Organized by the Turkic World Research Foundation, where the Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB) is among the cooperation institutions, ’24. ‘Turkic World Children’s Festival’ was held in Istanbul between 31 May and 7 June 2024.
This year, 21 groups, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Balkaria, Bashkortostan, Gagauzia, Crimea, Saha/Yakutia, Tatarstan, Tuva, Georgia, Bulgaria, Iraq, Meskhetian and East Turkestan Turks, participated in the 24th Turkish World Children’s Festival. More than 250 students, teachers and many citizens attended.
Turkic World Children’s Festivals are held for the purpose of cultural exchange and bridge, allowing children from Turkish republics and communities to get to know Turkey, strengthening their bonds of brotherhood by making new friendships, and making friends of families from the Turkish World thanks to children.
Közhan Yazgan, President of the Turkic World Research Foundation, said that the purpose of organizing the festival is to introduce children living in the Turkish geography to their siblings in Turkey, to establish bridges of friendship between them and to establish a more beautiful world in peace.
The festival started with the Festival Parade in Kadıköy on June 3, 2024. The 15th Turkish World Children’s Voice Competition, one of the most remarkable events of the Festival, which continued with the Festival Show in Bahçelievler on June 5, 2024, witnessed colorful images with the participation of children from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and many other Turkish regions on June 6. In the competition, the children exhibited their own cultural melodies and talents and received admiration from the jury and the audience. Various shows, folk dances and musical performances took place on stage throughout the event. Children from different regions of the Turkic world exhibited their cultural richness and traditions and offered enjoyable moments to the participants.
At the end of the event, awards were presented to the children who won the voice competition. The children and their families who participated in the program stated that the organization reinforced the unity and solidarity of the Turkish world and hoped that the festival would continue in the coming years.