On October 15, 2025, an international scientific conference on the topic “The Role of Peace and Trust in Mahmud Kashgari’s Work Divani Lugat at-Turk” was held at Magtymguly Turkmen State University in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The conference was organized by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO, and the Sciences Academy of Turkmenistan. The event took place within the framework of the declaration of 2025 as the “International Year of Peace and Trust” and in connection with the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.
The Project Manager of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Leyla Hasanova, welcomed all participants of the meeting and read out the official congratulatory letter from the President of the Foundation, Mrs. Aktoty Raimkulova:
“It is a big pleasure to note that during the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in Gabala, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan was officially accepted as an observer state of the Foundation. It is a great honor that Turkmenistan has become a member of the family of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.”
The letter continued:
"Mahmud Kashgari's contribution to global philology and Turkic cultural heritage is immensely valuable. 'Divani Lugat at-Turk' is not just a dictionary, but an encyclopedia of the common Turkic language, thought, and philosophy of life. This is an indisputable fact," states the letter from Ms. Aktoty Raimkulova.
Leyla Hasanova also spoke about the Foundation’s activities dedicated to the 950th anniversary of Mahmud Kashgari’s seminal work.
At the plenary session, presentations were also made by Isa Habibbeyli, President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (online), and Chinar Rustamova, Secretary-General of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO, Hero of Turkmenistan, and Candidate of Philosophical Sciences. In their speeches, they highlighted the irreplaceable role of Mahmud Kashgari’s Divani Lugat at-Turk in the spiritual and scholarly heritage of the Turkic world.
The conference consisted of two sessions: “The Role of Peace and Trust in Mahmud Kashgari’s Divani Lugat at-Turk” and “The Contribution of Mahmud Kashgari’s Divani Lugat at-Turk to the Development of Philology”.
The event brought together prominent scholars from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, the UAE, Iran, India, and other countries. The discussions focused on the philological and cultural significance of Mahmud Kashgari’s work, its role in the development of the humanities, and its contribution to strengthening mutual understanding among peoples.
