Kolpa brings Gümülcine city square to life with festival performance

The 14th GAT Festival brought thousands of music lovers together at Gümülcine’s city square on Sunday evening, August 2, with Turkish music group Kolpa delivering the night’s main performance.

Organized annually by the Young Academics Community (GAT), operating under the Western Thrace Minority University Graduates Association (WTMUGA), the festival featured a night of music, culture and community gathering.

The program opened with a performance by local Western Thrace music group Orijinal Ton, which entertained the audience with a selection of songs before the main concert.

During the opening speeches, GAT President Hilmi Eren Sait welcomed participants and expressed his appreciation for the strong interest shown in the festival. He said the event, which has been organized with dedication for 14 years, has become an important platform that brings young people together, strengthens friendships, enriches cultural life and promotes a culture of coexistence.

Sait emphasized that GAT is not only an event-organizing group but also a youth platform where young people develop ideas, take responsibility, collaborate and contribute to society. He added that the festival represents the organization’s commitment to bringing people together through culture, art and music.

Representatives of WTMUGA, including Supervisory Board Chairman Kenan Gagalı and President Zeynep Tevfikoğlu, also highlighted the importance of the festival and thanked organizers, sponsors and local authorities for their support.

The highlight of the evening was Kolpa’s two-hour concert, during which hundreds of young people filled Gümülcine city square and sang along to the band’s popular songs. The performance created a vibrant atmosphere and concluded the festival with a memorable celebration.