Turkic art, especially music, has historically been valued not only as a form of entertainment, but also as one of the main pillars of aesthetic thought, identity building and cultural stability. According to this cultural function of music, various Turkic tribes have succeeded in creating their own unique musical traditions and passing on their universal Turkic cultural codes from generation to generation. For this reason, the systematic study and preservation of traditional music is of strategic importance for the entire Turkic world. These words were told by Professor Erhan Ozden, Rector of Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts, during his speech at the 1^st International Turkic World Traditional Music and Cultural Identity Symposium.

In his speech he noted that the Turkic peoples had placed great value on artistic creativity, especially music, throughout history. He added that music was not only a field of art, but also an important carrier of the identity that the Turkish nation had formed over the centuries. Despite the spread of Turkic communities across various geographical areas, a shared sense of music and the reflection of “Turkic consciousness” in music had played an important role in preserving cultural integrity.

Professor Erhan Ozden noted that the symposium provided an opportunity to discuss the cultural heritage of the Turkic peoples at a scientific level and said that such events provide direction for future research on the common artistic heritage.

He expressed his gratitude to the Institute of Folklore of ANAS and everyone who contributed to the organization of the event and noted his belief that the symposium would contribute to a deeper study of the musical culture of the Turkic world.