Existing relations between the Ministry of National Education and the International Turkic Academic were assessed and new cooperation opportunities were discussed during the meeting organized at the MEB Tevfik İleri Conference Hall.

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer expressed his happiness to carry out projects with the International Turkic Academy in the order to reinforce brotherhood between Turkic peoples who share common language, history and culture and went on to say that, "I hope that education and training activities carried out by the Turkic Academy will provide our youths the opportunity to know each other better and establish cultural ties."

Common Turkic history, literature and geography classes for the establishment of collective consciousness

Minister Özer noted that related departments of the Ministry have been  providing coordinated contribution to the preparation of Turkic history, literature and geography text books which will be published in order to establish collective consciousness adding that, ""Common Turkic History, Turkic World Geography and Common Turkic Literature classes are included to the education program as elective courses in secondary education institutions and these classes became a part of education program of 9th, 10th and 11th grades in 2022-2023 school year. Our Ministry successfully hosted the Common TextBook Workshop between May 16 and 18, 2022 in İstanbul. Related commissions made up of experts from participating countries have approved the textbooks at the end of the workshop. Then, education ministers of member countries signed the protocol concerning the approval of common text books during the International Turkic Academy Science Council Meeting on June 24, 2022 in Nur-Sultan."

Turkish speaking countries will give a stronger message to the world

"I think this move aiming at developing cooperation in education between friend and sister countries is very important. Common textbooks provide Turkish speaking countries the opportunity to give a stronger message to the world," said Özer.

Minister Özer expressed his excitement to hear that complex honoring Göktürk ruler Ilteriş Qaghan were found in the Ötüken region of Mongolia and said that this discovery is considered as the third important finding about Göktürk Empire and it is a milestone for the history of Turkic world.

Strong language will serve for the cultural integrity

Stressing that a common conscience will be established when these studies disseminate in the education system, Özer said, "Language is the carrier of culture and geography; geographic and cultural integrity will be maintained quickly as soon as we reinforce language."

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Turkic Academy Fuzuli Mecidli expressed his happiness to see the support of the Ministry of National Education and including Turkic history, literature and geography classes as an elective course to the education program.

"This project about common classes will build a common consciousness. Foundation of integration begins with common ground and this common ground will be established at schools," Mecidli noted.

Deputy Minister Petek Aşkar, Director General for EU and Foreign Affairs Hasan Ünsal, Deputy Chairman of the Turkic Academy Fuzuli Mecidli, Mongolia's Science Academy Archeology Institute Middle Age Archeological Research Department Chief  Enkhtur Altangerel, Academy experts Dinmuhammed Ametbek and Napil Bazılhan were present at the meeting.