Young Turkmen poets awarded high honors by TÜRKSOY

The participation of our country's young poets in the 2nd International Festival of Young Poets of the Turkic World, held in the Republic of Azerbaijan on July 16–17 of this year, serves as a clear proof of this.

Organized jointly by the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY) and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, this international festival turned into a unique celebration of young poets from Turkic nations. The festival brought together young poets from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.

On July 17, 2026, the opening ceremony of the international festival took place at the Mugham Center in the city of Aghdam. TÜRKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Farid Jafarov, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union Selim Babullaoglu, Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University in Turkey Musa Kazim Arikan, Chairman of the Turkey Writers' Union Muhammet Enes Kala, and several other writers and poets delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. The young poets were also given ample opportunity to perform.

Young poets from friendly countries recited poems on various themes. The poems recited by our country's young poets Kerim Hallyyew, Garahanjar Bayhanow, and Yusup Meredow were warmly received by the audience. The verses recited by the young poets of the Turkic peoples, who share a common language, roots, and history, rang out as an ode to friendship, brotherhood, and solidarity.

The poetry evening was further enhanced by the presentation ceremony of the poetry collection titled "Mäktubdur ömrüm" by Shukhrat Arif, a poet and Chairman of the Journalists' Union of Uzbekistan, which was recently published in the Azerbaijani language.

The fact that the 2nd International Festival of Young Poets of the Turkic World coincided with the Vagif Poetry Days holds a special meaning. Molla Panah Vagif is one of the prominent representatives of classical Azerbaijani literature. As known, in June of this year, within the framework of the Culture Days of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Turkmenistan, a scientific conference dedicated to the creative legacy of the classic Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi and the 18th-century Azerbaijani poet and thinker Molla Panah Vagif was held at the State Library of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan.

Following this, an awarding ceremony was held for the participating young poets of the 2nd International Festival of Young Poets of the Turkic World. For their contribution to the development of the culture, art, and literature of the Turkic world, Kerim Hallyyew, a dance choreographer at the House of Culture of Gazojak city in Darganata etrap of Lebap velayat, and Garahanjar Bayhanow, a special correspondent for the "Güneş" magazine, were awarded the "Molla Panah Vagif" medal by TÜRKSOY.

They were announced as the winners of the festival. In addition, Yusup Meredow, a 2nd-year student specializing in Music Pedagogy at the Singing, Conducting, and Music Pedagogy Faculty of the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory, was awarded the Diploma of the TÜRKSOY international organization. Several other young poets from Turkic states were also presented with medals and diplomas at the festival.

The awards were ceremoniously presented to the winners of the international event by TÜRKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev and the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Adil Karimli.