Turkish World Met in Keçiören: The Wind of Unity and Brotherhood

Ankara / Keçiören - International Keçiören Turkish World Festival, hosted by Keçiören Municipality for the second time this year, ended with a magnificent closing program held in Kalaba City Square. The three-day event brought together guests from all over the Turkic world and the people of Keçiören in a spirit of brotherhood and unity. The feast revealed the richness of traditional Turkish culture and was highly appreciated by the participants.

Colorful Moments from the Closing Program and Intense Participation

The closing program of the festival started with the spoon throwing game, a deep-rooted Turkish tradition. Then, the impressive performances of Nogay Turks and the music and dance performances of Keçiören Municipality Conservatory artists received full marks from the audience. While the performances of conservatory artists Ozan Alver, Şef İklim Eylül İlk and Gürbüz Gözüm received great applause, the Şuşa Group, which stood out with the energy of the night, made the audience cheer.

The closing ceremony was attended by many prominent figures from politics, diplomacy and civil society. Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Dr. Zeliha Aksaz Şahbaz, IYI Party Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Özlük, Key Party Deputy Chairman Zafer Demir, IYI Party Ankara MP Yüksel Arslan, as well as many ambassadors, political party representatives, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) bureaucrats, representatives of non-governmental organizations, council members, mukhtars and thousands of citizens attended the ceremony. The program started with a moment of silence for Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms and all martyrs and the reading of the National Anthem accompanied by mehteran. Prayers were made for the heroes who were martyred in the recent forest fires by reading the Holy Quran.

Unity and Reminder Message from President Özarslan

Keçiören Mayor Dr. Mesut Özarslan started his speech by commemorating the martyrs who lost their lives in forest fires and emphasized that the feast was not just an event: "We are not just witnessing a feast here, but a meeting of people from the same heart. Today, the common conscience, common voice and common heart of the great Turkish nation, which has shaped Turkish history with its thousands of years of history, is echoing here. That first breath that came out of Ergenekon by melting the iron mountains centuries ago has become our breath today in Kalaba Square."

In his speech, Özarslan referred to historical figures such as Hoca Ahmet Yesevi, Sultan Alparslan and Fatih Sultan Mehmet and expressed the Turkish nation's commitment to the cause of unity and humanity: "The torch of independence lit in Anatolia by our Great Leader, blond-haired, blue-eyed Atatürk illuminates our path in Keçiören. We are the Turkish nation and our cause is the cause of humanity. We are a nation that turns to the same qibla from East to West, from North to South, and says 'amen' to the same prayer. Our languages may be different, our dialects may be different, but our hearts are one, our hearts are one and our cause is one." President Özarslan stated that the meeting of brothers and sisters from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Crimea, Nogay, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Uyghur lands in Keçiören is a proof that the "spirit of unity", which is a relic of history, is kept alive. "This feast is not just an event, it is also a remembrance. It is a cry out again who we are, where we come from and where we are going, our red apple."

President Özarslan also thanked TÜRKSOY for contributing to the program and said, "Let's join hands, let's walk together to our future in the footsteps of our history. Let's grow the centuries-old dream of the Turkic world together. May Turan hands exist. May God be kind to the Turk! May God bless and glorify the Turk! Happy to be a Turk!" and received great applause.

Fraternity Messages and Historical Highlights from Political Leaders

CHP Vice President Dr. Zeliha Aksaz Şahbaz expressed her pleasure to be together with the representatives of the Turkic world and said, "We are the representatives of a nation that has survived for thousands of years. Wherever we go in the world, we encounter a Turk and Turkish culture. Today, we came together to celebrate our culture, language and brotherhood. From now on, we will work to keep our brotherhood alive forever."

Bi Party Ankara MP Yüksel Arslan also said in his welcoming speech, "No one has been able to erase the name of Turk for 5 thousand years, now those who want to erase it should dig their graves. May God bless and glorify the Turk."

Keçiören Mayor Dr. Mesut Özarslan's Chief Advisor for the Turkic World Feyzullah Budak mentioned the historical power of the Turkic world and said, "The Turkic world is a powerful concept that has shaped life from history to today. This concept derives its power from its subject, the Turkish nation. We are talking about a nation that has acquired a homeland with great sacrifices throughout history and has high moral values... The Turkic world is the only concept that finds its true meaning in life."

Turkologist and author Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bican Ercilasun emphasized that Turkish identity has been kept alive throughout history: "Who would remove the Turkish word from some texts, mountains and stones? We have kept the Turkish name alive for 1,300 years. We call our language, mountain, stone, water and forest Turkish. We are happy that we are all Turks."

Historian Author Prof. Dr. Ahmet Taşağıl also stated that Keçiören is the "Second Ötüken" for him this evening and said, "The concept of the Turkish world covers every place where Turks are found. We have kept it alive for 5 thousand years. It means unity in language and ideas. Such organizations make us very happy. I would like to thank our Mayor of Keçiören, Mr. Dr. Mesut Özarslan."

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Spectacular and Unforgettable Finale

After the speeches, the Mayor of Keçiören Municipality Dr. Mesut Özarslan and protocol members symbolically reenacted the Turks' exit from Ergenekon by forging iron with a hammer and anvil. One of the most interesting moments of the festival was the screening of a short film prepared by Keçiören Municipality staff using artificial intelligence technology, emphasizing the historical roots of the Turkish world. In the movie broadcast on the giant screen, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's voiceover "Welcome to Keçiören!" touched thousands of citizens gathered in the area and was applauded for minutes.

At the end of the night, Dombra Author Artist Arslanbek Sultanbekov took the stage with groups from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Crimean Tatars, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Uzbekistan and performed folk dances and traditional music. Popcorn and cotton candy were served to children and Uzbek pilaf and buttermilk to citizens throughout the festival. The three-day event ended in an unforgettable way with a collective photo shoot of the participants and messages of brotherhood and cultural richness.

source: panhaber.com