― 22 марта 2021 г.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey visited TURKSOY on the occasion of Nowruz

While TURKSOY had to postpone its Nowruz celebrations welcoming the arrival of spring and considered as the beginning of the year by Turkic peoples in 2020 due to the pandemic, it held an event to celebrate March 21st, the Day of Nowruz in 2021.The Minister of Culture and Turism of the Republic of Turkey Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy who visited the Headquarters of TURKSOY lit the Nowruz fire together with the Secretary General of the organization, Ambassador Kasseinov.

Minister Ersoy who was welcomed with a “Semeni” symbolizing the abundance and fertility of Nowruz, later jumped over the Nowruz fire, forged iron and tossed eggs at the celebration of Nowruz which took place in front of the organization in the presence of a limited number of attendants.
In the speech he delivered at the event, Secretary General  Dusen Kasseinov said that throughout the history of humanity, all peoples have been celebrating the arrival of spring with great joy and enthusiasm in their respective cultures.
Secretary General Kasseinov further said that Nowruz is a feast which unites the Turkic World with its common cultural values, preserves and strengthens  its  traditions and customs while fostering friendship, sharing and solidarity and stressed that this ancient tradition has been celebrated by TURKSOY in Turkey and Turkic republics since 1995 to reach out to a larger public.
Secretary General Kasseinov who reminded of the fact that the Nowruz Feast was included in the Representative List of  Intangible Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO in 2009 upon initiative of TURKSOY and its member countries added that on March 23rd, 2010, March 21st was declared International Nowruz Day by the United Nations General Assembly.
Secretary General Kasseinov also stressed that "Upon its declaration as International Nowruz Day,  March 21st we held a big event to celebrate Nowruz at the United Nations General Assembly Hall with the contribution of more than hundred artists. It is also a great source of pride for us to have celebrated Nowruz twice, both in Headquarters of the  United Nations and UNESCO as well as in major venues of Turkic Republics and of Europe, the Balkans and more than sixty cities of Turkey.”
Secretary General Kasseinov who stressed that claiming ownership of traditional  celebrations which unite Turkic peoples and preserve their common history and culture  will strengthen our unity and solidarity added that: "Of course the greatest strength and support we get in this respect undoubdtedly comes from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey and from ministries of culture of our member countries.”
Minister Ersoy who also delivered a speech said: "I wish the Turkic World a happy Nowruz. It is an important fact that Nowruz is being considered as the common feast of all peoples of the world. This means that the common culture of Turkic republics and countries of the Turkic World  is now part of and stands together with world culture. As a matter of fact, our aim is to promote events of TURKSOY all around the world  and make sure that cultural ties fostered by TURKSOY are being further strengthened every year". The event which featured a short performance of traditional dances of various regions of the Turkic World by the Turkic World Music Ensemble of Ankara was strongly appreciated by the participants.
At the end of the event, TURKSOY Secretary General Kasseinov handed over to Minister Ersoy the Medal of Abay dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the birthday of  the famous Kazak intellectual Abay Kunanbayev. As a remembrance of the day, Secretary General  Kasseinov also offered to Minister Ersoy a plate of TURKSOY along with the art album it published with the title “Reading Abay” which features maxims of the famous poet illustrated by paintings of atists of the Turkic World.
At the end of the event, guests and participants were offered Nowruz Rice which is a traditional dish of Central Asian cuisine.