Republic Day enthusiasm in 20 German cities: 101st-anniversary events held

The German Turkish Expats Community held simultaneous events in 20 cities across Germany to mark the 101st anniversary of our Republic.

The breakfasts, which were attended by more than 1,000 people across the country, saw the participation of Consuls General of the Republic of Türkiye and various prominent figures from the Turkish community.

At the event in Frankfurt, Frankfurt Consul General Nagihan İlknur Akdevelioğlu and singer Fırat Cem Tuncel, the founder of the German Turkish Expats Community, each delivered speeches.

Frankfurt Consul General Nagihan İlknur Akdevelioğlu said the following in her speech:

“The Republic is a very precious legacy for us. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms, and subsequently the first generations who worked for the establishment of the Republic, founded the Republic with great suffering and effort. Later generations have carried it to this day. Even if we sometimes have different thoughts among ourselves, I believe that at the end of the day, the contribution of all segments is very valuable. Coming together, being open to dialogue, and gathering is even more precious, especially in Europe. It is also extremely important for different segments to empathize with each other, share the pain of living abroad, and support each other in their needs. I can also imagine the problems you may encounter while raising your children. We continue our efforts to ensure that Turkish is passed on to our children. However, it is very important that you also make requests at the schools they attend; at least 8 petitions need to be submitted to a school for that school to make an effort to offer Turkish as a foreign language."

The event in Berlin was attended by the Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Berlin, İlker Okan Şanlı, Embassy Commercial Counselor Sefa Saral, German Turkish Expats manager and Berlin Representative Sevgi Müller, and 105 expats. The event, which continued with great enthusiasm accompanied by anthems and speeches, concluded with group commemorative photos.

İlker Okan Şanlı said the following in his speech:

“Around 350,000 people of Turkish origin live in Berlin alone. I try to come together with very different segments of the Turkish community. Among these, you have a very different place. I would like to meet with Turkish expats more frequently as well. I thank you for organizing this event. I commemorate Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms here with respect and gratitude. When you think of a Consulate General, a somewhat gray image might come to mind due to official requirements. The Berlin Consulate General processes 1,000 transactions per day. In this respect, we are the consulate general that processes the most transactions abroad. We are trying to make this image better and enrich it by continuing to add new social, educational, and cultural dimensions to our consulate general. Spending time with you and having a cup of tea is something I also enjoy. I greet you with respect.”

News Source: 12punto