A special forum titled “Chinghiz Aitmatov, The Future of the Turkic World” will be held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the renowned author Chinghiz Aitmatov's death.
The forum will bring together scholars, politicians and admirers from Türkiye and other Turkic states. It will open on June 10 at the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences and continue on June 11 at Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University (KTMÜ).
Among the key participants is professor Ilyas Topsakal, vice chairperson of Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and president of the newly established Chinghiz Aitmatov Institute. The institute, founded in Ankara this February under the auspices of MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, aims to preserve and promote Turkic cultural heritage for future generations.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency (AA), Topsakal said the visit to Kyrgyzstan is intended both for official meetings and participation in the commemorative events for Aytmatov.
The first memorial event will take place on June 10 at the Ata-Beyit National Historical and Memorial Complex – known as the "fathers' graves" – where Aytmatov and his father are buried.
Topsakal highlighted the symbolic importance of holding the institute’s first major event in Bishkek, emphasizing that the forum scheduled for June 10-11 reflects a broader vision for the future of the Turkic world.
Topsakal noted that the Chinghiz Aitmatov Institute’s work in Bishkek is of particular importance. He emphasized that the forum will bring together many distinguished figures from the fields of science, arts and business across the Turkic world, contributing to a shared vision for the region’s future.
“This is not only about commemorating a great thinker on the anniversary of his death,” he said. “It is also about advancing the principles he advocated concerning the future of the Turkic world.”
Chinghiz Aitmatov was born on Dec. 12, 1928, in the village of Sheker, in the Talas region of Kyrgyzstan. In May 2008, while in Kazan – the capital of Tatarstan – for the filming of a documentary by a Russian television channel, Aytmatov fell ill. He passed away on June 10, 2008, in Germany, where he had been taken for treatment.
