President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva has attended the 21st International Festival of Tourism and Art in Alanya.

The festival was organized by the Municipality of Alanya on the theme "Turkic Republics for the 100th anniversary of Turkiye", Azernews reports.

The solemn procession, which started at the monument to Ataturk in Alanya, gathered many officials and was accompanied by an artistic program reflecting folklore, national costumes and musical culture of the Turkic peoples.

The Mayor of Alanya Adem Murat Yücel, heads and representatives of Turkic Cooperation Organizations, officials and cultural figures of Turkic countries and media representatives took part in the event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President of the Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva emphasised that the annual International Festival of Tourism and Arts held in Alanya on a special theme proves once again that the region is a major tourism center and also conveys a message of peace to the world.

Gunay Afandiyeva stressed that the year of 2023 is a milestone year. The entire Turkic world, together with Turkiye solemnly celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye, with Azerbaijan - the 100th anniversary of the brilliant leader, founder and architect of the independent modern Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, with Kazakhstan - the 930th anniversary of the founder of Turkic Sufism Khoja Ahmet Yesevi, with Kyrgyzstan - the 95th anniversary of the world-famous writer Chingiz Aitmatov.

She underlined that the announcement of Shusha as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World for 2023 afte Bursa aroused the greatest enthusiasm among the Turkic peoples.

In her speech, Gunay Afandiyeva stressed the importance of the victory of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the democratic elections this year for both the country and the entire Turkic world.

"The entire Turkic world feels deep respect and appreciation for the activities of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has always supported Turkic unity. Undoubtedly, in the upcoming new era, the process of integration of the Turkic peoples in all spheres of life will be further accelerated," she said.

Speaking on the successful continuation of the historical brotherhood of the Turkic states, which is rapidly growing in the international arena in the modern era, the president of the Foundation said:

"The heart of the Turkic world was beating in a single body, both during the Karabakh war for the ancestral territories of Azerbaijan 3 years ago, and during the earthquake in Türkiye that occurred earlier this year. We have witnessed how the sovereign Turkic states, being a single heart, became a single fist when necessary. Therefore, the large-scale events held in the country in honor of the glorious anniversary of the Republic are a vivid example of the importance attached to Turkic solidarity."

Gunay Afandiyeva stressed that the main mission of the foundation headed by her is to strengthen the unity and solidarity of the Turkic peoples through the preservation and promotion of the common Turkic cultural heritage.

After the ceremony, the guests viewed a photo exhibition, as well as tents, where national costumes and cuisine samples of various Turkic peoples were presented.

The three-day festival featured colorful events, reflecting the national culture, music and dance art of the Turkic world.

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