THE FEDERATION of Turkish Associations in the UK staged a successful ball to mark this week’s Republic Day celebrations.
The event, which was held at the International Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, was attended by the cultural attaché of Uzbekistan Turaev Bakhtiyor; Aysın Yılmaz, the president of the Federation of International Women’s Associations; Turgut Esendağlı of the Turkish Community Football Federation in the UK and a number of other association leaders and representatives.
In his opening address, federation president Timur Doğruyol offered his thanks to Jale Özer, head of the Ataturk Thought Association in Britain, and Maviş Fuchs, fom the Turkish Women’s Association of Britain.
Mr Doğruyol also had some messages regarding Turkey during his speech, which was punctuated by chants of “Everywhere is Taksim, everywhere is resistance”.
“When, as citizens who are accustomed to a developed democracy abroad, we look at our motherland, we see a picture that is different and injures us,” he said.
“The Turkish youth, which has arisen to protect the sacred entity that Ataturk bequeathed us, has been an example for the whole word with its Gezi Park resistance. By using their high intelligence and artistic strength, they wrote a great odyssey for democracy and human rights abusers.
“This resistance has once again demonstrated the contemporary face of the Republic of Turkey ad those who want it forgotten, and assured us that those who want to use backward methods in our state will not succeed.”
READING THE OATH IN UNISON
The day also saw the author Abdullah Nihat Yılmaz being award a plaque for his contributions to the federation’s work, while opera singer Burak Gülşen – who followed the Leyla Şimşek music group on stage – performed some of Ataturk’s favourite pieces in an operatic style.
The entire hall then united in singing the Turkish equivalent of the pledge of allegiance, which the government has recently announced was to be discontinued.
After a raffle draw, Emre Eyüpoğlu and his orchestra performed for the remainder of the evening.
Messages were sent by Turkey’s ambassador to London, Ünal Çeviköz, and the mayor of London Boris Johnson to mark the Turkish republic’s 90th anniversary celebrations.