Baku, October 1, AZERTAC

The reunion of friends of the prominent representative of Azerbaijani literature — poet, playwright, literary scholar, educator, public figure and academician, People's Poet of Azerbaijan Bakhtiyar Vahabzade — on the occasion of his 100th anniversary was organized by TURKPA with the support of the Baku Center of the Yunus Emre Institute and the Sheki branch of the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University on 29-30 September 2025 in Baku and Sheki.

The event was attended by parliamentarians, prominent state and public figures who had been friends of and personally acquainted with Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, representatives of international organizations, academic and cultural circles, as well as members of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s family.

On September 29, the participants visited the graves of National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva, and Bakhtiyar Vahabzade at the Alley of Honors. They also visited the Alley of Martyrs.

The Baku part of the event took place at the TURKPA Secretariat. Secretary General of TURKPA Mehmet Süreyya Er delivered a welcoming speech and gave the floor to the moderator of the Baku session, member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and member of the TURKPA Commission on Education, Culture, Social and Humanitarian Affairs Hikmat Mammadov.

Director of the Ataturk Center in Azerbaijan Nizami Jafarov, People’s Poet of Azerbaijan, public and political figure Sabir Rustamkhanli, and President of the Economic and Social Researches Center in Türkiye, politician and former parliamentarian İbrahim Ertan Yülek also delivered speeches during this part of the event.

The second and main part of the event took place on 30 September in Sheki, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s hometown, and was hosted by the Sheki branch of the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University.

The Sheki session was moderated by member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and member of the TURKPA Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations Javanshir Feyziyev.

Director of the Sheki branch of the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University Vurgun Mammadov; member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and member of the TURKPA Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations Javanshir Feyziyev; Secretary General of TURKPA Mehmet Süreyya Er; Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Republic of Azerbaijan Birol Akgün; member of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, statesman Hasan Hasanov; President of the Economic and Social Researches Center in Türkiye, politician and former parliamentarian İbrahim Ertan Yülek; member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and Chairman of the TURKPA Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations Osman Mesten; member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Masimli; member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, member of the TURKPA Commission on Education, Culture, Social and Humanitarian Affairs and former Minister of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye Mahmut Özer; member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Vugar Iskandarov; member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and member of the TURKPA Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations Filiz Kılıç; member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and member of the TURKPA Commission on Environment, Natural Resources and Health Protection Kadim Durmaz; Professor of Tashkent University of Applied Sciences Kozakboy Yuldashev; Senior Lecturer of the Higher School of Foreign Languages of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Kyrgyz poet Altynbek Ismailov; Honored Cultural Worker of Uzbekistan, Associate Professor at Uzbekistan State World Languages University Tohir Kakhkhorov; Professor of Kafkas University Mitat Durmuş; Editor-in-Chief of the “Murabbiy” Newspaper of Namangan Region of Uzbekistan, poet Dilbarkhon Khaydarova; Researcher of the Department of Humanities of the Sheki Branch of the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University Vagif Aslan; Dean of the Faculty of Law of Istanbul University Fethi Gedikli; Azerbaijani writer and lawyer Ikram Abdullayev; representative of the Youth Assistance Foundation Eldar Karimov; and Bakhtiyar Vahabzade's grandson Chingiz Sadigov delivered speeches during the event.

In his speech, Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er noted that this anniversary is an important opportunity to once again express respect for the spirit and legacy of the great poet, who holds a unique place in the literary, cultural and intellectual history of the Turkic World, and enriched its literary and philosophical heritage with his profound thoughts. He underlined that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade was a great son of the Turkic World, who embodied in his works dedication to the ideals of freedom, national spirit and unity, and the ideology of independence, and whose poetry became the voice of truth and conscience, instilling courage, pride, and hope in hearts during difficult periods of history.

Emphasizing that Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s creativity reminds us of how literature and culture are powerful bridges of unity, the Secretary General also noted that the great poet served as a parliamentarian for his people, alongside his valuable contributions to the literature of the Turkic World with his pen, as well as his scientific and pedagogical activities. He stated that the celebration of such anniversaries is also of great significance in terms of strengthening common identity, deepening cultural ties, and conveying wisdom, ideas, and thoughts to the younger generation.

In conclusion, the Secretary General expressed confidence that the immortal works of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade will continue to inspire our peoples and contribute to the strengthening of Turkic unity.

The participants of the event emphasized the role of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s creativity in the development and promotion of values such as love for the homeland and native language, dedication to moral principles, and unshakable faith in the brotherhood of Turkic peoples. Friends of the poet and participants personally acquainted with him shared warm memories of their time with him and highlighted that the poet’s creativity and the uniqueness of his personality are highly valued throughout the Turkic World.

As part of the event, the participants visited the House-Museum of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, as well as the Sheki Khans’ Palace. At the House-Museum, they became acquainted with the poet’s personal belongings, manuscripts, photographs, and rich literary heritage that reflect his life and creative path.

The event concluded with a flower-laying ceremony at the monument of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade in Sheki.

The 100th anniversary of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade is being celebrated with events organized in accordance with the relevant Order signed by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on 21 February 2025. The reunion of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade’s friends was organized to contribute to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the great poet of the Turkic World and within the framework of promoting cultural cooperation and strengthening spiritual ties among the Turkic states.