― 20 августа 2025 г.
Opening Session of the 5th Meeting of Senior Officials of TURKSOY in Trabzon
The Opening Session of the 5th Meeting of Senior Officials of TURKSOY was successfully held in Trabzon within the framework of the preparations of the 42nd Session of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of TURKSOY Member Countries.
The meeting, hosted by TURKSOY Deputy General Secretary Sayit Yusuf, was attended by representatives of the culture ministries of member countries and TURKSOY staff members. The delegations, who gathered prior to the Permanent Council meeting, held consultations on activities planned for 2026 and efforts to strengthen cultural cooperation among Turkic countries.
The meeting was attended by:
• Aras Bağırlı, Director of the International Organisations Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
• Aygerim İjanova, Senior Expert of the Department of International Relations and Protocol of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
• Nusubalı Cakıpbekov, Head of the Department of International Relations and Investments at the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policies of the Kyrgyz Republic,
• Mustafa Özsoy, Culture and Tourism Specialist at the Department of EU and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye,
• Maya Saparova, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan,
• Ceyhun Özyılmaz, Director of the Cultural Centre of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and directors and experts from the Secretariat General of TURKSOY.
The meeting discussed the main issues to be included on the Permanent Council's agenda and joint activities to be carried out in the coming period. The promotion of the common cultural heritage of the Turkic World, the development of cultural exchange programmes among youth, the support of art and literature projects, and the preparation process for the Turkic World Culture Capital to be hosted in 2026 were among the prominent items on the agenda.
The representatives reached a consensus on the need to enhance cultural cooperation between countries and increase the international visibility of activities organised under the auspices of TURKSOY.
Assessment by Deputy Secretary General Yusuf
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, TURKSOY Deputy Secretary General Sayit Yusuf said: ‘Our consultations are of great importance for carrying the common cultural values of the Turkic World into the future and increasing its visibility on an international scale. This meeting we are holding in Trabzon will contribute to strengthening the cooperation of our brother countries and achieving our common goals in the field of culture.’
The Senior Officials Meeting, traditionally held by TURKSOY prior to the Permanent Council, aims to reflect the ideas and opinions of cultural diplomats from member countries to the Permanent Council.
