― 11 мая 2026 г.
Panel dedicated to the 90th birthday of Oljas Suleymenov at TURKSOY Headquarters
Hosted by the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), a panel and exhibition entitled “Elevating the Steppe Without Casting a Shadow on the Mountains” were held to mark the 90th anniversary of the birthday of the renowned Kazakh poet, author, Turkologist, and diplomat Oljas Suleymenov.
The event, held in the Conference Hall of TURKSOY Headquarters in Ankara and focusing on the literary and cultural heritage of the Turkic World, was attended by TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Ankara Dr. Fuzuli Macidli, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Ankara Dinara Izanova, the Deputy Chairman of the AK Party in charge of Relations with Turkic States Reşide Yüksel, the President of the Authors’ Association of Turkiye Prof. Dr. Muhammed Enes Kala and the Rector of the Ankara University of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan along with many other guests.
Suleymenov is the common spiritual heritage of the Turkic World
Delivering the opening remarks of the panel, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev noted that Oljas Suleymenov’s name has transcended the borders of Kazakhstan to become part of the shared spiritual heritage of the Turkic World. Secretary General Raev who also stated that Suleymenov’s work *Aziya* has awakened historical memory further stressed that the poet’s words “To exalt the steppe without casting a shadow over the mountains” still remains relevant today. Secretary General Raev also noted that Oljas Suleymenov served not only as a conscience for his own people but as an ambassador of peace for all humanity through the “Nevada-Semey” anti-nuclear movement he pioneered in 1989.
He showed us the sacred responsibility to defend the truth
Dr. Fuzuli Macidli, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, highlighted the special significance Suleymenov holds for the Azerbaijani people. Noting that Suleymenov clearly stood by Azerbaijan during the bloodshed which occured in January 1990 and the Karabakh War of 2020, Macidli stated that the poet demonstrated great courage through his writings on “The Tale of Igor” during the Soviet era. Macidli recalled that Suleymenov is the only foreign individual to have received three high-level awards from the Azerbaijani state, namely: the “Friendship,” “Glory,” and “Honor” medals.
His words built a bridge between peoples
Mrs. Dinara Izanova, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, began her speech by conveying greetings from H. E. Mr. Yerkebulan Sapiyev, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Ankara. Mrs. Izanova further noted that Suleymenov always aimed at building a brige between peoples through his works and emphasized that the primary objectives are to pass on his immense legacy—achieved over 90 years—to younger generations and to elevate the unity of the Turkic World to the intellectual level he envisioned.
A philosopher who exalted the steppe without diminishing the mountains
Mrs. Reşide Yüksel, the Deputy Chair of Relations with Turkic States, emphasized that the title of the event, “Exalting the Steppe Without Overshadowing the Mountains” clearly summarizes Suleymenov’s vision of civilization. Mrs. Yüksel further noted that the poet was an intellectual who, while defending his own roots, did not exclude others, and does not forget humanity while elevating a sense of belonging, and stated that his work “Aziya” recounts the story of a bold intellectual struggle regarding history, language, and identity.
A call to be the founding subject of history
Prof. Dr. Muhammed Enes Kala, the President of the Association of Authors of Turkiye, stated that Suleymenov’s works present a serious challenge to Slavic and Europe-centered historical narratives. Noting that Turks are not the objects of history but its founding subjects, Kala expressed that Suleymenov’s call upon civilizations to understand and listen to one another serves as a guiding light for humanity today.
Oljas Suleymenov: creating with the Kazakh Spirit and Turkish Memory
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan, the Rector of the Ankara University of Social Sciences also recalled the honorary doctorate ceremony held for Suleymenov at the Yıldırım Beyazıt University in 2016. Noting that although the poet wrote his works in Russian, he did so with the Kazakh spirit and the shared memory of the Turkic World, Prof. Dr. Arıcan emphasized that literature is not merely an art but a great language of civilization that safeguards the honor of nations. The event also featured a documentary on Oljas Suleymenov’s life and work along with the opening of an exhibition entitled “Exalting the Steppe without Shading the Mountains”.
During the roundtable discussion held in the second part of the event, Prof. Dr. Amanjol Kalış, one of Kazakhstan’s leading scholars, along with the poet and Member of Parliament Bijan Kalmaganbetov and the poet Merey Kart, comprehensively assessed the historical facts in Suleymenov’s works and his role in the construction of the identity of the Turkic World. The event also featured a written message from the Kazakh Senator Nurtöre Yusip, as well as congratulatory video messages from Ulıkbek Esdaulet, the President of the Authors’ Association of TURKSOY and Dr. Oraz Sapaşev which all put a special emphasis on the ties of friendship built among peoples by Suleymenov.
Kazakhstan’s Meritorious Artist Cumagül Sariyeva shared her personal insights into the poet’s spiritual world; the poet Marcan Yerşu analyzed the author’s place within the poetic tradition of Turkic peoples. In the closing session of the event, community leader Erbolat Aliadin and Prof. Dr. Munalbayeva Umitkan took the floor, expressing their commitment to the cultural rapprochement of the Turkic World and the transmission of this heritage to future generations. Following the award ceremony, during which a special medal, certificate of appreciation, and commemorative plaquettes dedicated to Suleymenov’s 90th birthday were presented, the event ended with group photographs of the entire delegation taken as a symbol of the cultural unity of the Turkic World.
According to the event schedule, events will continue on May 12th with the opening of a special room and academic panels organized by the Authors’ Association of Türkiye and Ankara University of Social Sciences.
Oljas Suleymenov
In addition to his literary and intellectual identity, Oljas Suleymenov is a globally recognized peace ambassador and environmental activist. In 1989, he founded and led the international anti-nuclear movement “Nevada-Semey” in opposition to the destructive nuclear weapons tests conducted by the Soviet Union in the Semey region of Kazakhstan since 1949. The movement’s primary goal was to permanently put an end to one of the world’s largest underground nuclear test sites, which had exposed hundreds of thousands of people to lethal radiation and contaminated millions of hectares of land. The term “Nevada” was added to the movement’s name to establish an international bridge of solidarity with the people affected by similar nuclear tests conducted in the U.S. state of Nevada.
This civil initiative, spearheaded by Suleymenov, holds the distinction of being the first major anti-nuclear movement in the history of the former Soviet Union. This determined struggle, which quickly evolved into massive peace marches and garnered global support, culminated in the official closure of the Semey Nuclear Test Site on August 29th, 1991. With this historic step, Kazakhstan went down in history as one of the first countries to voluntarily renounce to a massive nuclear arsenal. The struggle led by Suleymenov has made him not only a great philosopher of the Turkic World but also a conscience of all humanity and one of the most important defenders of global ecological security.
