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbayli; Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Commission of the Republic of Türkiye for UNESCO, Professor Öcal Oğuz; and First Secretary of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, Mustafa Shabanov.

During the plenary session, presentations were delivered by Director of the M. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art of Kazakhstan, Academician Kenzhekhan Matyzhanov; Professor Özkul Çobanoğlu of Hacettepe University; Professor Metin Ekici of Ege University; and Professor Jabbor Eshonqulov of the Alisher Navoi Museum of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. The speakers exchanged views on the shared folklore heritage of the Turkic peoples, current trends in Turkological research, and prospects for further cooperation.

Local and international guests donated various books dedicated to the First Turkological Congress to the collection of the Central Scientific Library.

It was emphasized that the symposium would serve as an important platform for studying the shared scholarly heritage of the Turkic world, expanding international cooperation in the fields of Turkology and folklore studies, and transmitting the intellectual legacy of the First Turkological Congress to future generations.