NEWS

Armenian director Jivan Avetisyan`s film “Gate to Heaven”, about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, has been pulled from the competition program of the 42nd Moscow International Film Festival after Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Culture appealed to the festival organizers.

At the same time, “The fisherman`s daughter”, a film by Azerbaijani director Ismail Safarli, will be featured in the main competition program of the festival.

Shusha Branch of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum began its activity on May 19, 1987 in Shusha in an 18th-century mansion owned by General Samad Bey Mehmandarov. Because of the occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, the exhibits in the branch that could be transported were evacuated and brought to Baku. Since then, the rescued objects have been preserved, stored, and exhibited at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

World-renowned singer and composer of Azerbaijani origin Sami Yusuf has expressed his support for the Azerbaijani army amid ongoing clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia in a fresh wave of escalation of the decades-long conflict.

"My thoughts and prayers are with Azerbaijan," Yusuf twitted.

Armenia launched a massive provocation against Azerbaijan along the line of contact on Sunday, which led to military and civilian casualties, prompting a severe counter-offensive from Azerbaijan.

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has issued a statement condemning the new act of aggression by Armenia against Azerbaijan.

The Foundation expressed its strong condemnation of Armenia's violation of the ceasefire on September 27, the military provocations committed in the historical lands of Azerbaijan, destruction and desecration of the cultural heritage, including historical and religious monuments by Armenia and its policy of aggression aimed at the regularly shelling of civilians.

It emphasized the importance of the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories and ensuring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation also expressed its support for Azerbaijan's just policy for its ancient lands, calling the world community to respond adequately to Armenia's aggressive policy.

On September 24, 1870, among the higher education institutions of Europe, for the first time in the Budapest University of Hungary the Department of Turkology was established. In this regard, on September 24 of this year an international videoconference under the motto "The Present and Future of Turkology" dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the creation of this department was held.

Opening the conference, the chairman of the Georg Hazai Foundation, Cecilia Hazai, noted that well-known representatives of the Turkic World, international experts and scientists are taking part in the event. She emphasized the importance of the activities of the first department of Turkology in the preservation of the rich culture of the Turkic peoples. Cecilia Hazai spoke about the development of Turkology in various European countries, about the need to attract young people to this area on an international scale and also noted the importance of carrying out work to familiarize the peoples of Europe with the spiritual and cultural values of the Turkic World.

President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva addressed the conference.

In her speech, Gunay Afandiyeva stressed that the creation of the first department of Turkology in Hungary is an important event that left a significant mark on the life and the development of science and culture of both Hungarians and Turkic-speaking peoples. She said that for 150 years the Department of Turkology at the University of Budapest has created research areas that have contributed to the development of the science in the international arena and has also nurtured famous Turkologists.

During the meeting, Afandiyeva spoke about the activities of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, conferences and seminars organized abroad, and also highlighted new events in the framework of the preservation and promotion of the heritage and culture of the Turkic-speaking peoples in the world.

Noting that Hungary is an observer country of the organization, the President of the Foundation spoke about the planned joint programs and projects for further development of relations.

In conclusion, Gunay Afandiyeva noted that the Hungarian and Turkic-speaking peoples have common roots, a rich cultural heritage and spoke about the importance of carrying out necessary work to preserve this rich heritage and pass it on to future generations.

The Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies and the head of the Department of Turkic Studies at Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest Benedek Pèri;

Professor of the Vienna University Claudia Römer; Professor of the University of Birmingham Rhoads Murphy; Professor of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice Elisabetta Ragagnin; professor and chair of the Department of Kazakh Language and Turkic Studies at Nazarbayev University Uli Schamiloglu; teacher of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature of the University of Istanbul Mücahit Kacar, and many other scientists, who participated in the event, discussed prospect for further development of Turkology.

Azerbaijan`s young singer Urfan Jafarov has won the prestigious International Online Vocal Competition “The Song”.

He was the best in the Academic singing nomination.

Austrian authorities are canceling the 2021 Vienna Opera Ball in February, a high society highlight, because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to The National Herald.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told the Austria Press Agency that the ball is a “flagship” for Vienna and for Austria as a cultural nation but that it would be “irresponsible” to press ahead as usual.

Austria, like many other European countries, has seen a resurgence of new infections recently and has tightened some restrictions on public life.

Culture minister Andrea Mayer said the Opera Ball requires extensive planning and authorities can’t assume at the moment that a relaxed event with 7,000 people dancing will be feasible on Feb. 11.

But she said the decision doesn’t affect operas and concerts in Vienna, which are going ahead with hygiene precautions.

"The International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation conducted research on the destruction of historical, cultural and religious monuments of Azerbaijan in the regions occupied by Armenia, and we plan to present them in the near future," said president of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva as she addressed a meeting in a video format of the Coordination Committee of the Cooperation Organizations of Turkic-Speaking States.

The conference was also attended by the Secretary General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev, Secretary General of TURKPA Altynbek Mamayusupov, Secretary General of TURKSOY Dusen Kasseinov, and President of Turkic Academy Darkhan Kydyrali.

The meeting discussed issues related to the activities of international organizations during the pandemic, ensuring coordination between Turkic Cooperation Organizations, programs and projects planned for 2020 and subsequent years, as well as other issues.

Speaking at the meeting, Gunay Afandiyeva noted the events organized during the pandemic to study, protect and promote the Turkic cultural heritage on an international scale, and also informed about future plans of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

Pointing to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Gunay Afandiyeva expressed concern about the repeated violations of the ceasefire regime by Armenia on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border. She noted that in connection with the events that took place in July this year as a result of Armenia's aggressive policy, the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation made an immediate statement.

The meeting ended with an exchange of views between the heads of the Turkic Cooperation Organizations.

The 3rd Regional Conference of the European Association for Cranio Maxillo Facial Surgery (EACMFS) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2023.

Baku was granted the right to host the event after high-level representatives (from 42 countries) of the Association`s Board voted in an online event.

Azerbaijan`s Chingiz Rahimov was elected the Association`s regional representative for Eastern Europe.

EACMFS was established in 1970 by a group of innovative European surgeons who were keen to advance the specialty. The organization works to promote cranio-maxillo-facial surgery in theory and practice.

A new building of Children’s Art School No.3 named after Gulara Aliyeva has today been inaugurated in Bulbula settlement, Surakhani district, Baku. First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva attended the event. First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva was informed that the school was established in 1935 under the music society. As the two-storey school building was unfit, the new three-storey building was constructed by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The building has 25 classrooms, dance and painting rooms, a conference hall, a library, teachers’ room and a canteen. The school currently enrolls 493 students who are served by 110 teachers.