On 15 November 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with a delegation headed by Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) Sultan Raev at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
During the meeting, topical issues of cooperation were discussed, promising areas of partnership between Turkmenistan and TURKSOY were explored. According to the mutual opinion of the parties, relations between Turkmenistan and TURKSOY have noticeably intensified in recent years.
At the beginning of the meeting, the head of the Foreign Ministry, expressing gratitude on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan to the leadership of TURKSOY for the work carried out in Turkmenistan and abroad in the field of popularization of Turkmen culture, stressed the organization’s enormous contribution to strengthening fraternal ties between the Turkic peoples based on their cultural and basic values.
It was noted that a lot of work has been done this year to hold over 40 different events in honor of significant dates in line with TURKSOY activities – the announcement of 2024 as the “Year of the great Poet and Thinker of the Turkic world – Magtymguly Fragi”, the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Magtymguly, and the election of the ancient Turkmen city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world.
The significant events included the celebrations held in March this year on the occasion of the announcement of the city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024, as well as the launch ceremony, the II Theater Festival of the TURKSOY member countries, the I Biennale of Fine Arts of the Turkic World, the annual a meeting of museum heads and a meeting of writers from TURKSOY member countries, as well as the Gorkut ata International Film Festival.
In continuation of the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of holding on November 16 this year the final solemn events on the occasion of the declaration of the city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024, as well as the next meeting of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of the TURKSOY member countries and the concert of artists of the Turkic states.
Raev asked Meredov to convey to the President of Turkmenistan and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan the book “Anau – culture from the depths of millennia”, published in Turkish.
As part of the events on the occasion of the announcement of the city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024, TURKSOY organized contests of works of art and essays. During the meeting, Raev also handed over to the Turkmen side a collection of works by the finalists of the art competition “Turkmenistan and the Turkic World through the eyes of young artists” and a collection of works by the winners of the competition “Magtymguly Fragi – thinker and poet”.
Along with this, the Turkmen side received a Report on TURKSOY’s activities (October 2023 – September 2024).
Meredov noted that Turkmenistan considers TURKSOY as a link between ISESCO and UNESCO. He said that TURKSOY is creating new formats of cooperation, in particular, the Meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the TURKSOY member countries.
At the end of the meeting, the sides stressed the fruitful nature of Turkmenistan’s cooperation with TURKSOY, aimed at preserving, studying and popularizing the richest cultural heritage of the Turkic-speaking peoples in the world. ///MFA Turkmenistan, 15 November