Türk Eğitim-Sen aims to build a common future in education with "Turkic World Education Congress"

ANKARA - The "Turkic World Education Congress", organized by Türk Eğitim-Sen and the International Union of Eurasian Education Unions (UAESEB) in Ankara between 1-5 September 2025, aims to create common identity and strategies by emphasizing the importance of education in the future of the Turkic world. The congress aims to bring together education stakeholders in the region and strengthen historical and cultural ties through education.

High Attendance and Important Names

In addition to Türk Eğitim-Sen and UAESEB President Talip Geylan, important names such as MHP Vice Presidents Yaşar Yıldırım and Prof. Dr. İlyas Topsakal, President of the Turkish Language Institution Prof. Dr. Osman Mert, President of Yunus Emre Institute Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Aliy attended the assembly. In addition, union presidents, academics and educators from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania and Cyprus took part in the congress. This wide participation demonstrated the importance that the Turkic world attaches to cooperation in the field of education.

Geylan's Opening Speech: "The Turkish Century will be Built with Education"

Giving the opening speech of the assembly, President Talip Geylan stated that this meeting is the strongest indicator of the will to build the vision of the "Turkish Century" through education. Geylan referred to İsmail Gaspıralı's motto "Unity in language, in thought, in work" and stated that education is vital for the survival and cultural continuity of a nation.

Emphasizing that Turkish states rose in the past thanks to the importance they attached to education, Geylan said, "There is no unity without education, and there is no future without unity." He also said that the Turkic world has entered a period of rise again and that the most important pillar of the 2040 vision of the Organization of Turkic States is education.

Panels and Commission Work

Several sessions were organized at the congress to reinforce common policies and cooperation in education. In the opening session titled "Education Vision in the Turkic Century", issues such as the future of education in the Turkic World and Azerbaijan-Turkey education cooperation were discussed.

In-depth discussions were also held in three different panels:

• "Common Curriculum and Cooperation in Education in the Turkic World" panel discussed common textbooks, language policies and teacher exchange programs.

• Common distance education platforms and digital literacy issues were discussed in the panel "Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence in Education".

• "The Future of Education Unions in the Turkic World and Rights-Based Struggle" panel discussed the personal rights of education workers and international trade union cooperation.

In addition to the panels, the congress aimed to take concrete steps with the workshops on "Common History Writing in the Turkic World" and "Creating a Common Curriculum in the Turkic World".