Azernews.Az

The 100th anniversary of the outstanding Azerbaijani poet and playwright Bakhtiyar Vahabzade (1925-2009) has been celebrated in Ankara, Turkiye, Azernews reports.

The event, organized by TURKSOY as part of the "Year of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade" in 2025, began with the opening of an exhibition of paintings dedicated to the poet.

Speakers at the event, including the TURKSOY Deputy Secretary-General Sayit Yusuf, Azerbaijan Deputy Culture Minister Farid Jafarov, People's Poet of Azerbaijan Sabir Rustamkhanli, and the head of the National Education Department of the Mamak district in Ankara Shahsenem Duzgun, emphasized the significance of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade's poetry not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire Turkic world.

They pointed out that the legacy of the prominent poet, filled with deep philosophical and poetic reflections and reflecting limitless love for his homeland, people, and native language, always instilled respect for cultural and moral values.

For many years, by successfully combining literary and scientific creativity with pedagogical activity, the Master played an exceptional role in shaping the national thinking of several generations.

Subsequently, the Azerbaijan National Library presented the students of the school with a reissue of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade's first poetry book "Mənim dostlarım" (My Friends).

In the artistic part of the event, students Elvin Çıraq and Batuhan Kahraman recited poems by the poet, while Ikra Bektash performed a song based on the poet's lyrics.

TRT soloist Barış Akpınar sang the National Anthem of Azerbaijan and songs dedicated to the brotherhood of the two countries.

The performance by the mugham group, which included People's Artist Malakhanum Ayyubova (khanende), Araz Aghaverdiyev (kamancha), Ramin Abdullayev (nagara), and Altay Niftaliyev (tar), was met with great interest from the attendees.

To conclude, Deputy Culture Minister Farid Jafarov presented a portrait of the poet to the middle school named after Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, and participants were awarded letters of appreciation from the ministry.

Note that the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) was established in 1993 upon signature of its founding agreement by the Ministers of Culture of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkiye

Over the past years, TURKSOY has made significant contributions to promoting Turkic cultural heritage through different initiatives. Most of these projects have become a tradition and are continued every year.

Since its establishment, TURKSOY has been carrying out activities to strengthen the ties of brotherhood and solidarity among Turkic peoples, transmit the common Turkic culture to future generations and introduce it to the world.

The organization actively collaborates with international bodies like UNESCO and maintains partnerships with institutions such as the Organization of Turkic States and the International Turkish Academy.

Azerbaijan actively participates in TURKSOY's initiatives, hosting events like the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World project in Shusha city.

Many events of cultural significance, including the Kharibulbul International Folklore Festival, the Korkut Ata Turkic World Film Festival, the Cultural Days of the Turkic People, the Vagif Poetry Days, the International Festival of Children's Creativity, Wonderland Shusha 2023 International Scout Camp, and other events were organized in Azerbaijan's cultural center in accordance with the Action Plan.