The International Association “Türkmen alabaý itleri” (Turkmen Alabai dogs) held its third meeting in Ashgabat on 27 October 2023, coinciding with the Holiday of the Turkmen Alabai, TDH reports.
Members of the Government of Turkmenistan, heads and specialists of specialized structures, representatives of higher educational institutions, members of the Association, and the media attended the meeting. Foreign dog breeders joined via videoconference.
The agenda included organizational issues related to the Association’s activities and encouraging the country’s best dog handlers. The participants discussed future tasks and made corresponding decisions.
Speakers emphasized the Turkmens’ special attitude towards the Alabai, a breed known worldwide for its courage and devotion. This breed of dog is known all over the world. Historical sources and folk legends describe the courage and devotion of the Alabai, who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of saving an owner.
Under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan is taking consistent steps to preserve, study, and popularize its rich national heritage, including the centuries-old traditions of Alabai breeding, cultivation, upbringing, and training.
In his speech, archaeologist Giulio Bendezu-Sarmiento from France, a member of the International Association, thanked President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for his care in preserving the Turkmen people’s rich cultural heritage and congratulated everyone on the Holiday of the Turkmen Alabai.
He gave a thorough overview of the history of dog domestication, using slides to illustrate the stages of this process. Based on archaeological surveys in Turkmenistan, he confirmed the theory about the Alabai breed’s antiquity and the Turkmens’ special attitude towards it.
Speakers noted that the significant increase in the number of “Türkmen alabaý itleri” members in a short period of time, including foreign dog handlers, indicates that the Turkmen Alabai is becoming a global symbol of loyalty and friendship.
Private dog breeders from Belarus, Lyudmila Butkevich, and the United Kingdom, Antonino Lo Raso, who connected via videoconference, stressed the importance of collecting and sharing information about the breed’s status and discussing issues related to its breeding, conservation, and population growth. They also highlighted the urgency of holding various joint events, such as methodological conferences, exhibitions, competitions, seminars, symposiums, lectures, and round tables.
At the meeting’s end, an awarding ceremony of the honorary title “Türkmenistany at gazanan itşynasy” (Turkmenistan’s Honored Dog Handler) took place. In accordance with Presidential decree, the title was awarded to:
- Umytjan Nurmammedov, Senior Technician-Dog Handler of Sniffer Dogs, Horse Breeding and Cynological Service, Headquarters of the Takhtabazar Border Unit, State Border Service of Turkmenistan
- Gurbannazar Ezizov, Deputy Head of the “Aşgabat” Customs Point, Ashgabat City Customs, State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, private dog breeder
New members of the Association received certificates. Foreign private dog breeders Roman Repka (Slovak Republic) and Pavel Svoboda (Czech Republic), who were also accepted as members of the International Association, congratulated everyone on the Holiday of the Turkmen Alabai, thanked the head of the Turkmen state for the trust, and expressed their readiness for close cooperation with the Association’s members. ///nCa, 28 October 2023 [photo credit – TDH]
#TurkmenAlabaidogs, #Turkmenistan