UN Alliance of Civilizations Group of Friends meets in New York — Anadolu Agency
A high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of the UN Alliance of Civilizations was held in New York, United States, with the participation of representatives of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and the International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY. The meeting was chaired by Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the UN Alliance of Civilizations High Representative, Anadolu Agency reports.
Meeting participants
The meeting was addressed by Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Levent Gümrükçü, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev, Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev, and Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to the UN Vepa Hajiyev.
Gümrükçü, who represented Türkiye as a co-sponsor of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, said that cultural diversity should be viewed as a source of strength rather than a threat. He also stressed the importance of dialogue among civilizations amid growing intolerance and polarization.
Cultural diplomacy and dialogue
Sultan Raev described cultural diplomacy as one of the powerful tools of preventive diplomacy. According to him, wars, forced migration, hate speech, and social polarization make protecting cultural heritage and building mutual trust between societies particularly important.
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Raev said that every war destroys not only human lives but also the memory of cities, sacred sites, historical artifacts, and the heritage of civilizations accumulated by generations. He also said that the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine serves as a reminder of humanity’s shared responsibility to protect human lives and cultural heritage.
The TURKSOY secretary general noted that the organization has worked for more than 30 years to preserve, support, and promote the shared cultural heritage of Turkic peoples. He expressed readiness to share its cultural diplomacy experience with the UN Alliance of Civilizations, including in youth exchanges, cultural dialogue programs, literary and artistic events, the protection of shared heritage, and preventive diplomacy through culture.
Yalchin Rafiyev noted that the seventh World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, scheduled to take place in Baku on October 27–29, will contribute to the Alliance’s work. Yerzhan Ashikbayev stressed the need to strengthen interfaith harmony, while Vepa Hajiyev emphasized the role of dialogue, mutual respect, and adherence to international law in preventing conflicts.
