Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said, "As Türkiye, we are the country that promotes itself best and most intensively in the world."

After announcing tourism data for the first half of the year at the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center, Ersoy announced the decision to hold festivals in five cities under the coordination of the General Directorate of Living Heritage and Cultural Activities and shared the festival calendar with the public.

Minister Ersoy emphasized that the "Terror-Free Turkey" goal represents a strong stance against domestic and foreign forces seeking to add to the pain and loss of a 40-year period in which we have laid so many dear ones to rest. Ersoy said, "Now is the time to crush and erase the traces of terrorism with our brotherhood and sisterhood; and to usher in a new era, especially in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions, where they have targeted the development, prosperity, social and cultural life, and the future of our children."

“We are mobilizing the entire potential of Anatolia”

Stating that they are mobilizing the rich potential of Anatolia with the aim of spreading tourism throughout Turkey and over the entire 12 months, Minister Ersoy said:

“Since the first day we took office, our primary goal has been to spread tourism throughout Turkey and over the entire 12 months; and to channel the unique potential of Anatolian lands, province by province and region by region, into tourism and culture, and therefore into the social and economic life of our people. We have made significant progress, and we will do more.”

Ersoy continued by describing the richness of the Eastern and Southeastern regions:

"When it comes to our Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions, history and the archaeological heritage of the ancient civilizations that wrote this history; a unique chain of traditions from music and handicrafts to cuisine and culinary culture, blended and brought to life by cultures over thousands of years; and the natural richness that allows for both summer and winter activities, from fauna and flora to geothermal wealth, from unique geological formations to plains and plateaus, are waiting to be safely utilized and transformed into investment and services in a Terror-Free Turkey."

Ersoy stated that they had begun investigations in Hakkari in this direction and that they would continue investments by setting realistic goals in other provinces.

Emphasizing that culture and arts are not subcategories of tourism but rather independent values, Minister Ersoy continued:

We have never viewed culture and arts merely as a subheading of tourism, nor have we evaluated them as such. On the contrary, these elements carry such a significant impact and value on their own that they directly contribute to tourism. With this awareness, we will highlight local and traditional values in culture and arts, ensuring their sustainability and preserving them. We will not allow the authenticity of these lands to fade away; we will protect them and, by adding new values and riches to them, pass them on to the future. For this, it is imperative that we establish a solid infrastructure. As we prepare for these, we are determined not to leave these lands destitute in terms of culture and arts.

Festivals Begin in Hakkari on August 22nd

. “To support the process of a Terror-Free Turkey through culture and arts, we have decided to organize a festival in five cities under the coordination of our General Directorate of Living Heritage and Cultural Activities. We named it An Anatolian Festival, inspired by these lands where our unity and solidarity have taken root for centuries.” Ersoy announced that the festivities will start in Hakkari between August 22 and September 4.

Following Hakkari, the events will be held in Tunceli from September 5-11, Şırnak from September 12-18, Bingöl from September 19-25, and Bitlis from September 22-28.

Noting that famous artists will take the stage as part of the festivities, Ersoy also stated that they will raise the bar for cultural and artistic events in the region to a new level by mobilizing all the resources of the State Theaters, Opera and Ballet, Fine Arts, Cinema, and General Directorates of Libraries and Publications.

“Turkey is the Country That Promotes Culture the Best and Most Intensively in the World”

Ersoy emphasized that it is essential to increase the awareness of culture and tourism by promoting them nationally and internationally as well as supporting them locally. Ersoy, stating that

Turkey is a global leader in international promotional activities, said, "With our Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, I can easily say that Turkey is the country that does this work best and most intensively in the world. We have already taken the necessary steps in this regard for our Eastern and Southeastern provinces, and we continue to do so."

Minister Ersoy stated that tourism diversity will increase with the investments and services to be provided in the new period, saying, "We hope to promote new opportunities, new destinations and routes, and four-season tourism activity with a diverse range of products from health to nature, archaeology to gastronomy. As always, we will embark on this path in consultation and cooperation with all our stakeholders, achieve our goals together, and, by making significant contributions to our country's fully independent, leading, and strong future within the vision of the Turkish Century, we will leave a mark that our children will be proud of."