TURKPA attended closing ceremony of “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2025”

On November 28, 2025, TURKPA delegation led by Mr. Bauyrzhan Datkayev, Secretary of the TURKPA Commission, attended the official closing ceremony of the event “Aktau – the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2025”, which was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan in cooperation with the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY). The event aimed to strengthen the unity of Turkic people and expand cultural cooperation among the Turkic states, alongside TURKSOY Secretary General Mr. Sultan Raev, was attended by Mrs. Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as a honored guest Mr. Binali Yıldırım, Chairman of the Elders’ Council of the Organisation of Turkic States, Mr. Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, Mr. Atageldi Shamyradov, Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan, Mr. Murad Hüseynov, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, Mr. Askaraly Madaminov, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Serdar Çam, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Tilegen Abishev, Deputy Governor of Mangystau Region, and Mr. Ottó Iván Róna, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as heads and representatives of Turkic cooperation organizations, prominent cultural figures and international experts. The ceremonial event was preceded by the 42nd meeting of the Permanent Council of the Ministers of Culture of TURKSOY member countries, during which, in order to implement the resolutions on the development and strengthening of TURKSOY adopted by the Organization of Turkic States at its Summit in Gabala, decisions were made aimed at fostering the effectiveness, visiblility and sustainability of TURKSOY as an international organization of cultural diplomacy. The Permanent Council also welcomed the declaration of the historical city of Andijan in Uzbekistan as Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2026. The closing assessment of Aktau’s 2025 Cultural Capital process was presented by the Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mrs. Aida Balayeva, the Chairman of the Elders’ Council of the Organisation of Turkic States Mr. Binali Yıldırım, the TURKSOY Secretary General Mr. Sultan Raev, and the Deputy Governor of Mangystau Region Mr. Tilegen Abishev. There was stated that over the course of a year, Aktau hosted more than 30 major international events: music, epic, folklore and dance festivals, creative symposiums, scientific conferences, numerous competitions, and forums for children and youth. Thousands of artists and researchers from around the World participated in these programs. During the festive events organized as part of the program in the closing ceremony, choreographic performances were presented, where approximately 250 artists from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Hungary and Turkmenistan took the audience onto an unforgettable artistic journey reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diversity of the Turkic World. The ceremony ended with the transfer of the title of Cultural Capital of the Turkic World from Aktau to Andijan and a performance of melodies of Turkic peoples, messages of unity and solidarity, and a group photograph taken as a remembrance of the day. The event concluded with an official dinner with gala concert in honor of the guests. During the event, Mr. Bauyrzhan Datkayev was accompanied by Staff member of the TURKPA International Secretariat Mr. Alasgar Aghayev.