The truest guide is science and knowledge

Perhaps one of the most significant reasons for the crisis of our age is our growing detachment from the act of literacy. As digital technologies have integrated into every aspect of life, they have begun to distance people from books, writing, and drawing. With television, computers, and smartphones, we have acquired the skill to manage life without writing or reading. However, unfortunately, our losses have outweighed our gains.

Writing is important for a person to express themselves and leave a lasting mark on history. Writing is necessary for cultural structuring and for ensuring integrity between past and future generations. Today, when we embark on a journey through history, we see that societies that kept written records have taken their place in history as nations, while those that did not write have either been completely erased from history or have never been able to become a nation. A homeland can be acquired and made into a nation by fighting and winning victories, but as long as we do not write, we cannot become a nation that walks confidently into the future on those lands.

Reading is the same. A human is, at their core, a social being. What makes them social is sharing feelings, thoughts, and knowledge with other people living in the same environment, the same society, the same country, and the same world. For this, one must read. As we read, we understand ourselves and others, we can empathize with others, and we can share. The most important reflection of the chaos humanity is experiencing today is alienation. People are in a state of serious indifference regarding their own realities, the society they live in, and the world. As the tendency to worship material things increases, human values decrease. Unfortunately, the capitalist system has dragged people into such chaos. The most effective way to get rid of this is to read. It is time to make peace again with novels, poetry, stories, and books of thought. We must reckon with our essence before humanity slips away from us entirely. As our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, "If I had not read books, I could not have done any of these things." How beautifully he said it. Even at the front, our Leader, who read books at every opportunity, said the following to his aides one day before the Great Offensive: "Do you know, I started reading Reşat Nuri Güntekin's novel 'Çalıkuşu' last night. I liked it very much. How beautifully he describes the long-neglected Anatolia and the difficulties experienced by a young female teacher. When I finish it, I will give it to İsmet. Then you all read it too."

Because Atatürk knew that even if it is possible to lift a nation up by winning victories on the front, taking it forward and making it exist forever is possible only with the light of science and the power of knowledge. I was thinking about these things while walking around the stands at the Book Festival held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on December 19. Azerbaijan, which gained its independence 30 years ago, is in a process of rapid development and growth. It is known how advanced Azerbaijan is in literature and art. We know that world-renowned poets, writers, musicians, and painters have been raised there. However, now Azerbaijan is trying to develop and establish all this artistic, cultural, and intellectual treasure it possesses within a more systematic process on the axis of national consciousness. I witnessed how much progress the country has made in publishing while walking around the book stands. On one hand, there is a significant amount of intellectual production within the country, and on the other, the works of important writers and scientists who have gained worldwide fame are being translated.

One of the aspects of the Book Festival that impressed me the most was the great interest students showed in books. Teachers did not hesitate at all; they brought their students to the exhibition hall in groups, and they were walking around the stands together. Not only that, but the country's leading writers, intellectuals, poets, and even prominent names in politics, members of parliament, and ministers were there with the same empathy to carry out the opening of the festival. With this togetherness, with this integrated spirit and emotional structure, I think Azerbaijan will be one of the prominent countries in the world in the near future. Because they read, and they believe in the importance of education.

Azerbaijani children and young people are eager to read. I had the opportunity to talk to a few of them while walking around the stands. When I asked them what books they were reading, they named many authors from world classics. I was truly impressed. If one wants to, it can be done. Digital technologies, smartphones, etc., cannot be an excuse for not reading anything. At the book festival in Baku, I witnessed the children's love for books and the young people's enthusiasm for books. The important thing is that children and young people are guided correctly. I also emphasized these points in the opening speech I made at the festival. Being involved in such a meaningful organization with the invitation of the Ministry of Culture and sharing the enthusiasm of my Azerbaijani brothers and sisters was a great opportunity and happiness for me as well.