The 41st Traditional New York Turkish Day Parade, organised in New York under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, was marked with immense enthusiasm and a high level of participation.
The parade, which was first held in 1981 in the US by the Federation of Turkish American Associations in response to the assassination of Turkish diplomats by the terrorist organisation ASALA, and the ensuing festival have since become traditions. The event was attended by Türkiye's Ambassador to Washington Sedat Önal, Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız, The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) New York Representative Mehmet Dânâ, AK Party Deputy Chairman Nihat Zeybekci, Vice Head of Communications Associate Professor Çağatay Özdemir, Türkiye's Consul General in New York Reyhan Özgür as well as many Turkish NGO leaders and members.
The Turkish-American community, people from the TRNC, Azerbaijan, and the Turkic world heavily attended the event, with people from New York and neighbouring states lining up on Madison Avenue's sidewalks to watch the parade. The parade organised by the Federation of Turkish American Associations (TADF) was attended by fan associations, Turkish cultural organisations, and students from schools offering education in Turkish who greeted the protocol.
The parade began at 38th Street Madison Avenue and continued with celebrations at the concert area set up in Madison Square Park at 25th Street, where guests enjoyed performances by Turkish artists and folklore groups.
Guests, who were enthralled by the Fire of Anatolia folk dance group's performance (founded by Art Director Mustafa Erdoğan), were also afforded the opportunity to sample a variety of Turkish cuisines.
The event was also attended by Turkish police officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the NYPD Band.
"Mashallah 41 times"
Rafet El Roman, who took the stage at the festival's conclusion, said "Mashallah 41 times" when he realised the New York celebrations had been going on for 41 years and thanked everyone who had contributed.
Rafet El Roman, who performed at the Turkish Day Parade Ball in New Jersey last night, provided his fans with upbeat moments with his songs, despite his fatigue and the rain that began.
Clarinettist Serkan Çağrı and Pınar Ayhan, who previously represented Türkiye in the Eurovision Song Contest, were applauded for their performances at the festival.
The 41st edition of the Turkish Day Parade, which first started in 1981 in response to the assassination of a Turkish diplomat in the US by the Armenian terrorist organisation ASALA and became a tradition where Turkish culture was promoted in subsequent years.
