Spring Festival, regarded as the harbinger of spring across the Turkic world, was celebrated in İzmir with a special night featuring Azerbaijani artists. Hosting the event, the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Dr. Cemil Tugay, emphasized the friendship between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, stating: “We want to see more Azerbaijanis here and welcome them with open arms.”
Held at Tarihi Havagazı Fabrikası, the event was organized under the auspices of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, in cooperation with İzmir Governorship, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ankara, Federation of Turkish-Azerbaijani Associations (TADEF), and with the support of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The night brought together Azerbaijani performers and a wide audience. Among the attendees were Chair of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Fuad Muradov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ankara, Reşad Memmedov, the Mayor of Karabağlar, Helil Kınay, the Mayor of Bornova, Ömer Eşki, bureaucrats, Azerbaijani residents living in İzmir, and many locals. Participants joined the Azerbaijani artists in singing, waving Turkish and Azerbaijani flags together.

A 40-Year Bond of Friendship
In his speech, Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay noted that İzmir’s first sister city was Baku, saying: “Forty years have passed. About one and a half years ago, when I visited Baku, I also met with the Mayor. We both felt somewhat embarrassed, wondering why two cities so close to each other had such limited interaction. That day, we decided to strengthen our ties. I told all Azerbaijani officials and friends the same thing: you cannot find a single person in İzmir who does not love Azerbaijan and its people. İzmir is a city deeply committed to Atatürk’s principles, filled with people who hold deep affection and respect for their kin—from the Balkans to Central Asia. Therefore, İzmir must do more to strengthen this friendship. As long as I serve as mayor, I want to see more Azerbaijanis here. We want to embrace them wholeheartedly.”

“A Strong Azerbaijan Is Our Pride”
Emphasizing that all residents of İzmir should get to know Azerbaijan more closely, Mayor Tugay said: “It would be a great honor to open the 33rd Azerbaijan House in İzmir. The stronger Azerbaijan becomes, the greater our pride. Likewise, they feel the same about Türkiye. By growing and developing, we will benefit both ourselves and our friends.”

Spring Festival to Be Celebrated at Kültürpark
Announcing that Spring Festival events would be held at Kültürpark on March 21, Mayor Tugay said: “For the first time in İzmir, we will celebrate Spring Festival together with representatives and artists from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Spring Festival is described as a Turkic spring festival dating back hundreds, even thousands of years. From now on, we will continue to celebrate it every March 21, just as our Azerbaijani friends do.”
At the event, Fuad Muradov thanked Mayor Tugay for his support and presented him with a commemorative gift.

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