International Conference dedicated to the 950th anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk took place in Paris

On 13 December 2024, TURKPA delegation led by Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er took part at the International Conference under the theme “Mapping the World in Lexicography: on the 950th anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk” organized by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The conference was attended by heads and representatives of national commissions for UNESCO of the Turkic states, permanent delegations of Turkic states to UNESCO, ambassadors and distinguished scholars in Turkology, linguistics and ethnography. Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the conference. Stressing the historical, cultural and linguistic significance of the Diwan Lughat al-Turk on a global scale, Secretary General noted that by documenting valuable information through this monumental work, the great 11th-century scholar Mahmud Kashgari had ensured the survival of that information for generations, allowing to glimpse the life and spirit of Turkic societies over a thousand years ago. He touched on the aim of the Diwan Lughat al-Turk to build bridges between cultures and in this context, noted that as it had been written in Arabic, the lingua franca of science and scholarship in medieval Islamic civilization, the Diwan had been accessible to academic communities of the Islamic world and had promoted cultural exchange and mutual respect between the Turkic and Arab-Islamic civilizations, enriching both cultures. “The fortuitous rediscovery of manuscript of the Diwan Lughat al-Turk and its publication by Ali Emiri Efendi was an important milestone for Turkology. The publication of the Diwan Lughat al-Turk in the early 20th century, paved the way for its further study and dissemination. Taking this opportunity, it is an honor once again to pay respect to the memories of Ali Emiri Efendi and other scholars who contributed to the translation and dissemination of this precious work, unveiling it for a wider audience,” Secretary General said. “Today, Mahmud Kashgari’s renowned masterpiece remains a source of pride and inspiration for us. This universal legacy is a symbol of our shared heritage, reminding us the great contributions of the Turkic peoples to the world civilization,” he added. Secretary General underlined the efforts of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and expressed gratitude for organizing the conference and bringing together such an audience in the heart of Europe. The opening ceremony was moderated by Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev and addressed by the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Aktoty Raimkulova, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations Firmin Edouard Matoko, Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO Seymur Fataliyev, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UNESCO Askar Abdrakhmanov, Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO Sabira Soltongeldieva, President of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO Öcal Oğuz, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO Elmurod Najimov and a representative from the permanent delegation of Turkmenistan to UNESCO. The opening ceremony was followed by two scientific sessions titled “Diwan Lughat al-Turk in the Translations and Syllabi of Intellectual History” and “Lexicography as a Bridge between Communities and Generations: Research and Analysis of the Text”. The conference also featured the presentation of the Russian translation of Diwan Lughat al-Turk prepared under the auspices of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and the presentation of the publication of the first manuscript written in the Azerbaijani alphabet with Latin script, which was found after 86 years in Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and belonged to Khalid Said Khojayev. During the conference, Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er was accompanied by Secretary of Commission Nazgul Zholdoshova and staff member of the Secretariat Azar Mammadov. The Diwan Lughat al-Turk authored by Mahmud Kashgari is the oldest known and comprehensive dictionary of Turkic languages, serving as an important research subject worldwide and as one of the key sources for medieval history, culture, etnography and linguistics. It preserves thousands of words and phrases alongside their meanings in Arabic, demonstrating the richness of Turkic languages and shedding light on the lifestyle, worldview, traditions, beliefs, values and cultural exchanges of societies of its historical period. The Diwan Lughat al-Turk has played a crucial role in studying the oral and literary heritage of the Turkic world and in comparative linguistics to trace the evolution and spread of Turkic languages.