Elevate the steppe: how Ankara celebrated the anniversary of Olzhas Suleimenov

A Tribute to the Poet at TÜRKSOY Headquarters

The event commenced at the TÜRKSOY Headquarters with the national anthems of Kazakhstan and Türkiye, followed by the screening of a documentary highlighting the life and literary legacy of Olzhas Suleimenov. The first day's program also included a visit to an exhibition and a scholarly panel discussion.

Welcoming the participants, Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TÜRKSOY, noted that Suleimenov’s poetry conveys fundamental ideals such as historical memory, justice, and human dignity. “It was Olzhas Omarovich who succeeded in elevating the steppe without diminishing the grandeur of the mountains,” he emphasized. According to Raev, the poet’s name will endure not only in Kazakh literature but also in the shared spiritual heritage of the entire Turkic world.

The academic panel brought together distinguished public figures and scholars. Representing Türkiye were Musa Kazım Arıcan, Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University (ASBÜ); Muhammet Enes Kala, Chairman of the Turkish Writers’ Union (TYB); Reşide Yüksel, Deputy Chair of the Justice and Development Party’s Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) for Relations with Turkic States and an ethnic Kazakh; and Cemile Kınacı Baran, Professor at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.

The Kazakh delegation included Dinara Izanova, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Türkiye; Nyshankul Karatayeva, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to TÜRKSOY; renowned poets and members of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan Bizhan Kalmaganbetov, Merei Kart, and Marzhan Yershu; Umitkhan Munalbayeva, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, and Director of the Kazakhstan Research Institute of Culture – UNESCO Centre for the Rapprochement of Cultures; public figure, scholar, and educator Yerbolat Aliyadinuly; Amanzhol Kalysh, Professor at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University; as well as scholars and invited guests.

Professor Musa Kazım Arıcan, Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University, recited a poem dedicated to Olzhas Suleimenov entitled “The Inner Voice of the Steppe.”

Professor Dr. Muhammet Enes Kala, Chairman of the Turkish Writers’ Union, noted that Suleimenov’s worldview is defined by the universal triad of memory, justice, and humanity. In his view, the poet’s work is deeply rooted in fundamental historical research. He emphasized that Suleimenov transformed poetry into a vehicle for cultural revival, closely connected with the cultural heritage of the Turkic world.

The presentation by Fuzuli Majidli, Counsellor at the Embassy of Azerbaijan, also attracted considerable interest. He highlighted the significance of Suleimenov’s literary legacy in Azerbaijan, where the poet has been honored with the country's prestigious Dostlug (Friendship), Shohrat (Glory), and Sharaf (Honor) orders.

Dinara Izanova, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Türkiye, described the celebrant as “a giant and an architect of Turkic unity.”

Other representatives from Kazakhstan, including Bizhan Kalmaganbetov, Amanzhol Kalysh, Merei Kart, Marzhan Yershu, Umitkhan Munalbayeva, and Yerbolat Aliyadinuly, also delivered remarks during the event.

At the conclusion of the session, on behalf of Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Chairman of the Management Board – Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, I presented commemorative gifts bearing the university’s official insignia to Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TÜRKSOY, and other international colleagues.

The Olzhas Suleimenov Study

The second day of the forum took place at the Turkish Writers’ Union and was marked by the opening of the Olzhas Suleimenov Study. The ceremony brought together not only distinguished guests but also young researchers—master’s and doctoral students from the Faculty of History of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, who are currently undertaking academic internships in Türkiye.

As a contribution to the newly established study, representatives of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University presented scholarly monographs authored by leading researchers of the Research Institute of Turkology and Altaic Studies at the university, including publications by Academician Zhanseit K. Tuimebayev.

Muhammet Enes Kala, Chairman of the Turkish Writers’ Union, presented a Turkish-language collection of Olzhas Suleimenov’s poetry and announced that the poet had been awarded Honorary Membership in the Union.

The concluding session was held at Ankara Social Sciences University, where a special photo exhibition dedicated to the life and literary legacy of Olzhas Suleimenov had been organized to mark the occasion.

The plenary session in the university’s main assembly hall was opened by Professor Musa Kazım Arıcan, Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University. It is worth noting that the rector of the Turkish university and Zhanseit K. Tuimebayev, Rector of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, have maintained longstanding academic and professional ties dating back to Tuimebayev’s tenure as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Türkiye from 2010 to 2016.