― 28 мая 2021 г.
Conference on "Turkistan, Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World" held in Kazakhstan
The conference which started with the visit of participants to the Khoja Akhmet Yassawi Shrine and was moderated by the President of the International Turkic Academy Darhan Kydyrali gathered TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov, the Deputy Secretary General of the Turkic Council Ömer Kocaman, the Rector of the International Khoja Akhmet Yassawi Universitesi Janar Temirbekova, the Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ercan Mukashev, the Chairman of the Committee of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ercan Nukejanov, the Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Almaty Ali Rıza Akıncı, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bilge Türk Culture Foundation and former Governor Güngör Azim Tuna and the Deputy Governor of Turkistan Saken Kalmakanov along with intellectuals and famous scholars.
In the opening speech he delivered at the event, the President of the International Turkic Academy Darhan Kydyrali said that the Founding President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev attaches great importance to the development of the sacred city of Turkistan in strategic terms. Mr. Kydyrali further said: “While the new Nur Sultan, the new capital of Kazakhstan built with the support of Elbasy is the political capital of our country, the city of Turkistan which has been revived with the support of Elbasy and is further developing can be characterized as a big memorial dedicated to the sound unity of our brotherhood.”
The Secretary General of TURKSOY Dusen Kasseinov who also delivered a speech at the event said that within the framework of the “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World” which is one of trademark projects launched by TURKSOY in the field of Turkic culture and art the city of Turkistan was awarded this presitigious title in 2017 and became part of this blessed caravane and that as such, it has successfully hosted many events including the opening events of Turkistan, Cultural Capital of the Turkic World.
Secretary General who further stressed that the titled of Cultural Capital of the Turkic World it bore in 2017, the declaration of Turkistan as Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World at the Unofficial Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries held in Turkistan on March 31st, 2021 is of key importance in terms of its current status the hopes it raises regarding the future, said: “In 2018, the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev had qualified Turkistan as “the city which has been the heart of the Kazak Khanate and of the entire Turkic World for centuries”. When we look at Turkistan and its development process, we can clearly see how true and correct this statement is as Turkistan is indeed not only carrying out cultural and artistic activities but also hosting various academic meetings. I can easily say that Turkistan will remain the heart of the Turkic World forever as the shining star of Kazakhstan and the Turkic World.”
Secretary General Kasseinov who also touched upon activities carried out by the International Turkic Academy said that this organization which has been cooperating with TURKSOY ever since is one of the institutions which carry out major activities which are of capital importance in terms of the history, literature, language and archive of the Turkic World.
The event also featured the presentation of the identical copy of the first translation of the Quran into ancient Turkic language made during the Kara-Khanid Khanate in the 10th Century. The ribbon of the afore-mentioned copy of the translation of the Holy Quran presented at the event was cut by TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bilge Türk Culture Foundation Güngör Azim Tuna.
This authentic work published by the International Turkic Academy is the identical copy of the oldest and complete version of the translation of the Quran into Turkic language to date. Today, this manuscript work is being preserved at the Museum of Turkic and Islamic Works in Istanbul. This precious heritage which dates back to a thousand years and played a key role in the education of scholars of the Turkic World is the first publication of a precious work which has, hence, become accessible now to scholars and researchers who are interested in turcology, language and religion.
