The 5th Ethnosports Culture Festival, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation, kicked off at Istanbul’s repurposed Atatürk Airport Thursday.

The festival, which promotes ancient and traditional sports from around the globe, returned after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, World Ethnosport Confederation President Bilal Erdoğan and Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya joined many Istanbul residents at the opening ceremony.

The festival opened with a parade, featuring the Ottoman military band Mehter and traditional sports athletes from different countries, including the Kazakhstan Equestrian Wrestling Team and the Karabakh Equestrian Show Team.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Kasapoğlu said the Ethnospor Culture Festival has become a celebration of culture and sports.

'Matter of pride'

He underlined their efforts to keep the traditional sports branches alive and even popularize them.

"It is a matter of special excitement and pride for us to organize this event, which has become the most comprehensive and largest traditional sports festival in the world ... The unifying power of traditional sports has made it an occasion to consolidate our brotherhood and for different societies to come closer," Kasapoğlu added.

He credited the World Ethnosport Confederation for putting forth a serious effort to keep our traditional sports branches alive and popular since its inception in 2015.

"As the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we stand by the Confederation in all its activities. The promotion of our traditional sports branches, an exceptional element of our national identity, at the international level was also included in our 11th Development Plan. The Ethnosports Culture Festival serves this purpose."

'Happy to be back'

World Ethnosport Confederation head Bilal Erdoğan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said they are happy to finally organize the 5th Ethnosports Culture Festival after waiting more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the festival was an opportunity to spend time together, meet people, have fun and learn.

"Here, we go back to our own roots, meet the colorful cultures of the world and establish a special affinity with our traditions ... We want our children to be able to practice sports in their daily lives and grow up with these games," Erdoğan said.

He added that they think the future of humanity lies in solidarity and peace. "We believe elements like tradition, respect, solidarity and peace make human life valuable and are like treasures."

"We open the doors of these treasures together through these festivals. We continue this tradition not just for our geography, or Anatolia or the Turkish world, but for the future of all humanity. We think that the future of humanity is based on solidarity and peace and this is where we support solidarity and peace with the strong ties we have established with our traditions," he said.

Festival of youth

He called on families to join the festival and said it was in their hands to make the future beautiful for their children and youth.

"The inspiration we get from our roots, the richness we get from our traditions promise us a strong and bright future. We believe that our children deserve a more beautiful and peaceful world. We believe in a youth that thinks, researches and seeks truth." he added.

Addressing the younger generations Erdoğan said the festival features different sports and games that can teach them to manage their energies and time efficiently.

Istanbul Gov. Yerlikaya said they were happy to host the festival at the Atatürk Airport, after work began to transform the now-closed facility into one of Istanbul’s largest green spaces.

Earlier on May 29, some 145,300 saplings were planted at the site to turn it into a Public Garden.

The 5th Ethnosports Culture Festival, which will continue until June 12, hopes to welcome more than a thousand participants from at least 26 countries and numerous visitors.

Besides traditional games and sports, there will be 60 different events, from horse riding and archery to spinning tops, for children and their families.

The festival will also hold traditional life, art, culture and cuisine from all participating nations.