Turkic World Photos/News/Discussions.

[-SINAN-]

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality brings the rich cultural diversity of Turkic countries via the “Turkic World Culture Neighborhood,” located in the historic district of Topkapı
Following the traces of Turkic culture which extends from Asia to Europe, nine small houses and two traditional tents ("yurt" in Turkish) of Central Asian nomads take visitors from Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia to the Great Wall of China. Some of the houses are given the names "Uzbek," "Turkmen" and "Northern Cyprus." The neighborhood invites all to come and explore various Turkic cultures while wandering around each house.

Established with an initiative by Mayor Kadir Topbaş, each cultural house in the neighborhood represents a different country including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tatarstan, Northern Cyprus, Bashkortostan and Azerbaijan. Additionally, the "Balkan House" introduces the cultural traditions of Turks living within the Balkan region. The tent which was presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is also on display. The sophisticated yurts of the nomads of Central Asia draw a great deal of attention. Topbaş has previously stated, "It was one of my biggest dreams." The neighborhood holds special celebratory events on the day of "Nevruz," the festival ushering in the first day of spring, and other summer festivals including "Sabantuy," Bashkir and Tatar summer festivals. Celebrations generally take place with the participation of statesmen from different Turkic countries.

The houses showcase traditional home furniture, everyday clothing as well as festive costumes, accessories, musical instruments, toys, carpets, rugs and kitchen equipment along with historic hunting and military items. Televisions show videos about the Turkic republics. Those who would like to buy traditional objects can visit the souvenir shop "Turkuvaz" in the neighborhood. Most of the objects on display can be found at the shop and all souvenirs are brought from Turkic countries for no profit.

Miniature versions of the Orkhon inscription, which dates to the early eighth century, and in which the words "Turk" and "Turkish" are mentioned for the first time, are on display as well. Kültür A.Ş., the cultural enterprise of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, designed the miniatures by preserving the inscriptions' original dimensions. Visitors can also see two stone inscriptions (dated 732 and 735 respectively), each dedicated to Bilge Khagan, the ruler of Göktürks and his brother Kültigin. Aside from a number of historic figures, there are two other stone inscriptions, dating to 716, engraved to honor commanding military leader Tonyukuk, also the vizier of Bilge Khagan. All miniatures are open to visitors daily throughout the year free of charge. Similar to those in Miniatürk Park, audio guides in different languages will be also available. To preserve the original design, miniature stone inscriptions are placed on carved stone turtles. At the time of the Göktürks, turtles referred to the concept of immortality. All inscriptions introduce interesting information about Turkic languages, literature, art and traditions. Leaving aside the inscriptions, sculptures of turtle and sheep, aqueducts, stone roads, historic ruins and "balbals" (handmade gravestones) can be seen.

Zinnet Restaurant located in the neighborhood offers visitors the chance to try the traditional cuisine of the Turkic world. Dishes unique to Kazakhs, Uyghurs and Uzbeks are served. Hundreds of different meals on offer include kebabs from Central Asia, Uzbek rice, "Legmen" and "Göşnan" unique to eastern Turkestan, "Çüçüre" (a traditional soup) and "Buharda Mantı" (steam-cooked meat dumplings). The restaurant is the right place to indulge in the flavors of the Silk Road, whose history goes back almost 2000 years. Visitors can conclude their visit after trying the traditional teas of Central Asia such as the tea unique to Göktürks
Turkic world on parade in Istanbul - Daily Sabah

Opening

Russia is using Tatars and other Turkic peoples in Russia to mend ties.

Arab wannabe mankurts... see your true history.

 

[atatwolf]

Turkic world’s triumph against backdrop of Armenians’ mourning
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 16

By Meftun Salmanov – Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Jan. 16 that the events for celebration of the 100th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Canakkale will be held on April 24.

Erdogan, for the first time, made this statement at a joint press conference with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who was in Turkey for a state visit.

What Erdogan said will definitely be a “cold shower” for Armenia. The choice of exactly this date is symbolic, isn’t it? After all, exactly on this day, the 100th anniversary of the fictitious Armenian genocide will be marked.

Invitations have been sent to the heads of state around the world for their participation in the events to be held in Turkey in honor of the victory in the Battle of Canakkale. Armenia has also taken a similar step. In this sense, it will be once again obvious who is who. The invitees will also have to make a choice.

The celebration of the Canakkale Victory exactly on this day is an important step in the information war against Armenia and its patron, i.e. the diaspora.

This shows that on April 24, Turkey and Azerbaijan will not be on the defensive, but will go on the offensive.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, for his part, said this is a wise decision, and stressed that the Azerbaijani people will appreciate it.

Turkey’s stance regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is also concrete and fair – the conflict should be solved solely within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Erdogan reiterated this stance at his meeting with President Aliyev.

Aside from that, the two countries’ military personnel, holding joint exercises, demonstrate their strength and power. As the Azerbaijan president said, the exercises will be held regularly. The parties also plan the joint production of defense products.

Relations of Turkey and Azerbaijan, based on sincerity, are becoming more inviolable from year to year.

Therefore, Armenia, which occupied other country's territory and engaged in falsification of history, is going to face hard days, there's no one to blame but itself.

-------------------------------------------

I like this a lot. Armenian rebellion against Turkey shouldn't be seen separate from invasion of Canakkale by the allies in WW1. It happened in the same year. It was obviously planned by the British. After their plan didn't work out and got defeated miserably they started a smear campaign. Setting the remembrance day for Canakkale victory on that day is makes sense. What is even more epic is that we invited Armenian PM to that event

 

[Hakan]

We all have to be prepared with information to counter people who bring up armenian genocide allegations. This is very important.

 

[-SINAN-]

We all have to be prepared with information to counter people who bring up armenian genocide allegations. This is very important.

We have much more people than Armenians, we should do counter-lobbying.

 

[Nefer]

We all have to be prepared with information to counter people who bring up armenian genocide allegations. This is very important.

Armenian Genocide Debate |

This is a website which uses government documents to bring light into this entire matter. it has quite a number of interesting articles. There hasn't been an update since July 2012. But they pretty much have finished it I think.

This one for example
The Russian Account of the Armenian Genocide |

 

[Ahiska]

Even Russian themselves fought against Armenian Killer groups..........
(Or so my grandfather told me)

 

[Hakan]

Even Russian themselves fought against Armenian Killer groups..........
(Or so my grandfather told me)

I think I heard that in a video before. They got out of control or something and the russians had to fight them I don't remember exactly though.

 

[atatwolf]

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan joined the discussion at Davos

 

[telkon]

1. us of a gave uzbekistan 308 m-atv mraps and 20 armored recovery vehicles for free. kazakhstan is also interested in excess us military vehicles.
2. indira zholdubaeva became the new attorney general of kyrgyz republic. she's third woman in a row to become attorney general in kg.
3. isil fighters were seen near turkmenistan border in almar district of faryab province in afghanistan.

 

[atatwolf]

Year of city of Mary as 2015 Cultural Capital of Turkic World kicks off in Turkmenistan
The year of the city of Mary designated as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2015 was officially launched in the Turkmen city of Mary. The official opening ceremony marked the start of a series of activities to be held in this city in accordance with its honorary status.

An impromptu Turkmen village was set up in the city square in front of the Palace of Ruhiyet (spirituality), which was chosen as the venue of celebrations. Traditional crafts, folk costumes, fabrics, carpets and felt mats, ceramics and jewelry, old musical instruments, as well as works by skilled craftsmen placed in the yurt-pavilions were demonstrated in all their diversity at this unique exhibition.

The official part of the opening ceremony of the year of the city of Mary as the cultural capital of the Turkic world took place at the Palace of Ruhiyet. It brought together members of the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan, representatives of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination (TIKA) under the Prime Minister of Turkey, delegations of artists from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Bulgaria, Gagauzia (Republic of Moldova), as well as regions of the Russian Federation, such as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Khakassia, Tuva, Sakha-Yakutia, Kalmykia and Altai.

The ceremony participants listened to the welcoming message of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Congratulating them on the occasion of designating the Turkmen city of Mary as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2015, the President of Turkmenistan stressed the importance of the ancient city of Mary in the history of human civilization, noting that the rich history, cultural and spiritual values of the Turkmen people serve the mutual enrichment of peoples and cultures and bringing them closer to each other.

Then, the floor was given to General Secretary of TURKSOY Dusanbay Kaseinov. He expressed deep gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan for development of constructive international cooperation contributing to the preservation and development of culture and arts of the Turkic peoples.

He noted that the ancient city of Merv, currently called Mary, enlisted as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, picked up the honorary baton as part of the project "Cultural Capital of the Turkic World." According to him, here one can witness the value of common cultural heritage and feel the significance of one of the oldest centers of world civilization.

As part of the celebrations, artists of the Turkic-speaking countries performed at a gala concert at the Palace of Ruhiyet.

The audience cheered the skills of artists of dance group "Jangi" from Azerbaijan; the folk ensemble from the Turkish city of Eskisehir; Kazakh musical group “Ak zhayyn.” The folk group of Cultural Association "Gayrat" from Bosnia and Herzegovina performed stirring “National Dance of Sarajevo." Their colleagues from the Republic of Hungary - folk group “Majar Turan” - presented its vision of the ancient history in “Dance of Nomads.” The Bashkir Academic Folk Dance Ensemble named after Faizi Gaskarov, folklore group "Rodop Ellery" from Bulgaria, dance groups "Dusava" from the Republic of Moldova (Gagauzia), "Sayan" from Tuva Republic of the Russian Federation, "Yeni Dunya" from Macedonia also performed the dances of their people.

Kazakh, Tatar, Turkish, Yakut, Khakas, Tuva, Altai melodies and songs sounded majestically from the stage of the Palace of Ruhiyet.

The artists’ performances were accompanied by videos reels narrating of the historical and cultural heritage and modern achievements of the countries they represented.

By tradition, the festive concert finished with the ancient Turkmen dance "Kushtdepdi" whose powerful energetics emanate harmony and spiritual power of the Turkmen national culture.

An international exhibition of fine arts, crafts and photography was one of the first activities held in the city of Mary as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2015. It was inaugurated at the Regional History Museum of Mary province with participation of the leaders and representatives of TURKSOY, numerous foreign guests and general public of the city.

The exhibition featured works by painters, potters, photographers from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Macedonia and Turkmenistan. The thematic palette of the exhibition was diverse, describing the way of life of the Turkic peoples, their customs, traditions, art and modern achievements in the field of culture and art. The exhibition visitors were pleased to see the collection of folk costumes, jewelry, carpets made by craftswomen, original wood and silk works. Paintings and photo works depicted wonderful scenes, historical images and our contemporaries, as well as important events organized in the framework of the project "Cultural Capital of the Turkic World" and others.

The guests of Turkmenistan were also taken on a tour of the Regional History Museum, whose funds account for about sixty thousand exhibits - monuments of history, culture and art of the Turkmen people. Old folk costumes, magnificent carpets, silver jewelry, works by folk craftsmen, a collection of items of ancient culture discovered by archaeologists at the site of the once flourishing civilizations, utensils, documents on regional history and many other exhibits multiply the wealth of the museum's collection.

After the tour, the guests were invited to the exhibition hall of the Mary branch of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, where they were shown the modern achievements of the province, including development of private enterprises. The exhibition presented the goods manufactured by the provincial private business enterprises, national clothes and souvenirs made by local entrepreneurs, as well as high-quality products from natural raw materials made by the textile complexes of the country.

The cultural program prepared for the guests included a visit to the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Ancient Merv”, where they got acquainted with the unique architectural monuments – the Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, the Mosque of Khoja Yusuf Hamedani, the ancient fortresses of Erkkala and Gyzgala. The participants of the cultural event also visited the Library of Mary province that became the center of spiritual life of the region, its scientific and methodological center. The guests got acquainted with numerous halls of the library and its modern facilities. Of particular interest was the observatory, located under the dome of the magnificent building.

The guests also toured the multipurpose market, a modern prototype of an oriental bazaar, which in ancient times was the center of social and cultural life of big cities along the Great Silk Road.

On their return to Ashgabat, the ceremony participants continued acquainting themselves with historical and cultural heritage of the Turkmen people by visiting the museums and sights of the capital city.

The project "Cultural Capital of the Turkic World" is designed to unleash the cultural potential of the Turkic peoples and draw public’s attention to their heritage. It provides for the annual gathering of creative forces in various cities of Turkic-speaking countries, holding various colorful and rich-in-content cultural and humanitarian activities based on strong historical and cultural ties and ongoing dialogue between the distinct cultures of sovereign states.

 

[atatwolf]

This documentary tells the story of three ethnic groups which, though they inhabit the same territory, have different cultures and traditions. But with one common denominator, they are all HEIRS OF GENGHIS KHAN.

 

[Hakan]

Head of the Kyrgyz military visited the head of the Turkish Military.

Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Genelkurmay Başkanlığı

 

[atatwolf]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Center for Strategic Research, Center for Eurasian Studies (AVIM) and Turkic Council held a meeting on “Turkic Council and Eurasian Cooperation in the Light of Developments in the Region” on 24th of February 2015 at JW Marriott Hotel, Ankara.

In the meeting, which started with a short film introducing the Turkic Council, Secretary General of the Turkic Council Ambassador Ramil Hasanov and Deputy Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Ambassador Ali Kemal Aydın made the opening speeches. Following the speeches of Director of Center for Strategic Studies at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Resul Usul, and Director for Eurasian Studies Director and Ret. Ambassador Alev Kılıç, Former Secretary General of the Turkic Council Ret. Ambassador Halil Akıncı made an introductory speech.

TURKIC COUNCIL AND EURASIAN COOPERATION IN THE LIGHT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION


For people who don't know what the Turkic council is. Nice summary:

 

[telkon]

 

[usernameless]

So beautiful landscape and people, and surprisingly i recognized more words than i expected. Hopefully one day i can visit there (and other Turkic countries) one day, it's one of my goals.

What would you say is the single most beautiful/important place to visit in Kyrgyzstan?
And also, are there many people living a lifestyle like in the video?