The traditionalist event – Kurultaj – was held with the participation of 27 nations in Bugac (Hungary) between August 9 and 11. At the invitation of the organizers – the Hungarian–Turan Fund – the leaders of several organizations active in the Turkic world, paid a visit to Hungary. Among them were Kubanychbek Omuraliev, the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Sultan Raev, the Secretary General of TURKSOY, Shahin Mustafayev, the President of the Turkic Academy, as well as Mehmet Süreyya Er, the President of TURKPA.
In harmony with the traditions of Kurultaj, the participants paid their first visit to the National Assembly of Hungary. The opening of Kurultaj was held here where Sándor Lezsák, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and the chief patron of the event, and the Speaker of the Assembly László Kövér welcomed the guests of the 19th Kurultaj on behalf of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The meeting was addressed by Sándor Lezsák, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, the leaders of the Turkic organizations, as well as the members of parliament and officials of the Turkic countries. In his opening remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized that Kurultaj is a European holiday that shares and renews the thousand-year old Oriental values of people’s democracy. It has found a home in Bugac with its historical past, – Bugac “the place of pilgrimage of people with the Hun–Turk mindset.“ Kurultaj has not only a past but a vision for the future too. It has been the common holiday of young traditionalists and families for a long time, said Sándor Lezsák. He stressed that the mindset of being relatives is a “common national currency” that strengthens the economic, social, cultural and sports relations.
Kubanychbek Omuraliev pointed out that Kurultaj brings together the representatives of the Turkic world, the people with a Hun–Turkic mindset who celebrate in Bugac the common past and recall their common traditions. However, they would also like to build relations among others in the economy, education, trade and transport. The Secretary General highlighted the invaluable role that Hungary plays as an observer. With its institutions in the heart of Europe, Hungary lends an impetus to the activities of the OTS. Kubanychbek Omuraliev reminded the participants that the OTS strives to develop the cooperation among the member and observes states in various fields. Its objective is that the OTS states should be able to jointly develop and rely on their collective strengths in order to face the common challenges.
Speaking about the ancient values of the people with a Hun–Turkic mindset, Shahin Mustafayev, the President of the Turkic Academy, said that preserving the traditions and joining forces enhance the feeling of security. He added that the common future is being built on several platforms. For example, at the centenary of the birth of Sándor Petőfi the translations of the poems of the Hungarian poet were published in several Turkic languages.
Anthropologist András Zsolt Bíró, the chief organizer of Kurultaj, underlined that the Hungarian traditionalists have brought to life a holiday that the Hungarian people may have been waiting for – perhaps – for centuries. By today, this initiative has become so prominent that all the peoples with a Hun and Turkic mindset are represented in Bugac.
In her welcoming remarks in Bugac, Boglárka Illés emphasized that in order to grow up to the future we must know our past, especially today when we live in times that are forming the world. The state secretary for developing bilateral relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) stressed that without having a glimpse at the past, we will be lost in the present, and will hardly be able to understand the future. As she put it, one of the most important goals of Kurultaj is to preserve our traditions. The event in Bugac presents the rich cultural heritage of the Hungarians and their Eastern relatives, including the nomadic way of life on horseback, martial art, folk music and dances.
Boglárka Illés pointed out that these traditions offer not only entertainment but form the foundations of our identity as well. They provide the present generation and future generations with an opportunity to learn the way of life, the culture and the values of their ancestors, and respect them. The state secretary called Kurultaj a unique event where the nations with a Hun and Turkic mindset can meet and share their cultures. She said it was an honor for the MFAT to be able to participate in organizing Kurultaj, as well as in building international relations
