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Unity through literature: Presentation of the “Literature of the Turkic World” book series

A presentation of new books from the “Literature of the Turkic World” series was held at the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan as part of the international scientific conference of writers of Turkic-speaking nations titled “The Role and Significance of Amir Temur and the Timurid Civilization in World History and Culture.”

This prestigious literary and educational event was organized in cooperation with the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), and the Writers’ Union of Uzbekistan. The event serves to further strengthen literary and cultural ties among Turkic peoples, promote shared spiritual heritage, and expand creative cooperation.

Within the “Literature of the Turkic World” series published by the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan and the “Mereke baspalari” publishing house, several works by prominent representatives of Turkic literature were presented in the Kazakh language, including Anar’s “Qonaq uy bolmesi,” Khayriddin Sultanov’s “Baqit jagalau,” Sultan Raev’s “Topan,” and Arslon Koychiyev’s “Tuqmqurt.” Undoubtedly, these books will contribute to bringing closer the Turkic peoples who have long shared similar languages, values, cultures, traditions, and customs.

— As intellectuals, we all understand well that the creation of these books is of great importance. At the same time, their translation and publication is also a highly significant event, as this process further strengthens spiritual ties between peoples.

Today, we live in a time when the global situation is becoming increasingly complex. In such a period, preserving mutual harmony and unity, and further strengthening friendship and cooperation among historically brotherly nations, is of utmost importance. Along this path, we all clearly understand the necessity of widely utilizing the immense potential of literature, art, and culture, which express the soul and spirit of every nation, — said Khayriddin Sultanov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and People’s Writer of Uzbekistan, in his speech.

The event was attended by a number of prominent public and political figures, as well as well-known writers and poets. Among them were Khayriddin Sultanov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan and People’s Writer of Uzbekistan; Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY and People’s Writer of Kyrgyzstan; Sirojiddin Sayyid, Chairman of the Writers’ Union of Uzbekistan and People’s Poet of Uzbekistan; Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Director of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan; and Mereke Kulkenov, Chairman of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan. In their speeches, they shared their views on the current development of Turkic literature and its role and significance in world culture.

As our presidents have emphasized, there have always been forces in the world that do not wish to see our unity and solidarity. In such a context, we must stand firmly united against these negative forces. If we ourselves do not value and honor the traditions, customs, and values of our peoples that have existed since ancient times, no one else will come to preserve and respect them for us. There is much work to be done in this regard. In the Writers’ Union of Uzbekistan, great opportunities have been created for organizing international youth festivals, meetings of young creators from Central Asian countries, and various competitions. When we speak of enlightenment against ignorance, it is deeply symbolic that such a conference is being held here at the Islamic Civilization Center and that such meaningful words and wisdom are being expressed, — said Sirojiddin Sayyid.

During the presentation, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting was held to mark the unveiling of the new books. In addition, a creative dialogue with the authors was organized, during which they spoke about the content of their works, their creative ideas, and the interaction of Turkic literatures.

— I am very pleased to participate in this literary event taking place in the beautiful city of Tashkent, in brotherly Uzbekistan. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this is a great honor and happiness for me. This event is very important because literature brings peoples closer together. Our nations have always been close to each other in literary terms. Therefore, I am especially glad that this closeness continues today. In particular, the publication of Uzbek writers’ works in Baku and Azerbaijani writers’ books in Uzbekistan is a clear sign that our literary ties are becoming even stronger. I hope that such cooperation and creative relations will continue and expand further in the future, — said Anar, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union and People’s Writer of Azerbaijan.

Within the framework of the event, literary figures and experts such as Didar Kulkenov, Muhammad Ali, and Anar also delivered speeches, sharing their views on contemporary trends in Turkic literature and its significance in the international cultural arena.

— The 690th anniversary of the great Amir Temur is being celebrated at a very high level in Tashkent. On this occasion, we held a presentation of a number of books today. These works were translated into Kazakh and published within a large-scale program and project. We are very pleased to present these books here in Uzbekistan, in the city of Tashkent. In this regard, we express our deep gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Writers’ Union of Uzbekistan. Our goal now is to continue translating the literature of Turkic peoples through such projects, thereby bringing our spirituality, languages, and cultures even closer together. This will further strengthen friendship and solidarity among our peoples. The 690th anniversary of Amir Temur is not only a celebration for Uzbekistan but for the entire Turkic world. It gives me great pleasure that this event is being held here in Tashkent, at the Islamic Civilization Center, where many historical sources and archives are concentrated. This is a shared heritage not only for one nation but for all Turkic peoples. Therefore, I believe it is very important for all of us to honor the great figures who unite our historically brotherly nations, — said Mereke Kulkenov, Chairman of the Board of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan.

It should be noted that this event contributes to further strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation among the countries of the Turkic world, elevating literary relations to a new level, and widely promoting shared spiritual values.

— The history of Turkic literature is extremely vast, with deep roots and rich content. Its two-thousand-year history is explained by the fact that its sources date back to the ancient Orkhon Yenisei inscriptions. In this sense, today’s conference and the organized event can be regarded as an important spiritual phenomenon covering the development of Turkic literature from the Orkhon Yenisei texts to the 21st century. The publication of the presented books in the Kazakh language is also of special significance. In Kazakhstan, extensive work is being carried out to bring Turkic literatures closer together by translating the works of Uzbek, Azerbaijani, and Kyrgyz authors into Kazakh. Another important stage of these initiatives has found its expression within the framework of today’s event. In the future, we — Kyrgyz people — also aim to translate the works of representatives of Uzbek, Kazakh, and other Turkic literatures into our own language and to gain the necessary experience in this direction, — said Arslon Koychiyev, People’s Writer of Kyrgyzstan.

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