TURKSOY Deputy Secretary General Yusuf : "The contributions of Turkish civilisation to humanity must be shared with the world."
Ziya Gökalp, one of the key figures in Turkish history is being commemorated on the 150th anniversary of his birthday at the “International Symposium on Ziya Gökalp” in the context of Turkish Language, History and Civilisation held in Konya.
Hosted by the Necmettin Erbakan University (NEU) and organised in cooperation with the Turkish Language Institution (TDK), the National Commission of Türkiye to UNESCO, TURKSOY, the Union of Turkish Education (Türk Eğitim-Sen) and the Metropolitan municipalities of Konya and Karatay, the symposium began at the Conference Hall named after Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin.
Speaking at the opening of the symposium, Mr. Sayit Yusuf, the Deputy Secretary General of TURKSOY, stressed that the cultural and intellectual values produced by the Turkish nation must be recognised by all of humanity.
Recalling that TURKSOY had declared 2026 as ‘Commemorative Year of Ziya Gökalp’ to pass on our shared cultural memory to future generations, Mr. Yusuf stated: “We need to promote figures like Ziya Gökalp all over the world. The contributions of Turkish civilisation to humanity must be known worldwide.”
Gökalp’s intellectual legacy is being examined across various disciplines
Prof. Dr. Ömer Soner Hunkan, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the NEU, highlighted the importance to translate Gökalp’s works—such as ‘Becoming Turkish, Becoming Islamic, Becoming Modern’—into various Turkic languages in in order to strengthen our shared memory.
NEU Deputy-Rector Prof. Dr. Bahadır Feyzioğlu noted that Gökalp’s views on language, education and culture remain relevant today and stressed the importance of the preservation of local dialects and folk narratives.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Öcal Oğuz, the Chair of the National Commission of Türkiye to UNESCO, also highlighted the importance of inter-institutional cooperation in the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birthday of Ziya Gökalp and the 100th anniversary of his passing at a national level.
The two-day symposium where 56 scholars will deliver presentations also featured the opening of an Exhibition on Ziya Gökalp prepared by TURKSOY. Following the academic sessions, participants visited the exhibition on the life and work of Gökalp.
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