The 6th Ethnosport Forum is held in Antalya with the motto "Revival of traditional sports".
In the video message he sent to the 6th Ethnosport Forum, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greeted the participants by saying "Welcome to our country" to the guests coming from abroad.
Stating that he was pleased to host the guests in Antalya, one of the most beautiful cities of Turkey, Erdoğan wished that the forum organized with the motto "Revival of Traditional Sports" would be beneficial to the member countries, participants and all athletes.
Thanking everyone who came from all corners of the world to participate and contribute to this forum, Erdoğan said:
“The Ethnosport Forum is organized at a time when global crises, tensions and conflicts threaten the common future of humanity. I see our forum, which reflects the rich diversity of traditional sports, as a platform for peace and solidarity beyond all differences. I hope that the Ethnosport Forum, attended by representatives at various levels from 50 different countries as well as corporate members, will contribute to the development of a climate of peace and trust in the world, especially in our region. Our forum, which is among the world's leading events in terms of participant diversity, will make everyone feel its difference and potential with the messages it will give.”
“WE WILL WORK HARDER THAN EVER TO ENSURE JUSTICE AND PEACE PREVAIL”
President Erdoğan emphasized that the increasing interest in traditional sports and games is a sign that the work done is going in the right direction.
Congratulating the individuals and institutions that will receive the traditional sports awards organized within this framework, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:
“I believe that the spirit of solidarity that will end the human tragedy in Gaza, which shares the same sea with Antalya and just across the Mediterranean, will manifest in this forum. We will continue to make every effort to prevent the ongoing crises, massacres and suffering in our nearby geography, especially in Gaza. We will work harder than ever to ensure that peace, justice and tranquility prevail all over the world, starting from our geography of heart. “I expect the support of you, our friends, in this blessed struggle we wage for the establishment of a more just and prosperous world.”
Erdoğan congratulated the World Ethnosport Federation management for their exemplary hosting of the event.
MINISTER BAK: “SPORTS IS AN INDUSTRY AND WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR VALUES WITHIN THIS INDUSTRY”
Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 6th Ethnosport Forum organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) at the Belek Tourism Center in Serik district of Antalya, congratulated WEC President Bilal Erdoğan and his team for the development in traditional sports and the vision put forward. and that the work is growing day by day, year by year.
Stating that they, as the Ministry, are always proud to support this vision and important approach, Minister Bak said:
“Investments and facilities where traditional games will be held, created all over Turkey with the resources of our municipalities and our state, are developing in every province. We opened three months ago in Gaziantep, in Istanbul HalkalıWe will open a new one in . It is very important for this vision to develop with new facilities, for culture and traditions to survive in the world, and for their blending with sports. Sports is an industry and we need to protect our culture and values within this industry. The World Ethnosport Confederation has put forward a vision in this regard.”
Minister Bak stated that the confederation has carried out important work and that it is important to hold the 6th Ethnosport Forum in the tourism city of Antalya.
Stating that they made important investments within the scope of the vision shown by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister Bak said, “He expressed to us how important culture and traditions are and that they should be carried to future generations. We continue our path actively. “We attach great importance to the studies carried out in this regard.” said.
Stating that Elmalı wrestling has been held in Antalya for 672 years, Minister Bak said, “This tradition has been held in Antalya, in the Taurus Mountains, in this region for 672 years. There is also Kırkpınar Traditional Wrestling. "There has been this tradition, which we call 'private square', for 663 years." he said.
Emphasizing that it is important to carry traditional sports to future generations in discipline, Minister Bak stated that this vision was drawn for young people and culture.
Expressing the human tragedy in Gaza, Minister Bak said, “It is necessary to use the language of sports. We need to send greetings and solidarity to Gaza from Antalya. "We stay silent when children are sleeping, we all need to raise our voices when children are dying." he said.
Bak emphasized that it is important to keep this tradition alive all over the world and stated that the organization is an important step for the development of sports tourism.
“WE STRUGGLE TO IMPROVE OUR RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT LIVE AND KEEP THEIR TRADITIONS ALIVE.”
In his opening speech, World Ethnosport Confederation President Erdoğan said that they postponed the forum, which was planned to be held last year, due to the earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, centered in Kahramanmaraş and affected 11 provinces.
Stating that they, as the World Ethnosport Confederation, have undertaken an important mission in the region since the first day of the earthquakes, Erdoğan said, "With your great support, we have met the shelter needs of thousands of families in the Solidarity Camps we established for earthquake victims." said.
Erdoğan stated that, as the World Ethnosport Confederation, they care about the sustainability of all efforts to revive traditional sports and games.
Stating that they have witnessed that the synergy they created by coming together has yielded beautiful fruits over time, Erdoğan said:
“The events taking place in different parts of the world, especially our forums and festivals, show us that our excitement is increasing and our common story is getting stronger. We strive to improve our relations with societies that live and keep their traditions alive, wherever they are in the world. We are aware that there are values that connect us to each other in different geographies of the world, from east to west, from north to south. We set out to discover this richness. Today, we continue on our way with the goal of becoming a bigger family every day with 21 members in 30 countries. The happiness of seeing every color and culture of the world together in the events we are invited to and attend by our member federations is priceless. This gives us justified pride. Recent events such as Yabusame in Japan, Belt Wrestling in Dubai, Pato in Argentina, and Marmi festival in Qatar add value to our work. We believe that every value that brings us together builds respect, peace and solidarity among us. I believe that these principles that we have cultivated among us are stronger than wars and pain. This belief invites us to stand by human dignity against the massacres we witness in Gaza today, which disregard human life. As long as we defend peace and solidarity in the strongest possible way, I have absolute faith that those who advocate massacre and war will immediately recant their mistakes. You will also see that there is unity in our roots. “We have a lot to talk about and share with each other.”
GOODWILL AGREEMENT SIGNED
At the forum, a goodwill agreement was signed with 60 member federations to establish the common rules of the World Ethnosport Confederation.
At the forum, representatives from Kazakhstan, Japan, Mexico, Qatar, Mongolia, Argentina, Turkey, Tunisia, Poland, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Hungary and Uzbekistan, which continue their activities under the WEC, as well as researchers and academicians. also took part.
