9 May Europe Day Celebrated with Cultural Activities

10.05.2024 PRESS AND INFORMATION TEAM OF THE DELEGATION TO TÜRKİYE

9 May Europe Day

Celebrated with the slogans "Values & History That We Share" and "Peace & Prosperity That We Build"

Europe Day on 9 May, the day on which the foundations of the European Union (EU) were laid, was celebrated yesterday (9 May) at Ankara Cermodern, following the Istanbul Haliç Congress Centre, with the slogans "Values & History That We Share" and "Peace & Prosperity That We Build". The reception was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services Ambassador Yavuz Selim Kıran, Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mansur Yavaş and many guests from politics, arts, sports, civil society and media.

At the reception organised by the EU Delegation to Türkiye, the Head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay opened the digital photography exhibition themed "The Common Heritage We Create and Share". The exhibition consists of photographs of joint cultural heritage projects jointly supported by the EU and Türkiye.

Meyer-Landrut: "Let us embrace the values that bind us together”

In his opening speech, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut said:

"Europe Day is a tribute to the founding values of the EU. It is also about respect for human rights, freedoms, the rule of law and democracy. As well as precious memories from Türkiye, I have also witnessed the solidarity and resilience of the Turkish people following the many challenges we have faced in recent years. From the devastating forest fires to last year's tragic earthquakes, the EU and its member states have always responded to Türkiye call for help. During my time here, I have had the chance to gain a better understanding of a fascinating and complex country.

Let us remember that we must work to keep the peace

Russia's unjust war against Ukraine is still in full swing. The war in Gaza and the wider instability in the Middle East point to a period of insecurity and conflict in the region and beyond. As we come together on the occasion of Europe Day, a celebration of peace and unity, let us be reminded how fragile peace and security can be and how we must work to preserve, promote and defend it on our continent and beyond.

At the end of four years, I can say that Türkiye-EU relations are certainly not where we would like them to be. It is a complex and multifaceted relationship. But Türkiye is a candidate country, our relations go back decades and have proved resilient in the face of numerous and unprecedented crises. Over the past four years, we have continued to work tirelessly in many areas of common interest: foreign policy, trade, investments, migration, connectivity, green and digital transition."

Bozay: "We will closely follow the concrete steps to be taken by the EU"

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Mehmet Kemal Bozay shared the Europe Day greeting message of Deputy President Cevdet Yılmaz. Bozay said, "Türkiye is a candidate country for the EU. We have geographical, cultural, historical, commercial and political relations with Europe. Türkiye is a member of all organisations in Europe. We expect the European Union to take concrete steps and will closely follow the speed, level and scope of the steps taken by the European Union in the coming period."

Yavaş: " It shows the ideal of reaching the level of contemporary civilisations targeted by Atatürk"

"Türkiye's European Union membership initiative is an indication of the ideal of reaching the level of contemporary civilisations, which Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk showed us as a goal at the founding of the Republic of Türkiye" said Mansur Yavaş, President of the EUU and added: "Türkiye's goal of membership to the European Union makes a very important contribution to ensuring democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which are the basis of the common European spirit. For this reason, Türkiye has shown that it is ready to join the European Union with the steps it has taken on this path for a long time. We expect them to overcome prejudices and show the necessary will to realise Türkiye's full membership as soon as possible."

The reception continued with music recitals. On 9 May Europe Day, the Twin Towers of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) were illuminated with the colours of the European Union.

The reception in Istanbul was co-hosted by Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Ekrem İmamoğlu at the Haliç Congress Centre on 7 May.

Haïdouti Orchestra continues its concerts

Haïdouti Orchestra continues its concerts within the scope of 9 May Europe Day. Haïdouti Orchestra, which gives messages of unity and solidarity with its multicultural repertoire including the melodies of the Balkans, Türkiye and the Middle East, will meet music lovers free of charge at Gaziantep Şehit Kamil Art Centre on Friday, 10 May and Kadir Has Culture and Art Centre on Saturday, 11 May.

Press Contact:

Miray Akdağ, Press Advisor of the EU Delegation to Türkiye

Tel: +90 312 4598700

Email: miray.akdag@eeas.europa.eu

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