KARATAY HOSTED THE 12TH MEVLANA POETRY FESTIVAL

The "12th Mevlana Poetry Festival and Poetry Workshop" program organized by Karatay Municipality and Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey (TYB) was held. Speaking at the program where Konya art lovers are satisfied with poetry and art, Ahmet Köseoğlu, the Head of the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey, emphasized that Konya is a city of poetry, and in this sense, Mevlana Poetry Festival is very important for Konya.  Mehmet Doğan, the Honorary President of the TYB said, "Those who do not keep their past alive will never be strong in the future", while  Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan, the President of the Writers Union of Turkey, emphasized that they consider the architects of Mevlana Poetry Festival as wise-hearted. While Abdüssettar Yarar, the Konya Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, defines the commemoration of Mevlana as the oldest cultural event in Turkey,  Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, said, "Poetry is a brick in the construction of civilizations" and that we, the Karatay Municipality, will continue to support culture and art. AK Party Konya Deputies Ahmet Sorgun and Hacı Ahmet Özdemir also congratulated everyone who contributed to the organization of the Mevlana Poetry Festival.

The 12th Mevlana Poetry Festival and Poetry Workshop was held jointly by Karatay Municipality and Turkish Writers Union (TYB) Konya Branch.

THE 12TH MEVLANA POETRY FESTIVAL STARTED WITH A POETRY WORKSHOP

Mevlana Poetry Festival, which has become traditional in Konya and is held for the 12th time this year, started with the Poetry Workshops held at Konya Provincial Public Library and the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey between 10:00 and 17:00.

Poets and writers participating in the Poetry Workshops discussed in detail the titles of “Young Poetry”, “Young Poetry's Test with Digital Culture”, “New Developments with the Poetry-Art Relationship” and “The Issue of Publishing Poetry Books” and discussed many other issues with art lovers.

ROSE GARDEN OF MEVLANA DERVISH LODGE HOSTS A UNIQUE POETRY NIGHT

After the Poetry Workshop programs held throughout the day, the 12th Mevlana Poetry Festival continued at the Rose Garden of Mevlana Dervish Lodge.

Ahmet Köseoğlu, the Head of the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey, Mustafa Yıldız, the Head of the Gaziantep Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey, Mehmet Sait Uluçay, the Head of the Ankara Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey, Mehmet Doğan, the Honorary President of the TYB,  Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan, the President of the Writers Union of Turkey, Abdüssettar Yarar, the Konya Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, Bekir Şahin, the Konya Director of Regional Manuscripts, Esin Çelebi Bayru, 22nd generation granddaughter of Mevlana, Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, AK Party Konya Deputies Ahmet Sorgun and Hacı Ahmet Özdemir, poets, writers and art lovers from Konya attended the program.

KONYA IS A CITY OF POETRY

Ahmet Köseoğlu, Head of the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey (TYB), made the opening speech of the Mevlana Poetry Festival and emphasized that the value of the cultural activity is also related to its continuity and said that the Mevlana Poetry Festival are important in this sense. Ahmet Köseoğlu stated the following; “Poetry is continuously read and books are published in our Konya. Therefore, taking strength from the Prophet Pir, whom we describe as the main poet and whom we rely on, we say that Konya is a city of poetry Therefore, taking strength from the Hz. Pir, whom we describe as the main poet and whom we rely on, we say that Konya is a city of poetry. Our poets and writers discussed many aspects of poetry in the Poetry Workshop section of our organization throughout the day. Our Karatay Municipality is always with us in this regard. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, who did not refrain to support, and our poets and writers who participated in our program and our esteemed guests”.

THOSE WHO DO NOT KEEP THEIR PAST ALIVE WILL NEVER BE STRONG IN THE FUTURE

Mehmet Doğan, the Honorary President of the Writers Union of Turkey, also thanked everyone who contributed to the implementation of the program. Mehmet Dogan said: “All texts come from poetry and line up with poetry. Poetry is the essence, origin, and center of literature. The center where literature, ideas, and science developed in Anatolia is Konya and its surroundings. That's why it's important to rely on tradition. So the continuity of activity is extremely important. Those who do not keep their past alive will never be strong in the future. Congratulations to those who contributed.

WE CONSIDER THE ARCHITECTS OF MEVLANA POETRY FESTIVAL AS WISE HEARTED

Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan, the President of the Writers Union of Turkey, underlined that Konya is an extremely important city for them. Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım Arıcan said; “Konya is the city of Mevlana, the sultan of heart, and the city of hearts. We also consider our poets wise-hearted. We also consider the architects of the Mevlana Poetry Festival as wise-hearted. Unfortunately, humanity has been losing heart lately. The world is getting more and more heartless. It is time to present the philosophy of the heart, the science of the heart, and the language of the heart from Konya, the city of hearts. We find it valuable to organize the Mevlana Poetry Festival with the support of our Karatay Municipality and the leadership of our Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey. Congratulations to those who contributed"

THE COMMEMORATION OF MEVLANA IS THE OLDEST CULTURAL EVENT IN TURKEY

Abdüssettar Yarar, the Konya Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism thanked Ahmet Köseoğlu, the Head of the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey who contributed to the Mevlana Poetry Festival, and Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Karatay, who supported the organizations spoke of the importance of the continuity of activity. Yarar said, "The event commemorating Mevlana is the oldest cultural event of our country. As Konya, we have been organizing these events for 85 years. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed  and supported the continuity and success of these events.”

POETRY IS A BRICK IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CIVILIZATIONS

Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca, on the other hand, expressed his satisfaction for supporting the 12th Mevlana Poetry Festival, emphasizing that the foundation of civilization is based on capturing hearts.

Mayor Hasan Kılca said, “The vast geography from Andalusia to Jerusalem, Bukhara, and Samarkand was not only been built with architecture, but also fermented these lands with science, inspiration, culture, and literature, and the most rooted and rarest works have come into being here. One of the most valuable of our precious works, inherited from centuries to the present, is poetry. Undoubtedly, poetry is such a brick that we cannot touch with our hands and or see with our eyes in the construction of civilizations carries every value in the heart of the geography it lives in, and keeps it alive for centuries later, just as it was in its era. Consciousness arises from poetry. As our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, “The idea of ​​a country that disconnects from the accumulation of civilization shall expose to drought. We, the Karatay Municipality, care about and support science, ideas, and thought movements without disconnecting from the accumulation of civilization. We are happy that the Mevlânâ Poetry Festival, which we organize every year with the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey, has come to traditional nature and has succeeded in ensuring its continuity. Believing that this will add value to our country and even humanity, as well as, our Konya, we host the Mevlana Poetry Festival to leave a valuable legacy to the future generation. With these feelings and thoughts, I would like to thank all our word masters who honor us with their valuable works and appeal to our hearts. The works read here became a book this year, as every year, and took their place in the libraries with cultural and artistic memory of our city. I hereby want to express my gratitude to the Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey, and all stakeholders who contributed to the meeting of this valuable work with the readers.”

KONYA IS A CITY LIKE POETRY

Ahmet Sorgun, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Konya Deputy, underlined that the Mevlana Poetry Festivals contributed to the appearance of many important names and thanked everyone who contributed to the organizations. Deputy Ahmet Sorgun said; “Konya is a city like poetry. Such a beautiful event would be worthy of such a beautiful city. I would like to thank our Konya Branch of the Writers Union of Turkey for their great efforts in the organization of Mevlana Poetry Festivals, our writers, poets, and the Mayor of Karatay who supported the event.”

SOME WORDS AND STATEMENTS ARE ATTRACTIVE AND MAGICALLY ALLURING

Speaking at the program, AK Party Konya Deputy Prof. Dr. Hacı Ahmet Özdemir said; “Some of the words and statements are alluring and magical. We are in the presence of Mevlana and the gravitational field. Of course, the magnet attracts dust just as it attracts metal. It must be an honor for us, even if we are the dust in the magnet's gravitational field. It is very nice to speak poetry in such a beautiful environment. I would like to thank our TYB Konya Branch, Karatay Municipality, poets, and writers who contributed to the organization of the 12th Mevlana Poetry Festival.”

After the protocol speeches, the poets who participated in the 12th Mevlana Poetry Festival had the opportunity to share their precious works with art lovers in Konya and all over Turkey. On the other hand, books consisting of poems read by poets were presented to the participants as a day of remembrance.