A team consisting of Rector of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil and faculty members from our university participated in the “Ahilik on the Path of Hoca Ahmet Yesevi” program held in Turkistan from April 1–3, 2026, taking part in this significant event that revisited the deep-rooted values of Turkic-Islamic civilization.

Starting on April 1, 2026 in Turkistan—one of Kazakhstan’s cultural and spiritual capitals—the program brought together high-level government officials from Turkey and Kazakhstan, as well as leading figures from the academic world. The event was attended by Deputy Chairman of the AK Party and Member of Parliament for Ankara Prof. Dr. Kürşat Zorlu, Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Turkey Mahmut Gürcan, and Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Astana Mustafa Kapucu. The program highlighted the significance of the Yesevi and Ahilik traditions within today’s social structure and economic order. Additionally, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hoca Ahmet Yesevi International Turk-Kazakh University Muhittin Şimşek, and Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Turkistan Levent Gürcan were among the participants.

Assistant Professor and Director of the KAEU Center for Research and Application of Ahilik Culture Dr. Tahsin Hazırbulan; Director of the Abay Center for Kazakh Culture Research Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Kabaday, Assistant Professor and Director of the Fatma Bacı Center for Women’s Studies Dr. Suzan Yıldırı, and A. İstemi Saylam, each presented a paper at the symposium, highlighting the connection between the Ahilik culture and the Yesevi culture.

Government officials speaking at the event highlighted the Ahi tradition’s role in strengthening commercial ethics and its contributions to economic development, while emphasizing that participation at the ambassadorial level provides a significant foundation for the goals of cultural integration and strategic cooperation within the Turkic world. Academics, meanwhile, evaluated through scientific approaches how Hoca Ahmet Yesevi’s wisdom-based system of thought was transformed into an institutional social order and professional ethics in Anatolia under the leadership of Ahi Evran. The “Ahilik on the Path of Hoca Ahmet Yesevi” symposium brought the deep-rooted values stretching from Turkistan to Anatolia back into the spotlight, making the contemporary reflections of our shared cultural heritage visible.

The screening of the film “The Siege of Şet,” produced under the direction of Dr. Ali Mazak and focusing on Ahilik rituals, was presented to the guests. Exhibition and stand launches were held with the participation of high-ranking government officials, academics, and students. Additionally, Ahilik-style pilaf, halva, and sherbet prepared by our university’s chef were served to the attendees.

Kırşehir Ahi Evran University’s active participation in such international events has once again demonstrated the university’s mission to preserve the Ahi tradition and pass it on to future generations.