13.10.2023

Shusha, October 13, AZERTAC

The 1st Cultural Forum of the Turkic World on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev has kicked off in Shusha.

The forum is co-organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture, TURKSOY and the International Turkic Academy.

The opening ceremony was attended by TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, President of the International Turkic Academy (ITA) Academician Shahin Mustafayev and other officials from Turkic states, as well as scientific and cultural figures, and art masters.

The event featured the screening of a video highlighting reconstruction works carried out in the liberated territories, events and festivals organized in Shusha, as well as a literary-artistic program.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Culture Adil Karimli described the declaration of Shusha as the “Cultural Capital of the Turkic world for 2023” as an indication of the special attention paid to Shusha by the Turkic world. The minister also highlighted the major role of culture in strengthening of union of Turkic states and bringing the Turkic states closer together, adding that ensuring the unity of the Turkic world around the common national values is associated with the name of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev.

Other speakers of the event included TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, as well as Secretary-General of Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries (TURKPA) Mehmet Sureyya Er, ITA President Shahin Mustafayev, ANAS President Isa Habibbayli and Chairman of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan, People’s writer Anar. The speakers highlighted the importance of unity among the Turkic peoples and the great work done towards developing relations between the Turkic-speaking peoples.

The forum, to run until October 14, will continue with three panel discussions.

https://azertag.az/en/xeber/first_cultural_forum_of_turkic_world_kicks_off_in_shusha-2786542