Western Thrace media and civil society experience discussed in Ankara
Journalists and civil society representatives from Western Thrace took part in a symposium in Ankara examining the role of minority media and civil society organizations in preserving cultural identity, collective memory and historical ties across the Balkans.
The symposium, titled “Civil Society Organizations and the Press in the Balkans during the Republican Era,” was held on October 8 at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University’s Faculty of Communication. It was organized in cooperation with the university, the Yesevi Movement Association and the Media Workers’ Union (Medya-İş).
The event marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turan Association, a historical organization that brought together Turkish youth in Bulgaria through cultural and sporting activities during the 1920s.
TURAN ASSOCIATION’S HISTORICAL LEGACY
Founded in Bulgaria, the Turan Association played a role in organizing the country’s Turkish community and promoting Turkish culture and national consciousness. The organization was closed by the Bulgarian authorities in 1934 and is remembered as an important example of the community’s historical experience of collective organization.
The symposium explored how Turkish and Muslim communities across the Balkans have used newspapers, magazines and civil society organizations to preserve cultural identity, sustain shared values and pass historical connections on to future generations.
The event also received contributions from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Balkan Foundation, the Motif Foundation and the Yunus Emre Institute.
Participants included university administrators, academics, students, media professionals and civil society representatives. Speakers at the opening session included Yesevi Movement Association President Mahmut Cömert, Medya-İş Vice President Sinan Özer, university Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Metin Orbay, Faculty of Communication Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sezai Türk and Balkan Foundation President Hıfzı Kruşa Türk.
WESTERN THRACE JOURNALISTS EXAMINE MINORITY MEDIA
Several journalists from Western Thrace contributed presentations examining the region’s Turkish-language press and its relationship with identity, social memory and community life.
Hülya Emin of GÜNDEM newspaper delivered a presentation titled “GÜNDEM as a Minority Newspaper: Thirty Years in Western Thrace,” discussing the publication’s history and the social role of minority media.
Hasan Hasan examined the development of Turkish-language newspapers and magazines in Western Thrace. İlhan Tahsin discussed journalism in the context of media, identity, pressure and discrimination, while Ozan Ahmetoğlu explored the relationship between the Western Thrace Turkish press, collective memory and social resistance.
Sezer Rıza of Cumhuriyet newspaper addressed economic challenges facing the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.
The participation of journalists from GÜNDEM, Birlik and Cumhuriyet highlighted the range of issues addressed by the region’s minority media, from cultural continuity and collective identity to economic and social concerns.
HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
The symposium also featured presentations on two longstanding civil society organizations representing the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace: the İskeçe Turkish Union (Xanthi) and the Gümülcine Turkish Youth Union (Komotini).
Ümit Farzlı presented the historical development of the İskeçe Turkish Union and its place in the region’s civil society tradition. Seçkin Yetimoğlu discussed the history and activities of the Gümülcine Turkish Youth Union.
By bringing together academics, civil society representatives and media professionals from different parts of the Balkans, the symposium provided a platform to discuss the historical development of community organizations and the press during the Republican era.
Participants also visited the National Library at Türkiye’s Presidential Complex and Anıtkabir on October 9.
