11th Annual GAT Youth Festival was successfully held
The Young Academics Community (GAT), which carries out its activities under the umbrella of the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA), held its 11th Traditional GAT Youth Festival on Sunday evening, 20 August 2023 at the city square of Komotini.
After the opening of the festival, which started at 21.00, the local music group RESTORE members took the stage first. They entertained the young people with different songs.
After the first concert, protocol speeches were made.
WTMUGA President Hüseyin Baltacı made a greeting speech. In his speech, President Baltacı thanked the Consul General of Turkey in Komotini Aykut Ünal, the President of the Eastern Macedonian Thrace Province Hristos Metios, the Mayor of Komotini Yannis Garanis and other officials who contributed to the realisation of the event. Stating that such events provide important contributions especially for the unification of Turkish-Greek friendship on a common ground, Baltacı thanked all the participants who attended the festival.
Speaking on behalf of GAT at the festival, Vice President Emre Kamil first greeted the participants. In the continuation of his speech, Emre Kamil said, "I am very proud to take the floor on behalf of GAT management on this beautiful night, because I know the importance of the GAT family. I would like to give you the good news that we will have events other than our festival, which is described as the favourite festival we have held here tonight and these events that have become traditional from now on."
Kamil also emphasised on unity and solidarity and said: "As the Turkish minority of Western Thrace, we are a minority that has always managed to be an exemplary minority despite all the pressures and difficulties. From now on, as young people with a very high level of education, let us continue our life here in an exemplary way with the spirit of unity and solidarity. The symbols of our unity and solidarity are our associations. I wholeheartedly invite you to become a member of GAT. I wholeheartedly invite you to submit projects to the GAT management. Let's all get stronger together, shoulder to shoulder, let's become an even bigger family. Our projects are exemplary projects just like our minority people. I hope we will come together more often in these exemplary projects."
After the festival programme, members of the music band PINHANİ from the motherland Türkiye took the stage and gave a concert to the delight of the West Thracians.
In addition to WTMUGA President Hüseyin Baltacı and GAT Vice President Emre Kamil who hosted the festival, Turkey's Consul General in Komotini Aykut Ünal, Rodopi MP Özgür Ferhat, DMT State Vice President Ahmet Ibram, State President Advisor Cihan İmamoğlu, DMT State Assembly Member candidates İbrahim Kamil and İlhan Mehmet, FEP Party Vice President Metin Hacıosman, BAKEŞ President Hüseyin Bostancı, GTGB President Sedat Hasan, other local administrators and many music lovers watched the festival.
