In collaboration with Lacivert Magazine and the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), the International Encounters initiative brought many people together under the umbrella of Turkish culture throughout January.
Following successful events in Hungary, Kosovo and Germany in 2023, the first stops for 2024 were Italy and Malta.
Conducted on separate days in January in Rome and Malta, the discussions featured prominent figures such as psychiatrist Dr. Kemal Sayar, academic Ekrem Demirli, author Savaş Barkçin, Lacivert Magazine Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Akar and Daily Sabah Editor-in-Chief and Author Ibrahim Altay.
Big interest in Rome
The Rome leg of International Encounters, aimed at fostering awareness of societal issues among citizens abroad, saw substantial interest from participants. In addition to guests from Türkiye, the event was attended by the Ambassador of Türkiye to Rome Ömer Gücük Halil Atik representing the Vatican Embassy, consulate staff, and Zafer Kıyıcı, the YEE coordinator in Rome.
Yasemin Gebeş, the general manager of Turkuvaz Magazine Group, delivered the opening speech, providing insights into the activities of Turkuvaz Media Group. Moderated by Mustafa Akar, the event included Ekrem Demirli discussing "Did Dante Read Ibn al-Arabi?" and Kemal Sayar exploring "Ways to Feel Happy." Savaş Barkçin presented a talk on "What Does Our Classical Music Tell Us?" while Ibrahim Altay discussed the Franciscans, a related mendicant Christian religious order within the Catholic Church.
Turks meet in Malta
The second destination, Malta, hosted significant figures from Türkiye and local citizens, alongside the participation of our Ambassador to Malta Erdeniz Şen and consulate staff.
Mustafa Akar, in his opening speech, said: "This is the fifth country and seventh city in International Encounters. Today, we will share the issues and ideas we discuss in Türkiye with you, and at the same time, we will hear your opinions." Following the event, attendees visited the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery in Malta, where prayers were offered.