Aliyev says Turkic world is emerging as a major center of influence

President Ilham Aliyev has said that the Turkic world is moving toward becoming one of the influential centers of power of the century, while stressing that Azerbaijan will continue working to strengthen unity among Turkic states and peoples.

The Azerbaijani leader made the remarks in his address to the participants of Turkic World Week, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress.

Aliyev welcomed the opening of the event in Azerbaijan and noted that the initiative to mark the centenary of the First Turkological Congress, which he put forward at the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States in Gabala in October 2025, is now being implemented.

The president said the fact that Turkic World Week coincides with Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States carries special symbolic significance.

Referring to the First Turkological Congress, held in Baku 100 years ago at the Ismailiyya Palace, Aliyev described it as a historic event that brought together prominent representatives of world Turkology and leading scholars. He said the congress played an exceptional role in shaping the idea of cultural integration among Turkic peoples with a rich past and ancient heritage.

The Azerbaijani president noted that the congress focused on key issues related to the common spiritual values of the Turkic world, including language, history, ethnography, literature and culture, as well as the transition to a common Turkic alphabet.

Aliyev stressed that holding the congress in Azerbaijan was not accidental. Since the 19th century, Azerbaijan had undergone major social, political and cultural changes, creating a new type of theatre, school and national press, and laying the foundations for national self-awareness. He also recalled that Azerbaijan built the first democratic state in the Muslim and Turkic world, while Baku had already become one of the important intellectual centers of world Turkology by the early 20th century.

The president said that, unfortunately, the implementation of the main ideas and decisions of the First Turkological Congress was soon obstructed by artificial barriers deliberately created by the Soviet totalitarian regime. He noted that most of the congress delegates were brutally repressed in the 1930s, adding that their memory is still honoured today.

According to Aliyev, the decisions adopted at the congress were dictated by historical necessity and anticipated the progress of the entire Turkic world. He said they served as an important platform for preserving scientific and cultural solidarity and later helped illuminate the path of cultural and spiritual revival for Turkic peoples who regained their national independence after the collapse of the 70-year communist regime.

Aliyev also emphasized that the progressive ideas advanced by the First Turkological Congress now form part of the intellectual foundation of projects being implemented by the Organization of Turkic States to create a common humanitarian space.

“The family of the Turkic world is on the path to becoming one of the influential centers of power of the century, worthy of our ancestors who created a great civilization. We will continue to make every effort to strengthen and preserve the unity of this family,” the president said.

Aliyev expressed confidence that Turkic World Week, which includes events in various formats, will contribute to the preservation, study and promotion of the shared historical and spiritual heritage of Turkic peoples and will take its place among the important cultural events in Azerbaijan’s public life.