Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun delivered a speech at the ‘Meeting Point of Centuries-old Delights: Turkish Cuisine in Seven Regions’ event organised under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan on the occasion of May 21–27 Turkish Cuisine Week at the Presidential Complex.
Head of Communications Altun stated that as part of Turkish Cuisine Week, they convened to promote and explore the richness of Turkish cuisine, an integral component of Turkish cultural heritage, and said, "Turkish cuisine is a veritable treasure trove with a synthesis of elements from various civilisations, its countless years of history, and its variety of flavours. This treasure is not only a cultural asset for us but also one of the most effective tools of Türkiye's public diplomacy."
Head of Communications Altun said that Turkish cuisine reflected the richness and diversity of all seven regions of Türkiye and went on to say:
"Turkish cuisine is the epitome of balanced and healthy nutrition, with its flavour, naturalness, waste-free recipes, storage, and cooking methods. One of the most important aspects of Turkish cuisine is its ability to bring everyone together around one table, regardless of language, religion, or race, as well as its hospitality. In this regard, our cuisine stands out not only for its flavours but also for its ability to bring people together, cement friendships, and strengthen social ties. Our cuisine reflects peace, tolerance, generosity, solidarity, and love for humanity."
Head of Communications Altun stated that each of the dishes in Turkish Cuisine was rooted in a story, a custom, or a tradition and that while recipes were passed down through generations, Turkish cultural values were also preserved. Head of Communications Altun said, "One of the core tenets of our nation branding strategy is disseminating these characteristics of our cuisine globally, establishing friendships through gastro-diplomacy, and strengthening preexisting friendships while sharing our story around Turkish cuisine."
"Strategy document identifies five goals"
Stating that gastro-diplomacy was a field that was constantly expanding its sphere of influence and ranked highly among states' soft power elements, Head of Communications Altun said:
Upon the directions and instructions of our President, as the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, we have designated a separate section for "Gastrodiplomacy" in the National Public Diplomacy Strategy Document and Action Plan, which we prepared with the assistance of numerous public institutions and non-governmental organisations. The relevant strategy document identifies five strategic goals for gastro-diplomacy: establishing our country as a "gastronomy country" on the international stage; strengthening the Türkiye brand through gastrodiplomacy; making Türkiye a leading country for gastronomy tourism; using gastronomy as an effective tool of diplomacy; and improving our institutional capacity in this field.
Stating that the Gastrodiplomacy Committee currently consists of representatives from the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Yunus Emre Institute, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, Foreign Economic Relations Board, Turkish Exporters Assembly, and Turkish Airlines, Head of Communications Altun said, "As the coordinator of the Gastrodiplomacy Committee, our Directorate will continue to provide support and contributions to such initiatives in the future."
"The star of Turkish cuisine shines brighter by the day on the global stage"
Stating that Türkiye was now attracting global attention as a gastronomic destination, and Turkish cuisine was becoming widely recognised, admired, and prominent around the world, Head of Communications Altun added:
"Several of our cities, including Gaziantep, Hatay, and Afyonkarahisar, have been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and we have many gastronomic products, such as Keşkek, Mesir Paste, and Turkish coffee, which have been listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
In a similar vein, the star of Turkish cuisine shines brighter by the day, thanks to our products receiving geographical indication registration from the European Union and those registered by the Turkish Patent Institute, as well as the outstanding achievements of Turkish chefs in international competitions, who have also introduced our cuisine to the world through the restaurants they have opened."
Pointing to the importance and efforts First Lady Emine Erdoğan has given to the promotion of Turkish cuisine, Head of Communications Altun said, "The book 'Turkish Cuisine with Timeless Recipes,' which she prepared to introduce our culinary culture, is one of the products of this precious effort. For three years, under the leadership of First Lady Erdoğan, and with the motto "Effective promotion of Turkish cuisine is possible through cooperation,' we have successfully shared our diverse culinary heritage with a large audience during the week of May 21–27. This has been made possible through the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Throughout this important week, we are exhibiting Turkish cuisine, which is the culmination of millennia of culture, tradition, social heritage, tales, and extensive knowledge, throughout the Republic of Türkiye's foreign missions as well as in all 81 provinces."
Stating that, in this context, they were organising an event to promote the natural and cultural heritage, as well as culinary cultures, of various geographical regions of Türkiye, from the Aegean to Eastern Anatolia, from the Black Sea to Central Anatolia, in the exhibition and digital experience areas they have set up in the Exhibition Hall of the Presidential Complex, Head of Communications Altun said:
"This innovative exhibition, which aims to promote our country's culinary culture and provides information about the culinary richness and dining cultures of all regions of Türkiye, will also feature weaving handicrafts and unique table settings. Our exhibition, which will be open for one month, will, I believe, make a significant contribution to promoting Turkish cuisine. We are delighted to introduce you to the richness and immense potential of Turkish Cuisine, to share this experience with you and we look forward to sharing this experience with you at many future Turkish Cuisine Week events."
Head of Communications Altun thanked First Lady Emine Erdoğan for her leadership and guidance, as well as Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, ministry staff, and the Presidency's Directorate of Communications staff for their support of the event.
