Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center held a cultural event for Palestinian students in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. At the event held on Sunday, Turkish breakfast tradition and culinary culture were introduced.
Students from Birzeit University and trainees learning Turkish at the Yunus Emre Institute attended the event. Center director Abdulkadir Astih told Anadolu Agency that such activities are part of efforts to promote Turkish culture, especially its cuisine.
Astih said, "As a center, we attach importance to introducing Turkish traditions and customs to Palestinian students, especially those learning Turkish. Cuisine is a fundamental part of cultural identity."
Emphasizing that Turkish cuisine has a rich and diverse structure inherited from Ottoman cuisine, Astih noted that this diversity stems from the cultural interaction of different peoples within the Ottoman Empire. Astih stated that the event gave students the opportunity to get to know traditional foods found on breakfast tables in Turkey, and that similarities between Palestinian and Turkish cuisines were also observed.
The breakfast table included salty and sweet varieties as well as simit, a traditional Turkish pastry. Astih added that the center organizes cultural and language events throughout the year aimed at strengthening cultural exchange between the Palestinian and Turkish peoples and encouraging students to learn Turkish.
Yunus Emre Institute's presence in Palestine
Yunus Emre Institute has two official branches in Palestine. The Jerusalem branch was opened in 2013 under the name "Turkish Cultural Center affiliated with the Turkish Consulate General in Jerusalem." The Ramallah branch became operational in 2018, expanding the institute's activities in the West Bank.
Founded in 2009, Yunus Emre Institute operates in dozens of countries with the aim of promoting Turkish culture and language and opening Turkey's cultural doors to the world.
