The renowned Turkish historian Zeki Velidi Togan stated that the first Turk fed by a female gray wolf was born in the foothills of the Tengri Mountains. The so-called Ergenekon Legend which is thought to have been created by the Göktürks could indeed be interpreted as an explanation for the springing forth and spreading of the entire Turkish civilization.
Turks possess one of the oldest cultures and civilizations in the world. It is hard to precisely specify the beginning of Turkish history. There is a high probability that the oldest culture of Central Asia the so-called Anav Culture which was unearthed at the end of toilsome archaeological and anthropological research and has a history that goes back to 4000 B.C. has ties to proto-Turks. As we move forward into the more recent millennia of history we more clearly see the linkage between the cultures of Kelteminar and Afenesavo (3000 B.C.) Andronova (1700 B.C.) Karasuk (1200 B.C.) Tagar and Tashtyk (700 B.C.) and proto-Turks. There is plenty of scientific evidence proving this linkage most notably among archaeological findings obtained from the Pazyryk and Issyk mounds.

In the meantime research carried out over the last several years supports the argument that the Scythian civilization that emerged in the eighth century B.C. was a Turkish empire. There is not much doubt among historians about the Turkish nature of the Great Hun Empire which ruled between 318 B.C. and 216 A.D. as well as that of its predecessor proto-Huns whose presence was confirmed by Chinese sources. The Great Hun Empire the Western Hun Empire and especially the European Huns were examined comprehensively by Western historians. There are not many people who do not know the story of the Great Hun Emperor Mete Khan (Oghuz Khan according to Turkish epics) and the glorious Turkish Khan Atilla. European Huns changed the course of world history as a result of the Germanic Migrations.

The best-known part of the Turkish history can be traced back to the Göktürks. It was the Göktürks who first used the word "Turk" in the official name of their state. The second to do so was Kemal Atatürk who proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. One can hear Bilge Khan calling out as in the well-known Göktürk Inscriptions "Oh race of Turks. If the sky above did not collapse and the earth did not give way oh noble race who would be able to destroy your nation and institutions?"

Following the Göktürks were the Uyghurs who presented the best examples of Turkish sedentary culture; the Kyrgyz Qarluks Turgish Tatars and other Turkish tribes of Central Asia; the Khazars who turned their country into an attractive center of trade; the Bulgars who shaped today's Eastern Europe; and then the Oghuz Avars the Pechenegs and the Qumans. They all took their places in Turkish history one after another.

Throughout history Turks founded a total of 113 states 16 of which are deemed to be large. These states and empires came to dominate large sections of world geography at different times in history. The Legend of Oghuz Khan is a monumental work on the idea of state in Turks and the image of the heroic "alp" who accomplished great conquests. This extraordinary talent for organizing and molding states is unprecedented as compared to other world nations throughout history.