The Foundations Week Celebration Program, celebrating the rich heritage of foundations in Türkiye, took place at the Beştepe Congress and Culture Center in Ankara on May 8.
The event, which honors the nation’s long-standing tradition of charity and philanthropy, featured the announcement of this year’s theme, "Foundation and Family." This significant occasion brought together key figures from the foundation sector, as well as philanthropists who continue to uphold Türkiye's cultural and charitable legacy.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the event, delivering a speech emphasizing the nation’s exceptional foundation tradition.
"As we emphasize at every opportunity, we truly have a brilliant foundation tradition," Erdoğan repeated.
"Undoubtedly, we are among the world's leading countries in this field. We are genuinely proud of inheriting such a rare legacy."
He noted that the Directorate General of Foundations has been at the forefront of this mission, maintaining, enriching and passing down Türkiye’s foundation heritage for 101 years.
He congratulated the directorate on its 101st anniversary, expressing his heartfelt appreciation for the staff and recognizing their significant responsibility in safeguarding Türkiye’s historical, cultural and national identity.
Erdoğan also highlighted that the directorate’s efforts go beyond preserving history; they focus on restoring and revitalizing key cultural landmarks.
"Today, we are holding the mass opening ceremony of 101 restored foundation works, completed in the past year, both in Türkiye and abroad," he said.
Notable landmarks included in these restoration projects are the Gök Madrassa in Tokat, the Kurtuluş Mosque in Gaziantep, the Selimiye Mosque in Nicosia and the Ishkodra Mosque in Albania.
Erdoğan expressed his deep gratitude to all those involved in these restoration projects. He thanked not only the institutions and contracting companies but also the architects, engineers, workers and anyone who had contributed to the careful restoration of these buildings.
"May these works be auspicious for our country, our nation and our friends in the geographical region," Erdoğan said. He further prayed that the country would continue to protect and pass on these cultural treasures to future generations in the best possible way.
The president also discussed the broader significance of these foundations, linking them to Türkiye’s identity and cultural richness. "The civilization fabric, which has been meticulously woven with our identity, culture and national and spiritual values for centuries, is of unparalleled beauty, depth and distinction," Erdoğan said, reflecting on the exceptional heritage the country represents.
He highlighted key cultural landmarks as examples of Türkiye’s historical foundation tradition. "Our mosques, madrassas, imarets, hospitals, inns, caravanserais, water aqueducts and many other works are unique historical notes left by our ancestors," Erdoğan said, emphasizing Türkiye’s significant contributions to global culture and architecture.
Returning to the core idea of Türkiye as a "foundation civilization," Erdoğan emphasized the nation's long history of charity and philanthropy. He reflected on how this tradition has shaped Türkiye’s charitable practices, continually opening new frontiers of kindness, beauty and goodness.
Erdoğan highlighted the efforts of the Directorate General of Foundations, which meticulously oversees the preservation and restoration of Türkiye's cultural heritage. "In the past two years alone, 166 foundation cultural assets, including notable landmarks such as the Bitlis Hazo Han, Süleymaniye Complex Darüşşifa, Tokat Gök Madrassa and Muş Central Murat Paşa Mosque, have undergone restoration," he stated.
