A poetry festival reflecting the literary heritage and creative traditions of Azerbaijan and Iraqi Turkmen was organized at the "Salam" indoor stadium in Tel Afar by the Eurasian International Development Association (EIDA) and the Tel Afar City Municipality in Iraq.
At the opening of the festival, representatives of the Office of the Prime Minister of Iraq, the mayor of Tel Afar, representatives of diplomatic missions present in Iraq, among others, delivered speeches.
The event began with presentations by local and Azerbaijani researchers on the shared values, examples, and figures in the oral and written folk literature and poetic history of Iraqi Turkmen and Azerbaijan. The speeches highlighted the shared creative works preserved over the centuries, the spiritual values, traditions, and humanist ideals reflected in these examples, as well as the importance of preserving Turkish and Muslim identity. It was noted that this shared culture demonstrates the common historical memory of Azerbaijanis and Iraqi Turkmen.
Representing Azerbaijan were poet Kamal Huseynzade, researcher Natig Rahimov, Orkhan Isayev from the Institute of Linguistics at the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, and others. Renowned poet Riza Colakoglu and poet and writer Abdullah Salah Kirkuklu from Iraq also participated. Following their speeches, they presented numerous examples of poetry from both historical and contemporary poets of Iraqi Turkmen and Azerbaijan.
After the festival, an anthology of poems by Azerbaijani and Iraqi Turkmen poets, published at the initiative and organization of EIDA, was distributed to the participants.
As the event continued, celebrations of the ancient tradition of Khidr Ilyas, a festive holiday of the Azerbaijani and Iraqi Turkmen, were organized with the support of the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office. The celebration included performances of folk dances by Azerbaijani and Iraqi Turkmen. The inhabitants of Tel Afar, as well as the heads of Turkmen ashirats (tribes) in the region, participated in the event.
It should be noted that for several years, various events aimed at preserving the Turkmen cultural heritage in Iraq have been carried out with the support of EIDA.
