TÜRKSOY holds “Danaker” conference for Kyrgyz scholar Abdyldajan Akmataliyev's 70th birthday

On 27 October, TÜRKSOY hosted an international conference in Ankara for the 70th birthday of Prof. Abdyldajan Akmataliyev, the Kyrgyz scholar known for his work on the Manas epic and Chingiz Aitmatov. It was titled “Symbol of Unity of the Turkic World: DANAKER”.

The opening featured a photo and book exhibition of his scholarship and a screening of the documentary “Danaker of the Turkic World”. Speakers included Prof. İlyas Topsakal, head of the Cengiz Aytmatov Institute, Marat Tagaev, Kyrgyzstan's representative to TÜRKSOY, and Nurzina Isaeva, head of the Aytmatov Research Center under the Kyrgyz Presidency.

They highlighted his forty years of research, the 33-volume history, encyclopedia and anthology of Turkic world literature he coordinated, and his role in the Turkish edition of the Manas epic. Isaeva said he is also preparing multilingual encyclopedias for Aitmatov's 100th anniversary in 2028.

Explaining the word “Danaker”, a TÜRKSOY representative described it as a man who gathers the scattered and unites the hearts of peoples. The conference closed with certificates of appreciation.