The Assurance of Our Future Lies in Our Rooted Bonds: A Day of Remembrance for History and Ancestors
Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University held a remembrance program, on the occasion of 100th anniversary of Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region and November 7-8 Day of Remembrance History and Ancestors at the Ata-Beyit National History and Memorial Complex on November 12, 2024.
To this special and meaningful program, which was held for the second time by Manas University: The Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic Gulbara Abdykadirova, the Chairman of the National Language Commission under the Presidency of the Kyrgyz Republic Nazarkul Ishekeev, the Director of the Ata-Beyit National History and Memorial Complex Bolot Abdyrahmanov, the Rector of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan, the Deputy Rector Prof. Dr. Almaz Ibrayev, the Vice-Rectors Prof. Dr. Recai Doğan and Prof. Dr. Kamalbek Karımşakov, the Rector’s Advisors Prof. Dr. Kemal Polat and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seyil Najimudinova, as well as academic and administrative staff, students, and members of the press participated.
A Message of Unity and Brotherhood at the Ata-Beyit
The remembrance ceremony held at Ata-Beyit National History and Memorial Complex, took place in a emotional and magnificent atmosphere.
Participants walked to the Ata-Beyit Monument, carrying flags of Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, photos of victims of oppression and banners reflecting historical awareness. This meaningful march not only symbolizes the friendship and brotherhood between the Kyrgyz and Turkish peoples but also reinforces the shared values between the two countries.
After the march, flowers were laid at the graves of Cengiz Aytmatov and the victims of the oppressive regime of 1938. The Manas University family recited the Mevlid-i Serif with prayers, and on this special day, they commemorated the heroes whose legacy has been passed down to eternity with mercy.
The remembrance program continued with recitation of the national anthems of the two countries and opening speeches.
“If you don’t have a past to remember, then you will become mankurt.”
Deputy Rector Prof. Dr. Almaz Ibrayev stated in his opening speech that Manas University held a special event, “Today, we commemorate the contributions to the formation for our nation and state and the victims of oppressive regime who dedicated their lives, wisdom, strength and labor to future generations. Our duty is to commemorate them with respect and recite the Qur’an for their souls,” he stated.
Deputy Rector Prof. Dr. Ibrayev, emphasizing the importance of history, mentioned the 100th anniversary of Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region: “With the support of our leading intellectuals, the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region was established on November 7, 1924. Our ancestors, intellectuals, overcame great difficulties to reach these days and struggled to establish a state.”
Continuing his speech, Prof. Dr. Ibrayev emphasized that history should not be forgotten, “If you don’t have a past to remember, then you will become mankurt. We should never become mankurts. We should be proud of our centuries-old history. Our ancestors left us a legacy of statehood and rooted culture. We need to pass these down to the future generations as a trust,” he said. Prof Dr. Ibrayev, alongside the education at higher education institutions, pointed out that its necessary to hold such events to form history awareness. At the end of his speech, he thanked Rector Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan and the university community for their contributions to organizing this event.
In the Shadow of the Ata-Beyit Memorial
Afterwards, Rector of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan went up to the rostrum and stated that students of Manas University are intelligent and hardworking and that he’s proud of their success. Prof. Dr. Ceylan said, “We are proud of our students’ success. It’s a source of pride to see them stand out as individuals, not only because of their intelligents, work ethic and determinations, but also their morals, history and commitment to their culture.
Rector Prof. Dr. Ceylan pointed out the importance of gratitude towards the past and the struggle of independence, “Today here in the shadow of the Ata-Beyit Memorial, we gather in the spiritual presence of our ancestors, commemorating them with gratitude and once again expressing our determination to carry on their ideals. On the occasion of History and Ancestors Remembrance Day, we commemorate the saintly souls who left this struggle as a legacy with resistance against occupation, independence against captivity, showing the will to exist despite exile and genocide, and the life-and-death struggle they fought for future generations,” he stated.
Prof. Dr. Ceylan stated that the Ürkün Incident reveals the bloodstained face of the occupation by Tsarist Russia and Soviet era, saying, “this tragic event which happend in 1916-1917 left indelible marks on Kyrgyz people’s minds. In Ürkün, thousands of Kyrgyz left their home to protect their lands, lost their lives on the road of exile. This tragedy is not only significant for Kyrgyz people but also holds great meaning for all the Turkic world.”
Our Deep-Rooted Bonds are the Assurance of Our Future
Prof. Dr. Ceylan stated that Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, two brotherly and friendly countries, have stood side by side during difficult times throughtout history. “Our deep-rooted history and enduring bonds compel us to act together in times of both joy and sorrow. We have overcome every obstacle and difficulty in history through solidarity. Here, we declare the importance of our brotherhood bond, which will carry our respect for our ancestors and guide us towards a brighter future once again. We believe that this bond, which has woven our past stitch by stitch, will also be the guarantee of our unity and solidarity in the future,” he said
Our University Carries the Shared Ideas of Two Brotherly Countries’ into the Future
Rector Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan gathered the young Kyrgyz and Turkish people and stated that he had united them around a shared ideal. “The fruit of the friendship between the two countries has brought Kyrgyz and Turkish people together, preparing them to unite under the same ideal horizon for the Turkic century. We do our part to carry the trust of our heroic ancestors and pass it on to future generations. We have sworn to preserve our values, including culture, language, history, and shared ideals, forever,” he said, and continued: “As Aytmatov said in his works, we do not want our youth to become mankurts. As Mustafa Kemal Atatürk referred to generations becoming “free in thought, free in conscience, and free in knowledge,” and when necessary, by saying “either independence or death,” we want them to stand tall against occupations and imperialism. We want the Turkic world to become the center of art, culture, and science globally,” he said.
Rector Prof. Dr. Ceylan concluded his speech saying, “I hope that the Remembrance Day of History and Ancestors will become a day of brotherhood and unity for all the Turkic world, as we honor our saintly ancestors with mercy. May they rest in peace. The friendship and brotherhood between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan may continue forever.”
The Remembrance Program continued with an open lecture at the Ata-Beyit National History and Memorial Complex delivered by Prof. Dr. Kubatbek Tabaldiyev, a faculty member of the History Department at the Faculty of Literature, Manas University.
Prof. Dr. Kubatbek Tabaldiyev stated that Kyrgyz history is home to many unforgettable events, one of them is the Çon-Taş incidents of 1938, and he made evaluations regarding the significance and meaning of the day. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Kubatbek Tabaldiyev emphasized the crucial role of oral history and mentioned that the discovery of Ata-Beyit, made possible through the information left by Bübüyra Kidiralieva, is the best example of this.
The Remembrance Ceremony concluded with a group photo session.
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