Monuments dedicated to prominent Kazakh national figures, poets, and writers, including Abai Kunanbayuly, Ablai Khan, Suyinbay Aronuly, Zhambyl Zhabayev, Magzhan Zhumabayev, Kabambai Batyr, and many others, have been erected throughout the Republic of Türkiye.
Since 1996, a secondary school named after Abai Kunanbayuly has been operating in the Sultangazi district of Istanbul, while another school bearing his name has been functioning in the Zeytinburnu district since 2003. In 2020, a primary school named after Al-Farabi was opened in Erzurum Province, and a secondary school named after Al-Farabi was established in Muş Province.
Cooperation between the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan and the Eurasian Writers’ Association of Türkiye continues to develop dynamically. To date, with the support of the Turkish side, the works of more than 100 Kazakh poets and writers have been translated into Turkish.
Cooperation in the field of education is an important component of cultural and humanitarian relations between Kazakhstan and Türkiye. To date, nearly 2,500 Kazakh students have graduated from leading Turkish universities and are contributing to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries. According to the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Türkiye, approximately 14,000 Kazakh students are enrolled in Turkish higher education institutions during the 2025–2026 academic year.
The International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, established in Turkistan under the Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Türkiye, continues to operate successfully. The university also has branches in Almaty, Shymkent, and Kentau.
Another indication of the growing cultural ties between the two countries is the increasing number of sister-city partnerships, including Istanbul–Astana, Ankara–Astana, Almaty–Istanbul, Antalya–Taldykorgan, Pavlodar–Kayseri, Aktau–Samsun, and Shymkent–Izmir.
Bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Türkiye in the healthcare sector has been developing actively. In particular, from 2023 to 2026, 153 Kazakh doctors participated in professional exchange and training programs at leading public and private medical institutions in Türkiye at the initiative of the Consulate General.
The primary objective of the program is to enhance the professional qualifications of medical specialists, introduce advanced technologies into Kazakhstan’s healthcare system, and strengthen long-term cooperation in the healthcare sector.
Group 1 (2023): 13 doctors from East Kazakhstan Region completed training at Medipol Healthcare Group.
Group 2 (2023): 15 doctors from Zhetysu Region completed training at MLPCare Medical Park.
Group 3 (2023): 10 doctors from Ulytau Region completed training at Bülent Ecevit University Hospital.
Group 4 (2024): 5 doctors and 5 nurses from Shymkent completed training at Johns Hopkins Anadolu Medical Center.
Group 5 (2024): 15 doctors from Kyzylorda Region completed training at Memorial Healthcare Group.
Group 6 (2024): 10 doctors from Kostanay Region completed training at Biruni University Hospital.
Group 7 (2024): 8 doctors from Almaty Region completed training at Medicana Healthcare Group.
Group 8 (2025): 6 doctors from the National Children’s Rehabilitation Center of Astana completed training at NP Istanbul Brain Hospital and Romatem.
Group 9 (2025): 10 doctors from Mangystau Region completed training at Hisar Hospital Intercontinental.
Group 10 (2025): 8 doctors from the Ministry of Healthcare completed training at Medipol Healthcare Group.
Group 11 (2025): 14 doctors from the Ministry of Healthcare completed training at Kocaeli University Hospital.
Group 12 (2025): 13 doctors from the Ministry of Healthcare completed training at MLPCare Medical Park.
Group 13 (2026): 10 doctors from Abai Region completed training at Johns Hopkins Anadolu Medical Center.
Group 14 (2026): 11 doctors from Turkistan Region completed training at Trakya University Hospital.
The Studentabroad.kz project was initiated by the Consulate General to facilitate mandatory internships for third- and fourth-year Kazakh students studying in Türkiye. To date, a total of 158 Kazakh students have participated in the project.
The unique feature of the project is that students undertake internships at Turkish companies that have invested in Kazakhstan’s economy. Those who successfully demonstrate their professional competencies during the internship may be offered employment opportunities at the investors’ enterprises in Kazakhstan upon graduation.
In 2024, 41 students completed internships at TAV Airports Holding, Yıldız Holding, Çalık Holding, YDA Group, FLO, Saraylım Tarım, Dedeman, Agrobest Group, Atabay Kimya, Koruma Group, Tepe Prefabrik, Gönen Law Firm, Petronet Holding, Akdemir Global, Milat Halı, Desa Deri, BTM Group, Yeni Öztürk Kalıp, and other major companies.
In 2025, 52 students completed internships at LC Waikiki, Koton, Alarko Holding, Orzax, Makyol Group, Nobel, Enka, Akit Medya, Albayrak Group, CNN, Ege TV, Kale Seramik, Arbel Group, Betek Boya, Orkide, İzeltaş, and other leading companies.
In 2026, internships are planned for 65 students at (FLO GROUP, Orkide, Çalık Holding, Orzax, LC Waikiki, İzeltaş, Koton, TAV Airports Holding, YDA Group, Agrobest Group, Atabay Kimiya, Ülke TV, Makyol Group, Yıldız Holding(Ülker), Albayrak Group, Pladis Group)and other leading companies, under the framework of the project.
At the initiative of the Consulate General, a Dombra Club was established on 4 December 2023 at the Abai Kunanbayuly School located in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district, where a significant part of the Kazakh diaspora resides. The club has been operating successfully for three consecutive years. To date, approximately 130 participants have attended its courses.
The primary objective of the project is to promote Kazakh culture through the dombra and provide an opportunity for participants to learn and master the traditional musical instrument.
During the 2023–2024 academic year, approximately 50 citizens of Kazakhstan and Türkiye participated in the club.
During the 2024–2025 academic year, approximately 50 citizens of Kazakhstan and Türkiye participated in the club.
During the 2025–2026 academic year, approximately 30 citizens of Kazakhstan and Türkiye are attending the club.
Since 2024, at the initiative of the Consulate General, an educational and creative competition entitled “Knowing Abai” has been organized at the two secondary schools named after Abai Kunanbayuly in Istanbul’s Sultangazi and Zeytinburnu districts. The competition aims to promote and popularize the legacy of the great poet throughout Türkiye.
The competition consists of two stages. During the first stage, participants take a 40-question test based on the articles of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, entitled “Abai and Kazakhstan in the 21st Century” and “Abai – A Spiritual Reformer.” During the second stage, students who achieve the highest test scores write an essay in Turkish about Abai.
In 2024, 700 students participated in the competition, and the essays of 14 students were selected as the best.
In 2025, 325 students participated, and the essays of 16 students were selected as the best.
In addition, on 11 December 2025, within the framework of the 180th anniversary of Abai Kunanbayuly, a recitation competition of Abai’s “Words of Edification” (Kara Sozder) was held among students of grades 6–11 at the Abai Kunanbayuly Secondary School in Zeytinburnu.
In 2026, 447 students participated, and the essays of 16 students were selected as the best.
At the initiative of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Türkiye and the Consulates General in Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir, traditional sports championships are regularly organized among Kazakh students studying in Türkiye to promote a healthy lifestyle and strengthen friendship and unity among young people.
Men’s Football Championship
2022 (Ankara):
1st place – Aksaray
2nd place – Karabük
3rd place – Kayseri and Eskişehir
2023 (Istanbul):
1st place – Bartın
2nd place – Karabük
3rd place – Kayseri and Kütahya
2024 (Sakarya):
1st place – Izmir
2nd place – Istanbul
3rd place – Sakarya and Bartın
2025 (Afyonkarahisar):
1st place – Sakarya
2nd place – Istanbul
3rd place – Ankara and Eskişehir
Women’s Volleyball Championship
2024 (Istanbul):
1st place – Bartın
2nd place – Bolu
3rd place – Zonguldak
2025 (Bartın):
1st place – Eskişehir
2nd place – Bartın
3rd place – Sakarya and Bolu
2026 (Eskişehir):
1st place – Bartın
2nd place – Kütahya
3rd place – Bolu and Karabük
At the initiative of the Consulate General, systematic cooperation with media holding representatives in Istanbul continues with the aim of promoting Kazakhstan comprehensively throughout Türkiye.
As a result of these efforts, the following number of publications about Kazakhstan appeared in Turkish media outlets:
2024: 56 publications;
2025: 105 publications;
January–May 2026: 182 publications.
At the initiative of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Türkiye and the Consulates General in Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir, orientation events entitled “Welcome Day” have been organized for the second consecutive year for newly arrived Kazakh students studying in various cities and provinces of Türkiye.
The events are based on an updated 50-page Student Guide designed to facilitate students’ adaptation to their new environment. The activities are conducted by previously appointed student leaders and volunteers at universities.
Over the course of two years, a total of 833 students participated in the Welcome Day program from the following regions and cities of Türkiye: Aegean Region: (Izmir, Balıkesir, Muğla), Black Sea Region: (Bartın, Zonguldak, Trabzon, Rize, Samsun, Ordu), Marmara Region: (Bursa, Bandırma, Çanakkale, Kocaeli), Thrace Region: (Kırklareli, Tekirdağ), Central Anatolia Region: (Bilecik, Bolu, Aksaray, Sivas, Düzce), Mediterranean Region: (Antalya, Mersin and Istanbul).
In 2024, at the initiative of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Türkiye and the Consulates General in Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir, an annual patriotic video challenge dedicated to Republic Day was launched among Kazakh students studying in Türkiye.
The initiative aims to strengthen patriotism among young people, promote national values, and foster unity among Kazakh students studying abroad.
In 2024, a patriotic challenge was organized with the participation of Kazakh students studying in 23 provinces of Türkiye. The published 23 videos generated: 467,472 views, 16,691 likes, 6,098 shares, 17,657 comments;
In addition, a final video produced for Republic Day featuring the song “Kök Tudyn Zhelbiregeni” received significant public attention and accumulated: 1,085,880 views, 9,600 likes, 1,300 comments, 746 shares
In 2025, the challenge continued with the participation of students from 19 provinces of Türkiye. The published 19 videos generated: 312,643 views, 4,818 likes, 853 shares, 996 comments.
At the initiative of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Türkiye and the Consulates General in Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir, video campaigns promoting Nauryznama, a week of cultural, spiritual, and social events dedicated to the celebration of Nauryz, were organized among Kazakh students studying in Türkiye.
The initiative highlights national traditions and customs through dedicated thematic days focused on charity, culture, sports, traditional cuisine, cleanliness, unity, and national values.
As part of the 2025 Nauryznama Challenge, 11 videos filmed in various provinces of Türkiye generated: 480,058 views, 759 likes, 1,953 shares, 2,948 comments;
As part of the 2026 Nauryznama Challenge, another 11 videos filmed across different provinces of Türkiye generated: 232,387 views, 4,177 likes, 1,098 shares, 661 comments.
At the initiative of the Consulate General, a project launched in 2025 in the format of a culinary competition dedicated to preparing baursak, a traditional Kazakh pastry, continued successfully in 2026, becoming one of the notable events aimed at strengthening cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Türkiye.
2025 Competition
A total of 12 university teams participated in the inaugural event. The winners were:
1st Place: Students of Istanbul Istinye University
2nd Place: Students of Istanbul Ticaret University
3rd Place: Students of Balıkesir University
2026 Competition
A total of 9 university teams participated in the second edition of the event. The winners were:
1st Place: Students of Bursa Uludağ University and Bursa Technical University
2nd Place: Students of Dokuz Eylül University and Akdeniz University
3rd Place: Students of Istanbul Kent University, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, and Istanbul Haliç University