The "Turkish Festival" held in Chicago in the US state of Illinois has ended after three days.
Organised for the second time at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Chicago, the event was held with Anadolu Agency (AA) serving as its global communication partner.
Speaking to an AA reporter at the festival’s conclusion, founding committee member Halil Demir remarked, “At this stage, I understand that the Turkish Festival has truly become an integral part of Chicago’s cultural landscape.”
Expressing his satisfaction with the fact that the Turkish community, as a minority in the United States, was able to carry out such a comprehensive and well-organised event, Demir said:
“It is with gratitude to Allah that I begin. As a small minority, we Turks have presented a beautiful, orderly, and disciplined festival here, one unlike anything either Muslims or Americans have previously witnessed. We brought something new to Chicago. We made the voice of the Turkish people heard here. We showcased the beauty of Türkiye, and hopefully, people will be inspired to visit our beautiful country.”
Throughout the festival, more than 200 stands featured traditional Turkish crafts and regional delicacies. Artists from Türkiye hosted exhibitions and workshops in traditional art forms such as marbling (ebru), ceramics, and calligraphy. Additionally, a variety of panels and talks were held by members of the Turkish community living in the U.S. and experts on Türkiye.
Organised with the support of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications of the Republic of Türkiye, the exhibition titled “The Treasures of Türkiye,” featuring photographs of the country’s historical and natural landmarks, also drew significant interest from visitors over the three-day period.
Demir stated that they expect the event to grow even further in the coming years, saying, “With the permission of Allah, next year you will see crowds of Americans attending. You will see the beauty of Turkish culture reflected even more strongly among the people of Chicago.”
He also noted that the festival could expand to other American cities, adding, “I’m confident that it will grow and spread to other regions as well. We want to share the beauty of our people. That is our desire.”
Rümeysa Özerk, the marbling artist who coordinated the festival’s arts programme, told Anadolu Agency that they welcomed nearly 1,000 visitors over the three days.
Özerk stated that the Turkish arts team operated booths representing seven different art forms with a total of eight artists, saying, “Alongside our marbling, string art, woodblock printing, calligraphy, plate painting, and cold porcelain crown workshops, we also created a dedicated area for children.”
She noted that marbling and illumination (tezhip) in particular attracted great interest, explaining that most of the visitors were Americans, though there was also considerable participation from the Turkish community.
“Some visitors purchased our artworks, while others took part in our workshops,” Özerk added, expressing how happy they were with the connections made through art.
The Turkish Festival, which received positive feedback from both visitors and participants, is planned to continue in the years ahead.
This article is reposted from iletisim.gov
