2025 Turksoy Permanent Council 42nd Session Meeting

The 42nd Session of the TÜRKSOY Permanent Council was held on 28 November 2025 in Aktau, a city on the Caspian coast of Kazakhstan and the 2025 Capital of Turkic World Culture. As a result of the meeting, the title of Capital of Turkic World Culture for 2026 was transferred to Andijan, the historic city of Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, confidence was expressed that Andijan, with its deep-rooted identity as a bearer of the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic World, would successfully assume this responsibility. It was also decided to establish the framework for the 2026 program and to hold the next Permanent Council meeting in Andijan.

42nd Session of the Permanent Council of Culture Ministers of TÜRKSOY Member States (TÜRKSOY)

Location and Timing of the Meeting

The 42nd Session of the Permanent Council was held on 28 November 2025 in Aktau, described as the “jewel of the Caspian” and the 2025 Capital of Turkic World Culture. Thus, the evaluation of the 2025 cultural capital year and the cultural cooperation agenda for 2026 were addressed under one roof, and the official handover of the Cultural Capital title from Aktau to Andijan was formally decided.

Participants and Chairmanship

The meeting was chaired by Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan and Coordinator of the 42nd Session of TÜRKSOY. Attendees included the following senior representatives alongside TÜRKSOY General Secretary Sultan Raev:

• Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan Ozodbek Nazarbekov,
• Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan Atageldi Şamyradov,
• Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Murad Hüseynov,
• Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan A. Ş. Madaminov,
• Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye Serdar Çam.

The closing evaluation of Aktau’s 2025 Capital of Turkic World Culture process was presented by Tilegen Abişev, Deputy Governor of the Mangystau Region.

Agenda and Approved Reports

The Permanent Council reviewed and approved TÜRKSOY’s 42nd Session Working Report and the 2024 financial report. The activities carried out under Aktau’s 2025 Cultural Capital program were positively assessed by member states, with emphasis placed on the program’s contributions to Turkic World cultural diplomacy and shared memory.

The meeting also addressed the cultural cooperation agenda for the upcoming term and adopted new decisions aimed at guiding the common cultural policies of the Turkic World.

The Permanent Council expressed its gratitude to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, for his support of cultural solidarity in the Turkic World. Separate thanks were also extended to Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, who implemented the Aktau 2025 program; Nurdaulet Kılıbay, Governor of Mangystau Region, for hosting the meeting; and Abilkayır Baypakov, Mayor of Aktau.

Evaluation of Aktau as 2025 Capital of Turkic World Culture

In her assessment during the meeting, host minister Aida Balayeva stated that Aktau, as Capital of Turkic World Culture, had infused new dynamism into the shared cultural climate of Turkic peoples. Balayeva emphasized that the initiatives undertaken were not limited to the annual program calendar but had generated a sustainable impact by strengthening the sense of shared cultural awareness, visibility, and institutional solidarity across the Turkic World.

She also highlighted the importance of advancing TÜRKSOY’s more than thirty years of accumulated experience through systematic, dynamic, and results-oriented cooperation models in the new period. This approach demonstrated that the Aktau experience was viewed not merely as a “closure” but as a reference process for the upcoming term.

Statements by TÜRKSOY General Secretary Sultan Raev

TÜRKSOY General Secretary Sultan Raev, who spoke at the meeting, outlined the institution’s future vision. In his remarks, he jointly evaluated the success of Aktau 2025 and TÜRKSOY’s institutional transformation.

Raev stated that Aktau 2025 was a comprehensive process that deepened Turkic World cultural diplomacy, revitalized shared memory, and enhanced cultural interaction. He emphasized that the success of this initiative was decisively shaped by the collective contributions of all member states, with the host country and city playing a leading role.

Raev placed at the center of his speech the decision adopted at the Gebele Summit of the Organization of Turkic States to “Develop and Strengthen TÜRKSOY.” He stated that this decision aims to transform TÜRKSOY into a more effective, visible, and sustainable cultural diplomacy institution at the international level.

Raev announced the preparation of a comprehensive strengthening document covering institutional capacity, governance, digital transformation, and financial sustainability. Thus, TÜRKSOY is expected to emerge in the new period with enhanced structural foundations and a more systematic, long-term framework for cultural cooperation.

Raev consolidated TÜRKSOY’s new period work axes under the following headings:

• Digital cultural platforms,
• Shared heritage inventories,
• Documentary projects,
• Turkic World Film Fund,
• Global promotion of shared holidays,
• Youth-focused programs.

Concluding his speech, the General Secretary emphasized that TÜRKSOY is not merely an event-producing structure but a “great cultural family” that strengthens trust, solidarity, and a shared sense of future among Turkic peoples.

Views and Invitations from Member State Delegations

Delegation heads who spoke at the meeting affirmed their shared commitment to deepening cultural cooperation:

• Atageldi Şamyradov, Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan, emphasized that culture and art serve as enduring bridges of friendship among nations.
• A. Ş. Madaminov, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan, noted that Aktau 2025 provided a valuable platform for shared heritage and extended an invitation to the 6th World Nomadic Games to be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2026.
• Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, stated that the decision to strengthen TÜRKSOY would elevate the organization’s institutional profile to a new level.
• Murad Hüseynov, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, recalled how the Shusha Cultural Capital experience had reinforced Turkic World unity and drew attention to the historic significance of the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress in 2026.
• Serdar Çam, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye, expressed strong expectations for cooperation during the 2026 Ankara Capital of Turkic World Tourism and the 2026 Year of Ziya Gökalp events.

Transfer of the 2026 Capital of Turkic World Culture Title to Andijan

The Permanent Council unanimously adopted the decision to transfer the title of Capital of Turkic World Culture for 2026 to Andijan, the historic city of Uzbekistan. Council members expressed their confidence that Andijan, with its deep-rooted identity as a bearer of the shared cultural heritage of the Turkic World, would successfully fulfill this responsibility.

It was announced that:

• The 2026 Capital of Turkic World Culture program will be prepared through cooperation between the TÜRKSOY General Secretariat, the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, and the local administration of Andijan,
• The next Permanent Council meeting will be held in Andijan in 2026.

Thus, it was determined that the cultural capital activities for 2026 will be planned on the basis of institutional cooperation, with Andijan at the center of this collaborative effort.