PRESIDENT OF THE TURKIC CULTURE AND HERITAGE FOUNDATION ADDRESSES THE TURKIC WORLD WEEK

At the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the Turkic World Week, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress, has officially commenced in the cities of Baku and Khankendi. The large-scale programme of events, taking place from 29 June to 3 July 2026, was inaugurated with an official opening ceremony at the Heydar Aliyev Center.

One of the key highlights of the opening day was the plenary session entitled “The Turkic World as One Family: The Activities of International Turkic Cooperation Organizations for Common Goals". The session brought together the heads of leading international Turkic cooperation organizations and served as an important platform for exchanging views on preserving shared values, deepening cultural integration, advancing science, education and humanitarian cooperation, as well as identifying priorities for future joint activities.

Delivering an official address, the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, emphasized that the traditions of scholarly and cultural cooperation established in Baku a century ago have today entered a new stage of development, thanks to the political will of the Turkic states and the joint efforts of international Turkic cooperation organizations.

The President of the Foundation expressed her sincere gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and all partner organizations for organizing the Turkic World Week dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress.

In her speech, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova highlighted the Foundation’s active participation in the programme of the Turkic World Week. She noted that the Foundation’s initiatives are aimed at studying and promoting the common Turkic heritage, expanding academic cooperation, and further strengthening cultural integration among the Turkic peoples.

The President of the Foundation also announced that, at the Foundation’s initiative and in cooperation with Baku TV, a special series of interviews dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress has been produced. As part of the project, distinguished scholars and prominent representatives of the intellectual community of the Turkic World shared their perspectives on the historical significance of the Congress, the common scholarly and cultural heritage of the Turkic peoples, and its relevance in the contemporary world.

Concluding her remarks, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova noted that the anniversary events would continue throughout the year. At the end of this year, at the initiative of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and with the participation of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Permanent Delegations of the Turkic states to UNESCO, and international Turkic cooperation organizations, an international event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress is planned to be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This initiative will make an important contribution to promoting the legacy of the Congress internationally, strengthening the shared cultural memory, and further developing humanitarian cooperation among the countries of the Turkic World.

The plenary session also featured speeches by Mr. Farid Jafarov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Mr. Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY; Mr. Shahin Mustafayev, President of the Turkic Academy; and Mr. Abdurrahman Aliy, Head of the Yunus Emre Institute.

Following the addresses by the heads of the international Turkic cooperation organizations, a ceremonial presentation of the commemorative badge “100th Anniversary of the First Turkological Congress (1926–2026)” took place.