The Kazakh city of Turkistan will become the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2017. This decision was unanimously reached at the 34th meeting of the Permanent Council of Culture Ministers of the TURKSOY member states in Azerbaijan. Turkistan is the fifth city to become the cultural capital of the Turkic world and the second in Kazakhstan after Astana. The meeting participants discussed the implemented work and approved the activities plan for the next year. According to the Secretary General of TURKSOY Duysen Kaseinov, this year all the cultural events of the organization took place under the auspices of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Turkic republics’ independence.

KEMAL CELIK, FORMER MEMBER OF TURKEY’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY:

Almost all the Turks know about Turkistan. Because we honor Kazakhstan as the land of our ancestors, and Turkistan as a cultural and spiritual center of all the Turkic peoples. TURKSOY declared the historical city to become the cultural capital of the Turkic world. This will give an impetus to expand the tourism potential and development of the city.