Baku. TurkicWorld:

The 30th anniversary of the TURKSOY (International Organization of Turkic Culture) was celebrated at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris as part of the "Days of Turkic Culture" at the UNESCO World Culture Center, TurkicWorld reports.

Elman Abdullayev, the organizer, opened the ceremony on behalf of the ambassadors of Turkic countries to UNESCO.

UNESCO Deputy Director-General Anthony Ochemeng-Boamah and TURKSOY Secretary-General Sultan Raev made the introductory comments.

The "We Are Together" gala concert featured musicians from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, and Turkmenistan.

Raev stated that TURKSOY has been making a significant contribution to the preservation and transmission of the Turkic people's culture and spiritual heritage to future generations for the past 30 years.

"TURKSOY faithfully fulfills the mission of a spiritual golden bridge between Turkic peoples who are united by a common language, ancestor history, destiny, and culture. Turkic culture plays an important role in human and world history and in the development of civilization," he continued.

The organization's origins may be traced back to 1992 discussions in Baku and Istanbul, where culture ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, and Turkmenistan pledged to collaborate under a united cultural framework.

TURKSOY was later founded through an agreement signed on July 12, 1993, in Almaty.

TURKSOY and UNESCO formed an official relationship in 1996, encompassing bilateral consultations and reciprocal representation.

TURKSOY has six original members and eight observer members as of 2022.