Chyngyz Aitmatov as an Actor in Cultural Diplomacy of the Turkic World

Chyngyz Aitmatov is a world-renowned Kyrgyz writer whose literary works have been translated into 186 languages, as well as a politician and diplomat. Chyngyz Aitmatov not only gained worldwide recognition for his literary works, but also carried out a diplomatic mission. He started his cultural diplomatic career as soon as he wrote his first literary work and spread it to the public. He emphasized the prominent themes of his works and promoted the ideology of peace, harmony, and unity. Each of his translations, the awards he received in other countries, the honors attributed to him were important parts of creating a picture of Aitmatov in the world. The aim of the study is to analyze Chyngyz Aitmatov as a cultural diplomacy actor of the Turkic world. Descriptive document analysis technique was used to analyze the data obtained. As a result of the research, Aitmatov confirms his role as an actor in cultural diplomacy not only through his diplomatic activities, but also through his literary works, translations, awards received around the world, and places named after him.

Keyword: global recognition; public diplomacy; soft power; diplomatic career; cultural bridge; translation; cultural diplomacy; turkic world; diplomatic relations; intercultural communication; Chyngyz Aitmatov