The book by secretary of the National Academy of sciences of Azerbaijan, Shukurov Agagussein Mamedgussein oglu titled “Representatives of Kazakhstan who participated in the First Turkology Congress”, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the First All-Union Turkology Congress in Baku, was published in Azerbaijan.

The book dedicated to historical date is written in Azerbaijani and Russian languages.

The First Turkology Congress was one of the most significant events in the history of Turkic peoples’ cultural integration. At the congress, the most important decisions on the most discussed issues were made, and scientific and methodological principles of the transition to a new alphabet based on Latin graphics were developed. Azerbaijan was one of the first Turkic-speaking countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States that began to use this alphabet. It was the result of an active struggle for the alphabet reform, which was carried out by intellectuals since the nineteenth century.

It is known that 131 delegates participated in the First Turkology Congress. There were 17 meetings in the nine-day historical meeting, and 29 reports on the language, history, literature and culture of the Turkic world. During the repressions, about 120 scientists and thinkers who participated in the congress were arrested and suffered political persecution.

Four representatives from Kazakhstan took part in the First Turkology Congress. Also the state figure, diplomat from Moscow Nazir Torekulov was invited to the event. The congress was attended by five Kazakh scholars, well-known educators, linguists, prominent representatives of their people Akhmet Baitursynov (1872-1937), Bilal Suleev (1893-1937), Yeldes Omarov (1892-1937), Aziz Baiseidov (1893-1955) and Nazir Torekulov (1892-1937).

One of the main missions of Kazakh scholars, who came to the First Turkology Congress in Baku in 1926, was a struggle for a new Kazakh alphabet.

The Decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the 90th anniversary of the First Turkology Congress dated 18 February 2016 reveals the historical significance of the Congress in the life of Turkic peoples. The Decree states: “The post-congress period was marked by the formation of new concepts in the field of Turkology, the recognition of Azerbaijan as one of the influential centers of Turkological research and the creation of a scientific and theoretical basis for cultural and spiritual unity of Turkic peoples.”

It is noteworthy that in 2016 large-scale events on the First Turkology Congress started in Turkic-speaking countries. In particular, within the framework of the First International Humanities Forum “The Great Steppe” organized by the International Turkic Academy in Astana (Nur-Sultan) on May 23-25, 2016, a section was dedicated to the Baku Turkology Congress.

The meeting on “Turkology in a new era: methodological approaches, modern technologies and interdisciplinary aspects”, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the First Turkology Congress held in Baku, was chaired by Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, academician Isa Gabibbeyli. He made a consistent report about the fate of 131 delegates participating in the First Turkology Congress in his work titled “Integration Processes in the Turkic World: Cultural and Historical Tradition and Modern Stage”.

It’s worth noting that the events dedicated to historic anniversary are held in scientific centers of the Turkic world since 2016.