Days of Turkish Culture kicks off in Baku
By Amina Nazarli
The grandiose opening of the Days of Turkish Culture was held in the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku on November 22.
On this occasion, a delegation of famous Turkish artists headed by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister, Omer Celik, has arrived in Azerbaijan.
The event was attended by many influential public figures, representatives of art and culture, diplomatic missions and international organizations.
Addressing the event, both Azerbaijani and Turkish ministers underlined the development and cooperation level between two sides in the field of policy, economy and culture.
Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev noted that the Days of Turkish Culture are being held for the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan.
“The two countries' leaders have friendship relations. Our countries are determined to strengthen the Turkic world," he said. "Days of Turkish Culture being held in Azerbaijan is a significant event which will give a fresh impetus to the development of cultural relations between our countries and will allow to get acquainted with Turkish culture.”
Garayev also talked about the programs, which will be held during the Culture Days.
“During the week, we will see a big cultural program. It covers a wide range of fields: cinema, theater, dance, exhibitions and concerts. We had a fruitful meeting with Omer Celik. We came to the decision to form a working group that will deal with the implementation of various projects, programming in the sphere of culture and tourism. We know each other well, so we will continue to develop our ties through various cultural programs and activities.”
The Azerbaijani minister also talked about the Days of Azerbaijani Culture, which were held in Turkey saying the event rose great interest in Azerbaijan's culture and art.
Celik expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality of Azerbaijan.
“We always remember the great words of Heydar Aliyev "One nation - two states", which has been and continues to be a symbol of the Turkic world, a symbol of friendship and cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan. In fraternal Azerbaijan, we feel like at home. We have common language, history, religion and vision for the future. We can say that there are no such issues on which we could not come to a common agreement. Culture Days - a good excuse to get acquainted with the brotherly people,” he said.
The minister underlined the beauty of Azerbaijan. “I have no doubt that the Days of Culture will become a major cultural event in the life of Azerbaijan. As part of the joint committees on culture and tourism, we will meet regularly to discuss the implementation and the challenges ahead. We must remember and appreciate our common past and cherish our heritage and our fraternal ties.”
Following, the guests watched a film about development of relations between the two countries.
The viewers also enjoyed a colorful concert program by Istanbul historical and musical folklore group, the National Folk Dance Ensemble, Orchestr of Folk Instruments, Turkish group "Sema", well-known performers Nilgyun Kyzylcha and Zafer Albayrak as well as Azerbaijan honored artist Azerin.
As part of the Culture Days, some concerts and photo, art and crafts exhibitions will also be held. Turkish films and theater productions are also included in the program.
The Days of Culture will run till November 27.
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