Along with Gunay Afandiyeva, speakers in the Forum included governor of Moldova’s Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia Irina Vlah, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Japarova, representative of the Diyarbakir Mothers organization Aishegul Bicher.
In her speech, president of the Foundation stressed that the organization of such forums and conferences is very important for attracting international attention to global issues as peace and trust in the world, and thanked the organizers of the event. Noting that holding such meetings was impossible for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Afandiyeva assessed the organization of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum as one of the next successes of fraternal Turkey.
President of the Foundation stressed that since ancient times, women have been considered a symbol of peace and harmony, keepers of the hearth.
Gunay Afandiyeva added that the topic of gender equality, which remains relevant today, has been present in the Turkic traditions and Turkic-Islamic culture for a long time. Citing an example from the epic "Dede Korkut", she emphasized that since ancient times it embodied the image of a heroic woman of the Turkic world. In her speech, president of the Foundation said that over the entire period of the rich history of the Turkic peoples, women have always shown special intelligence and skill in diplomatic matters. Noting that Sarah Khatun, the mother of the ruler of Akkoyunlu Uzun Hasan, is considered the first woman diplomat in the Eastern world, as well as a woman who for many years, through wise diplomacy and peace was able to resolve disputes between the Ottoman sultan Fatih Mehmet II and Uzun Hasan.
Gunay Afandiyeva emphasized that the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva is a vivid example of a woman of the Turkic world in the modern world and spoke about her merits. She also noted that the projects implemented on the initiative and under the leadership of Mehriban Aliyeva have gained great prestige both within the country and in the international arena.
Speaking about the activities of the organization she heads, Gunay Afandiyeva said that the Foundation also implements activities in the field of culture, science and social development of women, as well as their education and identification of creative potential. She noted that in this direction, under the project "Poetesses of the Turkic World", the Foundation published the book “Anthology of Poetry by Women in Azerbaijan” in various foreign languages.
Gunay Afandiyeva stressed that the expansion of the role of women in society at the national, regional and global levels will increase the importance of universal values. She noted that the heavy burden of global terrorism, ethnic conflicts, civil wars and economic crises primarily falls on the shoulders of women and children.
She said that during the 44-day fair struggle for the liberation of the historical and ancient lands of Azerbaijan - Karabakh and the surrounding areas, as a result of provocative terrorist acts committed by Armenia in the Azerbaijani territories located many miles from the war zone, hundreds of innocent people were killed, settlements, cultural and religious monuments were destroyed.
President of the Foundation stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to prevent such tragedies, paying special attention to the role of women in this context and their direct participation in peacekeeping processes.
Addressing young people, she touched upon the significance of their education, as well as familiarization with the national and world culture.
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