With the signatures of Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Secretary General of the Turkish States Organization Kubaniçbek Ömuraliyev and Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya, Istanbul became the 2023 Turkish World Youth Capital.
The opening ceremony at Atatürk Cultural Center was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Deputy Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Fikri Ataoğlu, Governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkish States Kubanicbek Ömuraliyev, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Indira Hajiyeva, Kyrgyzstan Culture. , Marat Tagaev, Deputy Minister of Information, Sports and Youth Policy, Member of the Senate of Uzbekistan, First Deputy Minister of Youth Policies and Sports and Head of Youth Affairs Agency Alisher Sadullayev, Advisor to the Minister of Information and Social Development of Kazakhstan Sherkhan Talapov, Deputy Consul General of Hungary Veronika Lakatos, Turkmenistan Officials of the Consulate General, members of the Turkish states organization, representatives of observer countries and volunteers participated.
The ceremony, which had a great participation, started with a mehter team show and folk dances.
“This ancient city is the city our Prophet gave the good news”
Starting his speech by stating that the Turkish world came together in Istanbul, which unites Europe and Asia, on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu stated that they saw the support given by the Turkish world to each other better during the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February.
Emphasizing that earthquakes cause wounds that cannot be healed, Minister Kasapoğlu continued his words as follows:
“On behalf of our nation and people, I would like to express my gratitude to all our brotherly countries, who extended their friendly hand to help our people and made us feel the mobilization. It is a great opportunity and a great power to feel the solidarity, the spirit of unity and heal the wounds in such difficult times. While expressing our gratitude to the friendly and brotherly countries that shared our pain and came to our aid, I would like to express the importance of making our unity stronger.”
Stating that Bukhara received the title of Youth Capital of the Turkic World for the first time last year and that Istanbul was selected as the Youth Capital of the Turkic World in 100 on the occasion of the 2023th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, Minister Kasapoğlu said: It has been the capital of various civilizations and has been a unique mosaic in the historical process. It has a wide historical texture and is the largest city in Turkey. With a population of over 14 million, it is the world's 5th largest city and the world's transportation hub. This ancient city is the city that our Prophet gave the good news. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan, a 21-year-old young ruler, began to be called 'Conqueror' after the conquest. He became one of the greatest leaders not only in Turkish history but also in world history. Turkey finds the organization of Turkish states very valuable. We strive to carry out all the activities under this roof in the strongest possible way.” made the statement.
Underlining that it is gratifying for Istanbul to receive the title of Youth Capital of the Turkic World in 2023, Minister Kasapoğlu said:
“I sincerely believe that Istanbul will carry this title with justified pride and that we will take our cooperation to higher levels. I would like to express the excitement of meeting with our youth under the umbrella of the organization through events that will last throughout the year. We should raise awareness of our youth about our common language, history, culture and civilization and bring them together within the framework of a common future vision. I believe that this meeting, where our countries with future ideals come together, will be reflected in the strongest way to the whole world public opinion. We; We consider Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as our home. They also see Turkey as their home. May Allah make our unity, solidarity and brotherhood permanent and clear our way. Let's be together on such beautiful occasions and continue this spirit forever."