Necmi Hasanoğlu elected President of the UK Turkish Language and Culture Education Consortium
Western Thrace-born educator and former president of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), Necmi Hasanoğlu, has been elected president of the UK Turkish Language and Culture Education Consortium.
The Consortium, which serves as the umbrella organization for Turkish language and culture schools across the United Kingdom, held its general assembly on Sunday, June 1, to determine the new executive board.
The session began with the election of the presiding committee, comprising Murat Şükrü Acar as chair and Ulaş Tözün and Cemaliye Rıfatoğlu as secretaries. Following a moment of silence for all martyrs and the singing of the national anthem, outgoing president Nuriye Mertcan presented her activity report. Mertcan noted that no general assemblies had been held during the COVID-19 pandemic, and detailed the activities carried out over the past five years. The report was approved by a majority vote.
Two candidates, Meryem Biricik and Necmi Hasanoğlu, stood for the presidency. Both presented their plans and vision for the Consortium’s future. Out of the 30 member schools, 17 participated in the vote. In the secret ballot, Hasanoğlu’s list received 13 votes, securing the presidency. Biricik received the support of 4 schools.
New Executive Board
Under the leadership of Necmi Hasanoğlu, the new executive board of the UK Turkish Language and Culture Education Consortium consists of:
Erkan Pastırmacıoğlu, Abdullah Halisdemir, Niyazi Soyel, Arzu Şevket, Nuriye Mertcan, Özlem Acı, Rıfat Rıfatoğlu, Behiye Kahraman, Gülden Osman, and Zeki Erodoğan.
In his statement following the election, Hasanoğlu emphasized their continued commitment to supporting Turkish language and culture education:
“Today, we all took ownership of the Consortium. Our collective goal is to raise children and young people who are in harmony with the society they live in, and who look to the future with hope. A generation that takes pride in its language and culture, while being respected and collaborative in their adopted country, is something we can all be proud of. Since its founding, the Consortium has worked voluntarily toward this goal, supporting member schools to operate at their best. In the coming term, we will continue to contribute with our experience and knowledge.”
Third Term for Hasanoğlu
This marks Necmi Hasanoğlu’s third term as president of the Consortium, having previously served from 2010–2011 and 2016–2018. During those terms, he led efforts to promote Turkish language education, support teachers, and increase parental engagement.
Originally from the village of Kozlukebir in Greece’s Rhodope region, Hasanoğlu has lived in London for many years. He previously served as president of both the UK Western Thrace Turkish Solidarity Association and the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
