Attending North America’s largest Turkish competition celebrating nation’s heritage, Türkiye’s ambassador to the US highlighted the potential for such occasions to foster cultural change.
“I hope such activities can facilitate interaction, not only between and among the Turkish community, but between the Turkish community and the larger American society,” Sedat Onal stated on the ongoing three-day Turkish Festival that started on Friday.
Onal highlighted the present “promising stage” in Türkiye-US relations, which features a multifaceted “rising trend” in commerce, cultural change, and political ties.
He stated that “one of the most important and strong parts of our relationship is people-to-people contacts,” which occasions just like the Turkish Festival promote.
“I think such activities like this help us increase bonds of friendship, cooperation, empathy, and understanding between the Turkish community and the larger American society,” he stated, vowing to proceed supporting such actions.
– A gathering of communities
The occasion opened Friday on the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, setting the tone for a weekend of music, meals, artwork, and cultural change. More than 200 cubicles line the competition grounds, providing Turkish delicacies, artisanal works, and conventional crafts comparable to calligraphy, paper marbling (ebru), illumination (tezhip), and ceramics.
Onal additionally emphasised that the competition serves as a platform for “our broad vision of the Turkish community,” bringing collectively Azerbaijanis, Central Asian Turkic diasporas, and native Muslim teams.
Khazar Ibrahim, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the US, used the same tone, saying: “We are together not only in Türkiye, not only in Azerbaijan, but also in different geographies, in America, in Chicago.”
Noting that the Azerbaijani American Community of Illinois has additionally arrange a stand on the occasion, Ibrahim stated it “makes me very proud that the Turkish community and the Azerbaijani community are here together.”
“Of course, Azerbaijan and Türkiye are ‘one nation, two states,’ and we always stand by each other. But this place is something different — this is Chicago, right in the heart of America,” he added.
– From southeastern Türkiye to US
Mehmet Kasim Gulpinar, mayor of Sanliurfa, a metropolis in southeastern Türkiye famed for its culinary heritage, emphasised the importance of the venue.
“For us, Chicago is practically on the other side of the world, so to see such a carefully prepared event here, drawing great interest from both Turkish citizens and foreigners, is truly meaningful,” he stated.
“We are very pleased to be here. Urfa is, of course, very important to us, and in recent years the city’s remarkable richness has started to come to light.”
Highlighting Sanliurfa’s rising fame as a meals tourism vacation spot, he added: “Gastronomy has increasingly become an essential part of tourism, and Urfa has always taken pride in its offerings in this area. So, we’re especially pleased to see that being showcased here — even if just a small part — because Urfa has an incredibly rich culinary heritage.”
– Sharing heritage, constructing understanding
Mehmet Gulluoglu, vice chairman of the Turkish Green Crescent, an anti-addiction group, informed Anadolu that such occasions are “incredibly important because, in truth, we don’t know each other well enough—people around the world do not know one another well enough.”
Gulluoglu, who has additionally served as Türkiye’s ambassador to Tanzania, spoke on the competition about Türkiye’s peace diplomacy and outreach. “Here, on behalf of the Green Crescent, we’re also distributing our publications on addiction prevention to both Turkish citizens and international visitors,” he stated.
“We have such a vast and rich civilization to share — from our cuisine to our folk dances, from the legacies of the Ottoman and Seljuk eras to the heritage of the Republic of Türkiye, including our history and archaeology. There is so much we can tell the world. But it’s only valuable if we actually share it. If we don’t, we remain a hidden treasure, closed off from others.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr