The Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY), Mr. Sultan Raev, who paid an official visit to Hungary between June 12–16, participated in the book launch of “Hungarian Turkologists – A Biographical Encyclopedia” where he also made some remarks. The event, organized jointly by the Department of Linguistics and Literature of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), the Scientific Committee of Orientalism of the MTA, the Representation Office of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest, the Liszt Institute (the Hungarian Cultural Center in Istanbul), the Chair of Turkish Philology of the Faculty of Arts of ELTE University, as well as the Chair of Altai Studies of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Szeged, was held in the Headquarters of the MTA.
Delivering the opening remarks at the event, H.E. Ambassador János Hóvári, the Executive Head of the Representation Office of the Organization of Turkic States emphasized: an exceptional and extremely serious publication has been issued which was accomplished in the cooperation of TÜRKSOY, the Embassy of Hungary in Ankara and the Liszt Institute (the Hungarian Cultural Center in Istanbul). We are pleased that this unique work, which is a “gap-filler” in its own field, can be presented to the community of Turkologists. “It is exceptionally important that the volume that we can hold in our hands today was published at the 190th anniversary of the birth of the great Hungarian scientist, traveler and Turkologist, Ármin Vámbéry.” His lifework is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Turkology,” underlined the Head of the Representation Office.
In his remarks, Sultan Raev pointed out that TÜRKSOY organizes numerous events both in its member countries and the important cultural and art centers of the states where their relatives and peoples related to them live. “I am delighted and proud that I can present to you this comprehensive encyclopedia which is the first of its kind on the history of Turkology in Hungary. I avail myself of this opportunity to pay homage to all the participants.” The Secretary General of TÜRKSOY stressed that he wished that this meeting should be fruitful since it was organized to present this pioneering work and also commemorate the most outstanding Turkologists of Hungary, a country the people of which have a strong historical and cultural bond with the Turkic speaking people. ‘I would like to express my sincere thanks to Director Gábor Fodor, the editor of this volume, produced with so much fatigue and so many efforts, as well the authors who are present here today. I also owe gratitude to my good friends, Ambassador Viktor Mátis to Ankara, as well as Ambassador János Hóvári, for their contribution without which this work could not have reached the students of Turkology and Altai Studies in Hungary, and also to you present here today. I am delighted to say that in the recent years the cooperation between TÜRKSOY and Hungary that cultivates multifaceted and close relations with the Turkic world has strengthened and assumed an institutional character. I believe that in such a way, with our joint work in the field of culture, we are able to make significant contribution to bringing our peoples closer to one another.”
The authors and the editors pointed out that their objective with the publication was to commemorate the “Founding Fathers” and their representatives today. The ones who have already passed away, the ones who were born after the First World War within the boundaries of Hungary that existed before 1920 when the Trianon Peace Treaty was signed. From the point of view of international Turkology, these personalities were not only highly eminent but made efforts to indentify all the researchers who would carry on with this tradition, beginning with professor’s assistants to full professors.
While presenting the volume, Géza Dávid, Mária Ivanics and István Vásáry emphasized that this work, which will, hopefully, considerably contribute to the development of Turkology in the Turkic world, will serve as a beacon in future research into the Turkish language, literature, culture and art, and will create new opportunities for cooperation between Hungary and TÜRKSOY. The speakers expressed their thanks to Düsen Kaseinov, the Secretary General of TÜRKSOY who left his post last March for his work dedicated to publishing this volume. He made tremendous efforts so that the book could eventually be published.
