From the 3^rd to 6^th of July in 2026 “World Garapapag Turks Scientific Seminar” and the “Ashiqs’ Festival Dedicated to Ashiq Alasgar and Ashiq Shenlik” were held in Kars, Türkiye, organized by the World Garapapag Turks Foundation. Dedicated to the shared history and cultural heritage of the Turkic world, the seminar brought together scholars, researchers, ashiqs and cultural figures from Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Kazakhstan. Among the participants were representatives of the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS): PhD in Philology, Associate Professor Shabnam Mammadova, and PhD in Philology, Associate Professor Ilhama Gasabova.

During the seminar, presentations were delivered on the history, folklore, language, culture, and social life of the Garapapag Turks, followed by scholarly discussions. The participants mentioned the importance of studying, preserving and transmitting the common cultural heritage of the Turkic world to future generations.

As part of the event, a comprehensive volume dedicated to the history and cultural heritage of the Garapapak Turks was presented. Associate Professor Ilhama Gasabova, the author of the chapters “Traditions and Customs among the Karapapak Turks” (Chapter IV) and “Traditional Games and Entertainment Culture of the Karapapak Turks” (Chapter VIII), addressed the audience during the book presentation.

In her speech Ilhama Gasabova noted that the modern era was characterized as the age of information and digital technologies. Concluding her remarks, she highly praised the academic leadership and organizational efforts of Professor Ali Kafkasyali in the preparation of the fundamental publication and expressed her gratitude for his confidence in the contributors and for his valuable services to the study of the cultural heritage of the Turkic world.

Within the framework of the “Ashiqs’ Festival Dedicated to Ashiq Alasgar and Ashiq Shenlik”, the memory of the distinguished ashiqs of the Turkic world was honored. Ashiqs performed traditional saz melodies and presented various examples of folk creativity.

The international scientific seminar held in Kars made the significant contribution to the study and preservation of the shared historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic world, the expansion of scholarly cooperation and the strengthening of cultural ties.