GTGB folk dance team represents Western Thrace at festival in Romania
The Gümülcine Turkish Youth Union (GTGB) Folk Dance Team represented Western Thrace Turkish culture at the 30th International Turkish-Tatar Dances, Songs and Traditional Costumes Festival, held in Constanța, Romania, from September 2 to 5, 2026.
Led by GTGB board member Serdar Hacıoğlu and folk dance instructor Erkan Demiroğulları, the team took part in a series of events organized as part of the festival, which brought together 10 folk dance groups from different regions.
The festival was organized by the Democratic Union of Turkish-Muslim Tatars of Romania (UDTTMR) with the aim of bringing Turkish and Tatar communities together and promoting, preserving and passing their cultural heritage on to future generations.
The GTGB team first participated in a traditional costume parade in the town of Mangalia, near Constanța. Following the parade, the group performed traditional folk dances in front of the Mangalia Cultural House, receiving positive reactions from the audience.
The team later joined another traditional costume parade in central Constanța, where it had the opportunity to showcase the traditional clothing and cultural heritage of the Western Thrace Turkish community.
One of the highlights of the festival was the gala performance of the 30th International Turkish-Tatar Dances, Songs and Traditional Costumes Festival. The GTGB Folk Dance Team took the stage during the gala and attracted considerable appreciation for its performance.
A total of 10 folk dance groups from different geographical regions participated in this year’s 30th edition of the festival. Alongside traditional dances, participating groups performed songs and showcased traditional costumes, creating a vibrant celebration of Turkish and Tatar cultural heritage.
The festival also served as an important platform for strengthening cultural ties among Turkish and Tatar communities living in different regions, while contributing to the preservation, promotion and intergenerational transmission of their shared cultural traditions.
