There is no doubt that Antalya is the most beautiful place in the world
Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRKThe Antalya Metropolitan Municipality hosted the opening ceremony of the International Antalya Yörük Türkmen Festival. " If order is disturbed at home, at work, in thoughts and language, the nomad wets the sandal and sets out on the road. In order to preserve nomadic culture, we must comprehend first, and to understand, we must know first’ Mayor Muhittin Böcek stated at the ceremony. and that the festival will aid in this process.
After a day of activities, the International Antalya Yörük Türkmen Festival was officially started by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality. Muhittin Böcek, Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, Future Party Leader Ahmet Davutoğlu, Democrat Party Leader Gültekin Uysal, IYI Party Deputy Chairman Metin Ergun, deputies, political party representatives, Yörük Türkmen Associations, national and international scientists, representatives of metropolitan and district municipalities, representatives of guest countries, various institutions and organizations, women's cooperatives, and many nomads attended the ceremony. The festival's opening ceremony began with a moment of silence followed by the singing of the National Anthem.
Nomadism is a Culture.
At the opening ceremony of the festival, Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Muhittin Böcek stated that nomadism is a culture and nomadic citizens created a brand new understanding of production on the cultures that have made Anatolia their home for a thousand years.
Mayor pointed out that they fought and produced by establishing Principalities, States and Empires. “They turned rain into grass, grass into lamb, lamb into wool, wool into thread, and thread into the rug.They worked the iron like needlepoint and plowed the land as if they were singing. They saw the betrayal, the bravery too! From Söğüt to Domaniç, from Menteşe to Teke Province, from sanjak to province; Province by province, they have made this geography a 'homeland'.Nomadism is a culture, not a race or sect. It is the ember that lies in the soul of the Republic of Turkey. It is a culture and a secret that Anatolia carries in its lost heart.” he said.
It's Your Story
Pointing out that the nomadic culture should be kept alive not by archiving, but by preserving it, Mayor Böcek said, “By connecting the past to the present and the present to the future, it should be transferred to the future with its fairy tales, folk songs, rebellion and anger.
Because now, sandals have started to squeeze the socks and socks have started to tighten the feet. If the order in the dormitory, work, idea and language is disturbed, the Yörük wets the sandal and sets off. This cycle has been going round and round for thousands of years. Because wetting the sandal is a sign that the great trees, in the shade of which thousands of goats once took a breath, are gradually disappearing. Because wetting the sandal is an indication that the mountains and stones that we take refuge in are gradually being taken away from our hands, and that they are being crushed and erased from our memory. Because wetting the sandal is an indication that our goats, which we know as our dear comrades, have been taken from us one by one. Because wetting the sandal is an indication that our streams, lakes and water heads are handcuffed. Listen, it's your story being told. This is the story of Mustafa and Ayşe, Ümmü and Ali, Güssün and Mehmet, Akkeçi and Gökkeçi, Sarıkeçi and Karakeçi and Tülü Maya and Doru Tay.
This is the story of the river. Listen, this is your story being told,” he said.
Son of Taurus Mountains
“We have to understand in order to keep the nomadic culture alive, and we have to know in order to understand it”. “We set out to take a closer look at the histories and cultures of the Yörüks, who are scattered all over the country like rosary beads from Edirne to Ardahan, from Kastamonu to Antalya. As Muhittin, a nomadic child, I am one of the lucky people who have personally experienced the nomadic culture, migrated to the highlands, grazed goats, and lived in hair tents in this land where I was born and grew up. You embraced me by saying "Son of the Taurus Mountains" and brought me to this task with your holy votes. It is my duty to support you in all matters.
I had a dream of bringing together our Yörük Turkmen brothers and all associations. I am happy that today I am fulfilling this dream. Do not forget that history is written by those who realize their dreams, not those who dream. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, "Go look at the Taurus Mountains, if you see a nomad tent there and there is smoke in that tent, you should know very well that no power or force in this world can ever defeat us. He said, "How happy we are that we are now spreading this smoke from Antalya to the whole world from Antalya."
Davutoğlu:”Yörüks are those who write history by walking.”
In his speech, the Chairman of the Gelecek Party Ahmet Davutoğlu stated that the Yörüks are people who make history by walking, and said, "Yörük is the person who looks to the horizon without forgetting what he left behind on his way from mountain to mountain, from plain to plain, from river to river, from valley to valley, from continent to continent. We are the spring that came to Anatolia. There is a sense of place in the nomads. There is a culture of living together with nature and the universe. Yörük is a believer. Yörük does not walk only with horse, camel, goat, they walk with the belief. Yörük is the name of a strong personality. They love freedom. Their head is up. I did not see any Yörük walking around with head bowed. The head of the nomad is up, forehead is open,mind is clear and horizon is dignified.
Uysal, “Festival would suit Antalya”
Gültekin Uysal, Chairman of the Democrat Party, in his speech at the ceremony,
“It would suit Antalya to organize such a festival. In the person of Mayor Böcek, I express my happiness to be here, I hope that the international festival here will be carried not only by words, and instruments but also by the words of scientists in order to carry these values to our future, to make sense and I wish the festival to be auspicious.”
Argun, “Congratulations to the Festival”
İyi Party Deputy Chairman Metin Argun also wished the festival to be beneficial and thanked Mayor Muhittin Böcek and his team, who organized the festival for the preservation and survival of the Yörük and Türkmen Cultures.
Thanks from Guest Country Representatives
At the opening ceremony, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bican Ercilasun , Irina Konstantinova, Director of Gagauzia Research Center, Abzal Saparbekuly, President of World Kazakhs Foundation, Metin Hacıosman, Deputy Chairman of Greek Friendship, Equality and Peace Party, Sabir Rüstemhamlı ,former Azerbaijani Minister, Zamir Aıylchyev, Kyrgyzstan Deputy Minister of Agriculture, made a speech and thanked Mayor Muhittin Böcek for the Yörük Festival on behalf of their countries.
At the end of the ceremony, Mayor Böcek was dressed in nomadic traditional clothes.
The Turkish World Music and Folk Dance Ensemble of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also put on a magnificent show at the opening ceremony. From the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China, the Turkish Folk Dance Group also performed the show called Epic of Brotherhood.
Turkish Folk Festival by Musa Eroğlu
The Turkish World Music and Folk Dance Ensemble of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which took the stage after the opening ceremony, fascinated the audience with the works they performed. The Turkish Folk Dance show from the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China attracted great attention. Turkish Folk Music artist Musa Eroğlu took the stage and presented a folk song feast to the citizens. The popular name of folk music, Musa Eroğlu, gave pleasant moments to the audience. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek presented a plaque and flowers to Musa Eroğlu in memory of the concert. Eroğlu thanked to Mayor Böcek for the festival organized to keep the Nomadic Culture alive and said, "I congratulate you twice."
Alanya, Türkiye'nin Akdeniz Bölgesi'deki Antalya iline bağlı bir turizm ilçesidir. Şehir merkezine uzaklığı 154 kilometredir. Türkiye'nin güney sahillerinde bulunan Alanya, 1.598,51 km²'lik bir alana sahiptir ve 2015'te nüfusu 291.643 kişidir.