BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23.
On May 22, 2026, a solemn presentation of the fundamental scholarly publications of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress, was held at the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan,TurkicWorld reports.
Within the framework of the anniversary of the Congress, regarded as one of the most significant and destiny-shaping historical events in the spiritual and cultural life of the Turkic world in the early twentieth century, the Foundation presented to the international community two major publications reflecting the shared historical memory and scientific heritage of the Turkic peoples.
The first publication presented was the scholarly monograph “The First Turkological Congress”, authored by the Director of the Atatürk Center in Azerbaijan, academician Nizami Jafarov, as well as prominent scholars Mahira Huseynova and Aysel Garibli. The book provides a profound analysis of the historical mission of the 1926 Baku Congress, its exceptional role in the cultural and scientific development of the Turkic peoples, and addresses issues related to ethnography, orthography, terminology, alphabet, language, and literature.
During the presentation, moderated by the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, the authors of the publication - Academician Nizami Jafarov and Aysel Gariblic, also delivered speeches. The authors emphasized the importance of their scholarly research, noting that this fundamental work serves not only as a historical chronicle of the First Baku Turkological Congress, but also as an important bridge transmitting the scientific, literary, and cultural heritage of the Turkic world to future generations. It was highlighted that the implementation of the project and the systematic study of lesser-known pages of history contribute to the preservation of the common scientific heritage of all Turkic peoples.
The authors expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation to the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, headed by Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, for supporting the publication of the book at a high level and for organizing such a large-scale presentation. They also conveyed sincere gratitude to the Government of Kazakhstan for its hospitality and the excellent conditions created for the event.
Another important project presented during the ceremony was the chronicle “1926/2026: The 100th Anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress”, prepared jointly by the Foundation and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The collection, compiled on the basis of historical documents from the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan and the Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan, includes official protocols, rare photographs, scholarly reports, and press materials of the corresponding period.
The President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Professor Aktoty Raimkulova, noted that the publications presented today are exceptionally valuable works reviving the shared historical memory, systematizing scientific heritage, and passing it on to future generations as a spiritual treasure. She also emphasized that the personal participation in the event of one of the project’s authors: the distinguished Turkologist, Academician Nizami Jafarov, further enhanced the scholarly and spiritual significance of the gathering.
Among the speakers at the event were Mr. Malik Otarbayev, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Mr. Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Board and Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University; Mr. Mereke Kulkenov, Chairman of the Board of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan; Academician Jabbor Eshonkulov, Director of the Alisher Navoi State Museum of Literature of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan; Professor Mehmet Çevik, Doctor of Philological Sciences at Hacı Bayram Veli University in Ankara; Mrs. Gaziza Nurgaliyeva, Director of the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Professor Toreli Kydyr, Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies under the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan, and others. In their speeches, they highly praised the significance of the new publications prepared for the 100th anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress and underscored the exceptional importance of such projects for the further development of Turkology and the spiritual unity of the Turkic world.
It was also noted that the book “The First Turkological Congress” was published within the widely acclaimed Foundation series “Historical Pearls of the Turkic World.” Overall, during the past two years, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has published more than 60 fundamental works in various series dedicated to the preservation, study, and international promotion of the common cultural and historical heritage of the Turkic peoples.
