Organized by Kastamonu University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures, the conference titled ‘The Road to the Republic: The Case of Turkey and Kazakhstan from Historical Perspective’ was held on 17 October 2024 at the Central Library Sezai Karakoç Hall.
Our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, delegations from the Mangıstav Region of Kazakhstan and Karaganda Buketov University, as well as the academic staff and students of our University, attended the conference, which was attended by Janbırbay Mataev, Speaker of the Assembly of the Mangıstav Region of Kazakhstan.
The conference started with the singing of the National Anthem of Kazakhstan and the National Anthem. The opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Orhan Söylemez, Head of the Department of Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures.
In his speech on the historical development of Kazakhstan, Janbırbay Mataev, Chairman of the Assembly of the Mangıstav Region of Kazakhstan, drew attention to the common historical values of the two countries. Stating that Turkey and Kazakhstan have many common denominators throughout history, he emphasized the importance of these strong cultural and historical ties. He also talked about the critical periods that both countries faced during their independence processes.
In his speech, Mataev emphasized the need to strengthen academic and cultural cooperation between Turkey and Kazakhstan and stated that new collaborations between Kastamonu University and universities in Kazakhstan will create various opportunities in terms of academic and scientific projects. The conference shed light on the independence stories of the two countries by addressing the republicanisation processes of Turkey and Kazakhstan from a historical perspective. Janbırbay Mataev stated that as Mangıstav Region, the cooperation with Turkey will continue and such events will further strengthen the relations between the two countries.
At the end of the event, our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal pointed out the importance of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and stated that the historical ties between Turkey and Kazakhstan will be further strengthened through cooperation in the academic field. While expressing that our university is ready to provide all kinds of support in developing relations with universities in Kazakhstan and contributing to scientific projects, he thanked the participants and thanked Janbırbay Mataev, Chairman of the Assembly of the Mangıstav Region of Kazakhstan, for his speech.
The event ended after the presentation of gifts and a collective photo shoot.
