Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

It is a pleasure to be here today as we commemorate the 584th anniversary of the birth of Nizameddin Ali-Shir Nava’i, one of the most extraordinary figures in Turkic history and culture. At the outset, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the distinguished Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for their support in realizing today’s event and their presence here. I would also like to thank the Yunus Emre Institute in Amsterdam, its Director Adil Akaltun and his staff for hosting this event.

It is another event that we are hosting and co-organizing with members of the Organisation of Turkic States.

The remarkable poet, thinker, artist, mystic and statesman Ali-Shir Nava’i was not just a literary giant of his time, but also a visionary who shaped the cultural and linguistic landscape of the Turkic world. His influence has resonated for centuries, uniting generations of Turkic peoples from Central Asia, the Uyghur lands, the Caucasus, Anatolia and beyond.

Ali-Shir Nava’i was born on 9 February 1441 in Herat and educated in Khorasan and Samarkand. He saw beauty and richness of the Turkic language - specifically the Çağatay Turkic, the literary precursor to modern Uzbek. He dedicated his life to elevating it as high culture and literature.

Through his poetic mastery, he demonstrated that Turkic was a daily language of capable of producing literature as sophisticated, profound, and elegant as any of the great classical traditions. His magnum opus, “Muhakemet'ül Lugateyn” (The Comparison of Two Languages), was a groundbreaking work that argued Turkic expressiveness and poetic potential. In his monumental work, Nava’i wrote: “The clarity of the Turkic language. There is a magic in its charm.”

Nava’i’s contributions to poetry are immense. His collection of five epic poems, the “Hamse” (Quintet), remains a cornerstone of Turkic literature. He is also notable with his collection of four lyrical poems known as “divans” and generally identified as “Hazâinü’l Maânî” (Treasury of Thoughts) where Nava’i explores themes of love, philosophy and mysticism with unparalleled depth and eloquence. His verses continue to inspire poets, musicians, and artists, reinforcing the unity of Turkic cultural expression across centuries. One of his mesnevis, “Ferhat and Şirin” is a famous love story, which lived for centuries and has become a favourite among Turkic literature, including Turkish folk literature of Anatolia.

Beyond poetry, Nava’i was also a statesman, builder and a patron of the arts, deeply involved in the cultural and intellectual life of his time. He built schools, libraries, mosques anda caravanserais, fostering an environment where knowledge and trade flourished. His legacy extends far beyond literature—it is embedded in the very soul of Turkic civilization, inspiring countless poets, writers and thinkers who followed his footsteps.

Today, as we celebrate his birth and honor his contributions, we are reminded of the enduring power of language and literature to preserve cultural heritage. Nava’i’s works continue to remind us of the richness of the Turkic languages, the beauty of our shared artistic traditions and importance of preserving and developing them for future generations.

Let us continue to celebrate our languages, literature, and shared history. And let us ensure that his legacy remains not only in books and poetry, but in the hearts and minds of all who cherish the cultural treasures of the Turkic world.

Thank you.