Ankara is chosen as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World for 2026. Mehmet Nuri Aksoy, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, shared the announcement.
The decision for the selection was made at the tenth meeting of the Ministers of Tourism of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). The members of the organisation consist of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan and Hungary hold observer status.
In his post shared on the social media platform X, Minister Ersoy said, "Ankara is one of the iconic cities that portray the collective memory of the Turkic world with its rich heritage, museums, artistic institutions, and cultural diversity."
According to Ersoy, this historic capital city at the heart of Anatolia will now serve as a cultural and touristic stage not only for Türkiye but for the entire Turkic world.
Ersoy added, "Throughout 2026, we will be exploring Ankara together and continue sharing the rich tapestry of our capital city with brotherly nations." Kyrgyzstan's city of Jalal-Abad was chosen as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World for 2025.