Türkiye’s first psychocultural youth program, organized as part of Ankara’s designation as the "2026 Tourism Capital of the Turkic World" by the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), has concluded after four days of events.
The program, titled “Brotherly Capital: Common Voice, Common Spirit,” was organized by the Psychosocial Support Services Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry said the program was the first youth organization of its kind in Türkiye, built around cultural psychology and intercultural psychology approaches.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Elif Güneş, adviser to the youth and sports minister and head of the Psychosocial Support Services Department, said the friendships and bonds of brotherhood formed during the program were an important gain for the shared future of the Turkic world.
Güneş said young people are the strongest representatives of a shared spirit and common values, moving toward the future with an awareness of common history and civilization. She voiced hope that the bonds built over the four-day program would turn into lasting friendships.
The program brought together 80 young people from Türkiye, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Hungary and Mongolia.
It aimed to introduce young people from the Turkic world to historical and cultural sites while strengthening their sense of belonging, psychosocial adaptation, cultural identity awareness and bonds of brotherhood.
As part of the program, young people studying in Türkiye and staying in Ministry of Youth and Sports dormitories visited key historical, cultural and spiritual sites in Ankara, including Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara Castle, Anıtkabir and the Turkish Parliament.
They were accompanied by psychologists, social workers, spiritual advisers and guides.
Participants also attended lectures by Professor Musa Yıldız on the history of the Turkic world and by Mustafa Haşim Polat, education projects coordinator at the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), on the importance of Turkic unity and the agency.
The program ended with presentations by the young participants under the theme “My Country, My Story.” Participants also chose the common slogan: “The Turkic World Is Reborn in Unity.”
