President Erdoğan remarked, “We have seen a gradual increase in young people’s interest in sports, especially traditional sports, in our country over the last year. As Türkiye, we are determined to support the efforts to further spread our traditional sports by keeping this interest alive.”
President Erdoğan sent a video message to the 4th Ethnosport Forum, organised by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC), which has been maintaining efforts to raise awareness of and spread traditional sports and games.
“Distinguished executives of the World Ethnosport Confederation, our dear athletes, esteemed guests, I greet you with my heartfelt feelings, affection and respect,” stated President Erdoğan in his opening remarks, and wished all the success for the forum.
Extending his gratitude to all institutions and organisations across the world that were participating in, contributing to and supporting the Forum online, President Erdoğan said, “I believe that organising such a forum at a time when humanity is fighting the coronavirus pandemic is highly relevant. As a result of the pandemic, we have seen the importance of not only health and a healthy lifestyle but also of solidarity, sharing and traditional values. Throughout this process, we have realised once again that we are one big human family with shared grief and fate, regardless of language, religion, race, or region. The pandemic has revealed the dilemmas of rigid and coercive popular culture as well as injustices between countries. The prevalent mentality, which praises individualism while ignoring spirituality and despising traditional values, has exacerbated the problems caused by the pandemic”.
Expressing his belief that traditional sports, as well as the culture and values they represented would be more prominent in the world that would be reshaped in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Erdoğan added the following:
“We have seen a gradual increase in young people’s interest in sports in our country over the last year. As Türkiye, we are determined to support the efforts to further spread our traditional sports by keeping this interest alive. The discussions to be held during this important Forum with the participation of more than 60 countries will hopefully support and guide us in this struggle. With these thoughts, I would like to thank you again for your kind invitation and wish the 4th Ethnosport Forum to be auspicious for our countries. I congratulate those who have contributed to the organisation of the Forum and pray to Allah to bless you with success. I wish you the best of health.”