Bilal Erdogan highlights unity at 6th Ethnosport Culture Festival

Türkiye's Sixth Ethnosport Culture Festival begins, aiming to convey messages of peace to the world, the head of the World Ethnosport Confederation has said.

Emphasising the importance of traditional sports activities, Bilal Erdogan expressed his satisfaction with organising the festival, which just opened at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Thursday.

Underlining how current world events show that humanity needs peace more than ever, Erdogan said that the conflicts ongoing in different parts of the world, including "the genocide in Palestine," push us to "work even harder for peace."

Stressing the importance of solidarity and peace for the future of humanity, Erdogan expressed that these values are supported at Ethnosport "with the strong bonds we establish through our traditions."

"In these times, we must hold tightly onto the values that bind us together and define us. I see the Sixth Ethnosport Culture Festival as extremely important in this context," he explained.

"We continue our mission not only for a specific geography but also for the future of all humanity."

The festival in Istanbul includes a section dedicated to children whose lives have been upended and lost in Israel's brutal war against Palestinians, namely the thousands of Gazan children who lost their lives in Tel Aviv's attacks since last fall.

At the festival, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors, hundreds of shoes representing children from Gaza are on exhibit at the event area.

Sixth Ethnosport Culture Festival

Istanbul's Governor Davut Gul also attended the event, and expressed that in an era dominated by globalisation, it is crucial to preserve national culture.

Voicing hope that the festival will continue for years to come, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak said that Türkiye organised the UEFA Champions League final last year with its modern stadiums.

"We will host the UEFA finals in 2026 and 2027. Türkiye, together with Italy, will host the 2032 UEFA European Football Championship. Türkiye is a country that hosts many international events. This is intercultural communication," he added.

The festival, which is expected to draw thousands of visitors from both Türkiye and worldwide, continues through Sunday at the grounds of Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.