Today, our university hosted a new initiative – the latest session of the Academic Club. The guest of honor was Darkhan Kydyrali, a member of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees. He met with faculty members, scholars, and students, sharing his insights on the theme “The Spirit of Turkistan.”
The meeting was opened by the university rector, Zhanar Temirbekova, who noted that a roundtable on “Media and Peace Journalism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” was also taking place at the university. She emphasized that this event was organized at the initiative of Senator Darkhan Kydyrali and highlighted his significant contributions to the Turkic world. The open-format meeting was specially arranged for faculty and students unable to attend the roundtable.
In his speech, Darkhan Kydyrali said, “Visiting Turkistan is a great joy for me. I am always proud to have served at this university and to be a member of its Board of Trustees today. When the Academic Club proposed this meeting, we carefully considered the topic and chose ‘The Spirit of Turkistan’ as the core of our discussion. The concept of Turkistan, celebrated in Magzhan’s poetry and historically significant, remains highly meaningful today.”
He elaborated that Turkistan is not merely the name of a city but a symbol of a great civilization. Drawing on historical evidence, he noted that from the 6th –7th centuries, Turkistan encompassed a vast region from Kashgar to the Caspian Sea, stretching north to the Ural Mountains and south to Afghanistan.
“Turkistan” means the land of the Turks. This city is the core of Turkistan, the core of the land itself. Historically, it was called ‘Pir-Turkistan.’ Later, the term ‘Pir’ was dropped, leaving only Turkistan for the city. Turkistan is the land inhabited by the Turks in Central Asia,” he explained.
Senator Kydyrali also spoke about Turkistan’s role in shaping Turkic-Islamic civilization, highlighting historical and cultural legacies from the inscriptions of Kul Tegin, Bilge Khagan, and Tonyukuk to the spiritual and scholarly contributions of later centuries.
He emphasized, “The idea of Greater Turkistan is closely linked to Islam. Turkistan is not just a geographic term; it represents civilization and culture. Just as we speak of Western or Chinese civilization, Turkistan is the core of Turkic-Islamic civilization. The term ‘Central Asia’ is not our native concept but an external one. From a civilizational perspective, this land has historically been called Turkistan. This concept must be restored. The spirit of Turkistan is based on peace and tranquility. Turks are often seen only as warriors, but our true giants—thinkers like Farabi, Balasaguni, and Kashgari—have influenced even the European Renaissance.”
He also highlighted the importance of Turkic unity and integration, emphasizing the special role of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Akhmet Yassawi in this regard.
“If Turkistan is the core of Greater Turkistan, then the core of Turkistan is Khoja Akhmet Yassawi, the teacher who laid the foundations of Turkic-Islamic civilization. The spirit of Turkistan resides in the personality of Yassawi. Striving for goodness and following the philosophy of the heart should guide our spiritual path,” he concluded.
At the end of the meeting, participants asked questions and shared opinions. Darkhan Kydyrali donated his books, including The Philosophy of the Dot, The Root, The Trust of the Elders, and others, to the university and library collections. He also presented signed copies to students who actively participated in the event.
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