The “3rd Bosnia-Sandzak Cultural Days,” organized by the Bosnia-Sandzak Cultural and Solidarity Association and the Bosnia-Sandzak Academic Culture and History Foundation, supported by the Istanbul Anatolian Side Bosnia Sandzak Social Solidarity and Culture Association, took place.
The opening ceremony held at the Naval Museum in Beşiktaş was attended by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador to Ankara Bakir Sandovıc, CHP Secretary-General Mehmet Akif Hamzaçebi, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) President Şekib Avdagiç, LASİAD Board Chairman Gıyasettin Eyyüpkoca, Vice Chairman Barış Köseliören, Board Members Tarık Nayman, Mehmet Ocaklı, and Sebahattin Demir, along with General Secretary Şerafettin Yüzüak.
CHP Secretary-General Mehmet Akif Hamzaçebi emphasized that Istanbul has been the capital of three empires, highlighting that there are certain conditions to becoming a global city.
Hamzaçebi stated that cities don’t become global spontaneously and continued, ‘Today, we need art and culture more than ever. Countries, societies, and nations with a strong culture and art do not crumble. On the contrary, they continue their journey even more robustly. Their democracies are much stronger,’ he added.
“We give the best response to those who want to destroy our culture“
Şekib Avdagiç, the President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), also pointed out the presence of Bosniaks in every aspect of art, stating, “From cinema to music, in many fields, we have works and names that make a global impact. To those who want to destroy our identity and culture, we are giving the best response here 50-60 years later. The Bosna-Sandzak Culture Days have such significant meaning for me.”
“We hope to strengthen the bridges of hearts even more”
Muhammed Sancaktar, President of the Bosna-Sandzak Culture and Solidarity Association, said, ‘With the 3rd edition of the Bosna-Sandzak Culture Days, which we will organize this year between October 13-28, we hope to further strengthen the deep-rooted history, culture, and bridges of hearts between Turkey and Bosnia and Sandzak. Our cultural days, with this program content and artists coming from the strong cultural tradition of Bosna-Sandzak, will bring a new breath to Istanbul’s art life, introducing and endearing Bosna-Sandzak, creating a breeze that will increase the love of those who already love it.’
“We have a goal to introduce what Bosniak culture is”
Prof. Dr. Elmas Orak, the Chairman of the Board of the Bosna-Sandzak Academic Culture and History Foundation, expressed that this event was one of their dreams, saying, “In Turkey, Bosniaks are known for their traditional costumes and weddings, but our culture is not known here at all. When we founded the foundation, we had a goal not only for Istanbul but for the whole of Turkey, which was to introduce what Bosniak culture is. Focused on this goal, we organized the first one in 2016. In the context of the event we are organizing for the third time this year, we are hosting guests from Bosnia in Turkey. The essence of our event is to host painters, directors, and musicians raised in Bosnia, presenting their works to our people.
