The first Turkic World Literature and Book Festival has opened at Baku State University (BSU). The event was organized by the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, the International Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation, the International Turkic Academy, TURKSOY, TURKPA, Baku State University, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Office for Turks and Related Communities Abroad, Yunus Emre Institute, ILESAM and Azerbaijan Creativity. It is held with the organizational support of the Foundation.
The opening ceremony began with the sound of the national anthem. Then the students of the Baku Academy of Choreography performed the dance "Jangi". Then, colorful balloons with poems were released into the air in connection with the 270th anniversary of the city of Shusha and the "Year of Shusha".
Speaking at the event, Rector of Baku State University Elchin Babayev said he was glad to see the festival participants at Baku State University, which national leader Heydar Aliyev called a national treasure of the Azerbaijani people and was proud to graduate. The rector noted that BSU has witnessed many historical events since its establishment. The First Turkic World Literature and Book Festival will have a special place among those historical days: "I am confident that the festival will make a great contribution to the unshakable unity of the Turkic world, especially to the brotherly Azerbaijani and Turkish states with the same culture and history."
The rector expressed special gratitude to the guests from the fraternal Turkic states, who played an exceptional role in the organization of the festival and participated in the event: “We are very pleased that the friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and the Turkic states are developing day by day. Here I would like to emphasize the guests from Turkey in particular. Today, the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey have reached their highest level. The words of national leader Heydar Aliyev "We are one nation, two states" are a road map for the strategic development of friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. The fraternal relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan continue at the highest level under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the 44-day Patriotic War, which ended with a historic victory, Turkey, as always, stood by Azerbaijan, expressing the highest level of moral and political support to our country from the first moments of the war. As a result of this historic victory, it is a great honor for Azerbaijan to host today's festival as a winning country. Today, TEXNOFEST is being held at the same time as this great festival. This great festival of science and technology is another bright example of the friendship and unity of our brotherly countries".
People's writer, chairman of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan Anar noted that Azerbaijan and Turkey have strong weapons and words, and wished peace and prosperity to the whole world. can celebrate with".
President of the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Efendiyeva, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture Ganira Pashayeva, MP Agil Abbas, Vice President of the International Turkic Academy Fuzuli Majidli, Assistant Secretary General of TURKSOY Bilal Cakici, scientists of the Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of ANAS Mehman Hasanli , Aygun Bagirli and others. In their speeches, they stressed that the first Turkic World Literature and Book Festival is a great holiday of words, will strengthen literary and cultural ties between the Turkic peoples and help the younger generation to recognize the great personalities of the Turkic world.
It should be noted that, the festival, held from 26 to 28 May and was attended by well-known scientists and writers of the Turkic states. The first day of the event was devoted to "Shusha Day", the second day - "Turkic World Day" and the third day - "Dede Korgud Day".
