Turkish first lady attends event on Ottoman sufi poet, heritage in Hungary

Türkiye's first lady has attended a special programme in Budapest promoting a book on a 14th-century Ottoman sufi poet and the empire's rich heritage in Hungary.

Emine Erdogan, accompanying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Budapest for a summit on Thursday, was welcomed by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) Coordinator in Budapest Elif Turkislamoglu, Gul Baba Foundation Deputy Chair Suat Karakus, and architect Mehmet Emin Yilmaz, who wrote the book.

Erdogan visited the tomb of Ottoman Dervish poet Gul Baba — also known as Jafer, or the "Father of Roses" in Hungary — which was restored in 2018 in a collaboration between the Hungarian government and TIKA, the Turkish state aid agency.

During the visit, Yilmaz, who was also in charge of the restoration project, presented his book, Gul Baba and the Spiritual Heritage of Ottoman Hungary, which was published by TIKA.

Yilmaz also gave a presentation about the book and personally handed a copy to the first lady.

Legacy of 'Father of Roses'

"I am happy to gather around the legacy of Gul Baba, who came from Anatolia and was laid to rest in this land, on the 100th anniversary of the Türkiye-Hungary Friendship Treaty.

"It is truly exciting that six years after TIKA's restoration efforts and the establishment of the cultural centre at the Gul Baba Tomb, this spiritual heritage is now being crowned with a new book," Erdogan wrote in the guestbook at the Gul Baba Tomb.

"I wholeheartedly believe that this valuable work, which embarks on a journey to discover Ottoman traces in Hungary alongside Gul Baba, will further strengthen the longstanding friendship between Türkiye and Hungary, which has already spanned a century," she added.

"The accumulation of cultural wealth in the world, growing through the values we add to each other's worlds of meaning, reminds us once again of the fact that we are all members of the human family.

"It is deeply meaningful that the path once taken by a Bektashi Dervish named Gul has now turned into a symbol of friendship between two nations. This precious gathering, which has touched our hearts in the friendly country of Hungary, will remain in my heart forever," she added.

She also spoke briefly with Turkish journalists in Budapest covering the summit.

On social media, Emine Erdogan said that on the 100th anniversary of the Türkiye-Hungary Friendship Treaty, they gathered around the legacy of Gul Baba, an Anatolian figure who was laid to rest in Hungary after his death in 1541.

Erdogan expressed her immense happiness at seeing the traces of Türkiye-Hungary friendship and "the enduring brotherhood that spans centuries in a place where every step resonates with history and spirituality".

"This tomb, which came to life again in 2018 with the support of TIKA, is a testament to our shared values that have endured from the Ottoman era to the present — an inheritance that is respected and cherished with love.

"With Mehmet Emin Yilmaz's book Gul Baba and the Spiritual Heritage of Ottoman Hungary, we added another piece to this story and shared the excitement of putting into words the century-old friendship. I hope this meaningful work will light the way for future generations, helping to build many more bridges of the heart between Türkiye and Hungary," she added.