Culture Ministers Of Turkish Speaking Countries To Convene In Turkey

ANKARA - Culture ministers of 14 Turkish speaking countries will gather in Turkish capital Ankara on May 27th for the 24th meeting of the Permanent Council of Joint Administration of Turkic Culture & Art (TURKSOY).
TURKSOY is an international organization of Turkish peoples sharing common language and culture, said Firat Purtas, deputy director-general of the organization.
"We can describe TURKSOY as the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) of the Turkic world," Purtas told a press conference on Friday.
TURKSOY member countries are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Gagavuz Yeri of Moldova and some autonomous republics of the Russian Federation such as Altay, Tatar, Yakut, Tiva Hakas and Bashkir autonomous republics participate in its activities as observers.
Turkish Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay will preside the two-day meeting of culture ministers in Ankara. Visiting ministers will also meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan.
(TÇ-MS)