TURKSOY PERMANENT COUNCIL TO MEET IN ASTANA

Astana will host the 21st session of the Permanent Council of TURKSOY (Joint Administration of Turkic Culture and Art) on 14-15 July.

In June 1992, culture ministers of Turkic speaking countries met for the first time in Istanbul. One year later, culture ministers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan signed the agreement on foundation of TURKSOY in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Later, Altai, Bashkiria, Khakasia, Tataristan, Tuva and Sakha-Yakut of the Russian Federation as well as Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the autonomous region of Gagauz Land in the Republic of Moldova participated as observers in TURKSOY.

High administrative body of TURKSOY is the Permanent Council of Culture Ministers of Turkic Speaking Countries. The official language of TURKSOY is Turkish and the administrative center is Ankara. Polad Bulbuloglu, Culture Minister of Azerbaijan, was elected as Director General of TURKSOY three times by the Permanent Council since 1994.

TURKSOY signed its first agreement on international cooperation with UNESCO, and has been UNESCO’s active partner in implementation of the regional program on development of culture since 1996.