The theater play titled “An Alp Written in the Sky”, which was staged by the General Directorate of State Theaters of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and tells about the life of Ziya Gökalp, completed its Balkan tour, including North Macedonia and Kosovo, in Prizren.
The play, which was prepared on the occasion of the declaration of 2026 as the “Ziya Gökalp Commemoration Year” with the proposal of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey and the decision of the Permanent Council of TURKSOY, had its first screenings outside Turkey in the Balkan geography, where the compatriots live densely.
Within the scope of the tour organized in cooperation with the General Directorate of State Theatres, TURKSOY and Yunus Emre Institute, the work met with the audience in the cities of Gostivar and Skopje in North Macedonia.
The Ankara State Theater team, which performed for art lovers at the Cemali Berisha Culture House in Prizren, ended the tour at the closing of the 2nd International Prizren Turkish Theater Festival.
Written by Derya Özer, directed by Cem Sel and starring Ankara State Theater artist Murat Kesim, the play conveys to the audience Gökalp’s intellectual journey from his childhood years to the founding of the Republic.
Following the organization held on the 150th anniversary of Ziya Gökalp’s birth and aiming to strengthen cultural ties in the Balkans, important names from the world of theater and politics made evaluations to the AA correspondent.
“We experienced a different feeling by going back a century”
North Macedonia State Minister Zülfikar Zeynullah stated that it was a great pleasure for such an important theater work to be exhibited in Gostivar within the scope of this organization held for the first time in the Balkans.
Stating that the name Gostivar comes from the Ottomans and means “there is a guest”, Zeynullah said, “We went back a century and experienced a different feeling tonight in our city of Gostivar, which we describe as the ‘fortress of the Turks’ in the Balkans and where our Turkish compatriots live most densely. I hope such important cultural activities will be repeated from now on.” he said.
Zeynullah stated that the presence of Macedonian Turks in the region dates back to the Ottoman period and that they remained in their ancestral lands after the withdrawal of the Ottoman military in the 1920s, and said, “We say ‘Turkey is bigger than Türkiye’. When we say the Turkish world, we are no longer just talking about Türkiye, but a nation of more than 300 million. Of course, our ties are tight and will continue from now on.” he said.
“Our audience has a lot of interest”
State Theaters General Manager Tamer Karadağlı expressed his satisfaction to be in Kosovo and said, “I am very happy. The favor of our audience is very high. This made me very happy.” he said.
Pointing out that the support and projects for the region will continue, Karadağlı said, “This event will not be limited to this year only. We will continue by adding something to it.” he said.
“If Ziya Gökalp were alive, he would probably want to come here the most.”
TURKSOY Deputy Secretary General Sayit Yusuf stated that Ziya Gökalp’s ideas came to life in the Balkan geography and said, “Due to the nature of this geography, people live and keep Turkish language and Turkish culture alive here despite all kinds of difficulties and troubles.” he said.
Pointing out that if one is looking for a place to understand Gökalp and reflect his life, it is the Balkan geography, especially Gostivar, Skopje and Prizren, Yusuf said, “We saw in the show that we were not wrong in choosing this place. If Ziya Gökalp were alive, he would probably want to come here the most.” shared his opinion.
“We felt like we were acting on our own stages”
Ankara State Theater artist Murat Kesim stated that he has been working in the institution for about 17 years and that they came to Skopje to play “An Alp Written in the Sky” on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Ziya Gökalp’s birth.
Expressing that he was very impressed by the fact that Gökalp had to leave his wife and children alone during his life, Kesim said, “I was really impressed when I read the letters he wrote to them. He lived for years with a bullet in his head in a suicide attempt. He fought a great war. It really affects.” he said.
Explaining that they were welcomed very hospitably in Kesim, Gostivar and Skopje, he said, “When we met our audience here, we felt as if we were in our hometown, playing on our own stages. It was nice and honorable for us.” he said.
Establishing a connection between the struggle of the people of the region and Gökalp’s stance, Kesim said, “When I came here, I saw that people were really fighting for their identity. I think Ziya Gökalp also went through these paths and fought a great war of honor for his ideology.” shared his opinion.
“We are one of the youngest theaters in Macedonia”
Skopje Turkish Theater Director Osman Ali underlined that the troupe they manage is a national institution and informed that he has been working as a permanent actor in this institution for about 20 years and has been the director for the last two years.
Pointing out that the institution has been operating uninterruptedly for 76 years, Ali said that they are the first and only theater outside Turkey with the status of a Turkish state theater, and that the theater and its actors are known to a wider audience by the Turkish society thanks to the TV series in Türkiye.
Ali stated that young people’s interest in theater increased after the doyens grew up in this community, and said that today they have a young and dynamic staff with more than 40 employees, and said, “This makes us one of the youngest theaters in Macedonia.” he said.
Commenting that art and theater are a culture that transcends borders, Ali said, “The fact that a thinker started from Ankara State Theater and opened up to the world with the support of TURKSOY, first coming to North Macedonia, clearly shows what an unlimited power theater has.” made his assessment.
Ali stated that they are very honored to host the projects staged in Türkiye on their stages and said, “This is truly a dream for us and we would like to realize this dream on a larger scale, even by turning it into a festival in the future.” he said.
“We haven’t had such a sweet togetherness for a long time.”
Skopje Turkish Theater actress Filiz Ahmet, who is known for her roles in important productions such as “Farewell Rumelia”, “Magnificent Century” and most recently “Balkan Lullaby”, stated that they are very proud to be a part of the organization that brings together the Turkish people in the region within the scope of the tour of the play “An Alp Written in the Sky”, and pointed out that their institution is one of the first among the minority theaters in Macedonia, with a history of nearly 70 years.
“We haven’t had such a sweet togetherness for a long time.” Ahmet said, stating that they have had a deep-rooted cooperation with Turkey from the past and shared the stages with mutual tours, and added, “We hope that this beautiful friendship, this cooperation between Turkey and Macedonia, will continue in the future. I hope our togetherness will be permanent.” he said.
