Aziz Sanjar has been appointed as the ambassador of Turkic culture.

The event took place at the international cultural center named in his honor. It was attended by renowned scholars, politicians, and cultural figures from the USA and other countries.

The honorary title in the form of a badge was presented to the scholar by the Secretary General of TURKSOY, Sultan Raev. In recognition of this, symbolic gifts representing the unity of Turkic peoples were also presented to Aziz Sanjar. Among them are the Kyrgyz ak kalpak, the Kazakh khan's chapan, the Uzbek belt, the Azerbaijani badge "Khary-Bulbul," the Turkish cane as a symbol of aristocracy, and a collection of poems by the Turkmen poet Makhtumkuli.

He also emphasized that he considers the promotion of Turkic culture on international platforms to be his sacred mission.

The title "Cultural Ambassador of the Turkic World" was established in 2023 at the meeting of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of TURKSOY countries. It is awarded to outstanding figures in culture, art, and science to strengthen ties between peoples and promote Turkic culture globally.

It should be noted that the decision to award the title to Aziz Sanjar was made at the council meeting in Shusha (Azerbaijan) in 2023.

Aziz Sanjar, a Turkish-American biochemist, was born on September 8, 1946, in Savur (Turkey). He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Istanbul University in 1969. In 1971, he moved to the USA, where he obtained his master's degree and Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Since 1982, he has been working at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2015, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Thomas Lindahl and Paul Modrich, for their research on DNA repair mechanisms.

The "Cultural Ambassador of the Turkic World" program, initiated by TURKSOY, is a special distinction awarded by the decision of the Permanent Council of TURKSOY to outstanding figures in culture, art, sports, and science. The design of the order consists of a six-pointed star representing the founding members of TURKSOY, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey, with a sun in the center symbolizing the bright future of the Turkic world.

The creation of the order was inspired by the TURKSOY logo and is adorned with turquoise enamel. On the front side of the order is the inscription "Cultural Ambassador of the Turkic World," while the reverse features the word "Turk" written in runic script and the words of Ismail Gasprinski: "Unity in language, thought, and action."