On February 24, the Turkic Academy held an international workshop in Ankara, bringing together heads of history and archaeology institutes from OTS member and observer states, along with leading historians and experts, to discuss a joint academic work on Turkic history. The event was supported by the OTS Council of Elders and hosted by the Turkish Historical Society under the Atatürk Supreme Council.
The idea of writing an academic history of Turkic peoples was first proposed at the XI Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, held on November 6, 2024, in Bishkek. As mandated by the Heads of State, the Turkic Academy is responsible for coordinating this large-scale initiative.
The meeting, taking place at the Turkish Historical Society, is attended by President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States Binali Yıldırım, President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History Derya Örs and President of the Turkish Historical Society Yüksel Özgen.
Opening the session, Shahin Mustafayev expressed his gratitude to all participants for their commitment to the project and underscored the importance of collaborative efforts.
"Creating a comprehensive historical study of even a single country is a challenge. Our mission is even more ambitious—we aim to write an integrated history of a group of closely related nations and states," said Mustafayev.
In his speech, he emphasized that the first step in this endeavor is to establish the conceptual framework of the future collective monograph—one that balances academic rigor with accessibility. He stressed the importance of ensuring that the work is not only a scholarly reference but also engaging and comprehensible for a broader audience, including students and young researchers.
The collective monograph aims to highlight the key milestones in the history of the Turkic world, foster a shared historical consciousness among brotherly nations, strengthen national pride—particularly among the younger generation—and promote the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic civilization on the international stage.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President of the Turkic Academy, along with the heads of history and archaeology institutes, signed a cooperation protocol, committing to joint efforts in the creation of this landmark academic work on the history of Turkic countries.
