On February 24, 2025, the “Workshop on the History of the Turkic World” (“Türk Dünyası Tarihi Çalıştayı”) was held at the Campus of the Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language, and History. The seminar was attended by Binali Yıldırım, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States; Ambassador Prof. Dr. Derya Örs, President of the High Institution; Prof. Dr. Shahin Mustafayev, President of the Turkic Academy; and Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen, President of the Turkish Historical Society, alongside scholars from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Hungary, and Turkmenistan.

For the first time, the heads of archaeology institutes from the Turkic World were also invited to the event. Among the invitees was Farhad Guliyev, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Associate Professor, and Ph.D.

In his opening speech, Binali Yıldırım, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, stated, “We are beginning a comprehensive meeting that will discuss the history of the Turks, the processes they have undergone from ancient times to the present, the states they have established, and the contributions they have made to world civilization.” He emphasized, “This meeting is a significant step toward illuminating our shared Turkic history.”

Ambassador Prof. Dr. Derya Örs, President of the Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language, and History, highlighted in his speech that the Turkic World, with its millennia-old history, rich cultural heritage, and strong social structure, holds an important place in world history. He noted that in a globalizing world, the path to strength lies in unity and solidarity, adding, “Undoubtedly, our language, history, and culture will make this unity and solidarity possible. Thus, just as joint alphabet studies have shown, joint historical research will bring us closer together.”

Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen, President of the Turkish Historical Society, emphasized that the term “Turkic World” encompasses not only a population of 300 million but also a vast geography of 4.5 million square kilometers, an economic power of 4 trillion dollars, and an extensive history, deep-rooted culture, and strong civilization that cannot be expressed in material terms.

Prof. Dr. Shahin Mustafayev, President of the International Turkic Academy, outlined the goals of academic historiography and the project’s timeline, stating that this process will be finalized by the end of 2025.

Following the speeches, discussions were held on the work to be done for writing the history of the Turkic World. At the conclusion of the meeting, the heads of international Turkic organizations, as well as history and archaeology institutes, signed a cooperation protocol outlining joint efforts to create an academic work on the history of Turkic countries.