The life, customs and roots of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and Anatolia is set to be broadcast in a new weekly television series. Produced by state broadcaster Azerbaijan Television (AzTV), each week ‘The Turkic World’ will feature the rich culture, history, traditions and landmarks of the different Turkic speaking peoples: the Turks, Kazakhs, […]
An innovative new forum organised by Turkey’s Meteorology Department brought together representatives from eight Turkic states, so they can collaborate better to combat common problems, such as climate change. The inaugural Turkish World Meteorology Forum was hosted in Ankara on 19 Feb. 2021 by Bekir Pakdemirli, the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister. The event was attended […]
Celebrities have waded in to the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict by publicly siding with one of the two warring factions. Mesut Özil, his ex-Arsenal teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan and reality TV star Kim Kardashian West have all issued statements on the dispute, which centres on Azerbaijan’s fight to liberate part of its territory. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as […]
China’s policy of repression against the Uyghurs continues, and finally the problem is on the global agenda. On May 27, the US Congress overwhelmingly passed the Uighur Human Rights Act to counter Beijing’s brutal oppression of Uyghurs and other national and religious minorities in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and elsewhere. Ahead of the vote […]
The appalling treatment of the Uyghur people in China has been receiving much more media coverage of late, but while awareness is growing, little has been achieved by way of ending their brutal oppression. As evidence increasingly shows, the Chinese state has embarked on a massive programme to eliminate the cultural and national identity of […]
Every 21stMarch, people living in Anatolia, Central and South East Asia celebrate the arrival of Spring, called “Nevruz” by the Turks and “Newroz” by the Kurds. The word Nevruz is derived from the Farsi word for “new day”. It transcends faiths and ethnicities, as people from Iran to India greet the Spring Equinox. “Nevruz” is […]
If you have an interest in the history and heritage of Turkic peoples, then this new book is for you! Edited by Razia Sultanova and Megan Rancier, Turkic Soundscapes From Shamanic Voices to Hip-Hop is the culmination of a long-running project exploring the story of Turkic peoples around the world through music and the […]
On this day, March 21st, each year Turks, Kurds, Iranians, and many other people across central Asia celebrate their traditional New Year. This centuries-old festival centres around the northern hemisphere’s Spring Equinox, marking the start of a new calendar year when spring breathes new life into nature, and the region enjoys far more sunlight. […]
As Eurovisions go, it appeared that Australia (yes, we know it’s not in Europe) had it sown up this year. Way out in front with votes from the juries of the participating countries, we were looking at a comprehensive Aussie win. Though Ukraine was picking up a few 12 points, Australia was more consistent with […]
Now it’s getting tasty! The line-up for Eurovision 2016 is complete with the second semi-final revealing which countries are now locked in for the final this Saturday. I wonder how Russia (the favourites, remember), feel about Ukraine getting through with ‘1944’? This controversial song references the Tatar deportation by Stalin in 1944 and the song […]
