Prof. Selim Argun, President of the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), attended the panel titled “Culture and Art in the Turkic World: From Tradition to the Future”, held as part of the “Turkic World Dialogue Forum” organised by the Directorate of Communications in Ankara.
Speaking at the opening of the panel, YEE President Prof. Selim Argun stated that the Turkic world represented a vast historical heritage shaped over centuries within a shared sphere of unity, culture and civilisation, and that culture and art were the most important means of preserving and transmitting this heritage.
Noting that culture and art were among the fundamental pillars of the Turkic World Vision 2040 document, Argun described culture as the strongest foundation upon which societies come together, shared memories are built, and bonds of affection are strengthened and take root.
“We are members of a great family of more than 300 million people, whose history stretches back to the name of the Turkic nation carved into stone in Orkhon. Today, we are collectively witnessing a shared awakening and revival across the Turkic world,” Argun said.
Emphasising that preserving culture meant carrying it into the future as a living, dynamic and constantly evolving set of values, Argun said, “We must remember the past without imitating it, and embrace change without becoming alienated from our own identity.”
“Expanding our cultural industries worldwide must be our primary objective”
Argun stated that YEE was working to introduce all aspects of the Turkish language and culture to cultures around the world through its activities in 71 countries and 95 cities. He noted that the Institute had taught Türkiye Turkish to 8,000 people at its cultural centres across six countries in the Turkic world, while approximately 25,000 people from the Turkic world had taken the Turkish Proficiency Exam and received certificates.
Underscoring the need for Turkic states to focus on a common language and cultural communication, Argun said, “The agreement reached on a common Turkic alphabet consisting of 34 letters marks a historic milestone. This is not merely a matter of an alphabet; it is a major achievement that will enable us all to read and share one another’s works, ideas and artistic expressions directly.”
Argun stated that, alongside a common language, there was also a need for a shared digital cultural space, emphasising that the Turkic world should produce animated films, historical television series and digital games.
Highlighting the importance of transforming cultural heritage into joint production and a shared economy, Argun said, “Combining our values and strengths to produce works together, enabling our artists’ works to reach international audiences, creating works with global appeal and expanding our cultural industries worldwide must be among our most fundamental and pressing priorities.”