With both the Ilxan Sultan Qasım-ulı and the Keņesbaşı Nuraslan Näzbek-ulı unable to attend the funeral of the late Pope John XXIII, Turkestan was nonetheless unwilling to remain unrepresented at such a great and solemn event.

In one of her first outings abroad in such a role, the Ilxan's daughter Läylä Sultan-qızı headed the Turkestani delegation to Rome.  She and her delegation will remain in the city for both the funeral and the Conclave, after which most of the political delegation will return to Buxara.  Läylä and her husband Muşır Davud-ulı, however, will remain in Rome through the Christmas period.