Magtymguly, who dedicated his talent to serving enduring universal values, is one of the significant figures in the spiritual and intellectual global processes. The great Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Pyragy dreamed of building a secular, jural and democratic state for the Turkmen people. After Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen people chose the path of neutrality rooted in their centuries-old traditions and way of life as the foundations of the domestic and foreign policies. The policy of neutrality of Turkmenistan is characterised by such principles as good neighbourliness, mutual understanding, peacefulness, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, non-participation in military alliances and blocs and resolution of international issues through political and diplomatic means. After Turkmenistan gained independence, the Turkmen people chose the policy of permanent positive neutrality as the basis of the domestic and foreign policies. This policy underlies national development, and its practice over the years of independence has convincingly shown the full conformity of the Turkmen model of neutrality to the long-term national interests.
Today, Magtymguly is considered the father of Turkmen literature and a nationally recognised cultural icon. His renown largely persists through the rich, ingrained tradition among Turkmen bards, or baghshi of transforming his poetry into songs. Magtymguly’s image and biography that served as a continual source of inspiration and pride for his people played a constitutive role in modern Turkmen history, providing a poetic vision of united Turkmenistan. The interest in the literary legacy of the outstanding poet is growing among citizens of our country. The studies on Magtymguly’s works, translated into dozens of foreign languages, are conducted in the poet’s homeland and beyond. Turkmenistan’s initiative to declare 2024 the Year of Magtymguly Pyragy, the great poet and thinker of the Turkic world to mark the 300th birth anniversary of the great master of the word was supported unanimously at the meeting of the Permanent Council of the International Organization of Turkish Culture (TURKSOY), which was held in Bursa, the Republic of Turkey. Magtymguly Pyragy is recognised widely as a personality and a thinker who made a great contribution to the treasury of universal values. Today, the Turkmen poet is known all over the world, and his creative activity is of huge importance for enriching the spiritual world of humanity. Today, the philosophical ideas and creative activity of the outstanding philosopher and poet, based on such lofty humanitarian principles as peace, kindness, unity and justice, are studied thoroughly as a universal value.
