Dr. Abbas Gurbanov, PhD in History and faculty member of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at Azerbaijan University, delivered a plenary address at the 3rd International Family Symposium held in Turkey. The event took place on the Island of Democracy and Freedoms and was organized by the Istanbul Family Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey. The symposium focused on the theme: “Being a Family in the 21st Century”.

Dr. Gurbanov’s speech, titled “The family in the spirit of national and spiritual values”, was well-received and highly praised by participants. In his address, he emphasized the indispensable role of the family in society, stating: “The most vital institution for the existence and development of any society is the family. It is a sacred hearth where not only biological but also spiritual, social, and moral values are preserved. Among the centuries-old national and spiritual values of our people, the family holds a special place and significance. Historically, the Azerbaijani people have held family values in the highest regard, seeing the family as sacred and the cornerstone of society. Even today, the institution of the family plays a crucial role in safeguarding the national and spiritual heritage of our people and in maintaining intergenerational bonds. The family is the foundation of society, the primary social environment in which spirituality, culture, and national identity are preserved. However, in our time, the family as an institution is facing new challenges and threats”.

The opening ceremony was attended by key figures such as Prof. Turgay Shirin, Chair of the Symposium Organizing Committee; Uner Karabiyik, Chair of the Istanbul Family Foundation Board; Mahinur Ozdemir Goktash, Minister of Family and Social Services; Tuncay Cevheroglu, Director General at the Ministry of Family and Social Services; psychiatrist Mustafa Merter; Sami Yılmaz, Chair of the Istanbul Family Foundation's Board of Trustees; as well as invited scholars and researchers from 12 countries, NGO representatives, and numerous guests.

President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Amina Erdogan expressed their support for the symposium, while Numan Kurtulmush, the chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, also expressed his endorsement, emphasizing the significance of the event.

This year, the symposium, now in its third edition, hosted 63 scholars and researchers from 12 countries. A total of 47 academic presentations were delivered across three parallel sessions, which covered a wide range of topics, including: Family Psychology; Intergenerational Relations and the Family; Structural Transformations and the Family; National Culture and the Family; Religion and the Family; Family and Values; Psychology of Religion; Family from a Social Perspective; Socio-cultural Outlook; Migration and the Family; Family and Media.

Public Relations Department