DUZCE(IHA) – Educator and Writer Dr. Lecturer Member Mümin Ali stated that the Balkans has a significant literary accumulation with approximately 2 thousand poets and writers produced during the 600-year Ottoman rule.
The conference titled “Turkish Traces in the Balkans” organized by Düzce University was held with a wide participation. The program at Istiklal Conference Hall; Düzce Mayor Dr. Faruk Özlü and his wife Prof. Dr. Onur Özlü, Rector Prof. Dr. Nedim Sözbir, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. İlhan Genç, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Prof. Dr. Ali Ertuğrul, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Dr. Duygu Ekinci, academicians and students attended.
The invited speaker of the conference, Educator and Writer Dr. Lecturer Member Mümin Ali started his speech by performing his poem “Balkan Song”. In his speech addressing the historical and cultural layers of the Balkans, Ali stated that understanding the traces of the Turks in the region could only be possible by keeping the historical memory alive, and stated that the legacy extending from the Ahmet Yesevi tradition to the Ottoman period had a long-lasting impact on the Balkan geography.
Emphasizing that the cultural and spiritual values that the Ottomans brought to the Balkans since the 11th century are strongly reflected in the identity of the Balkan cities, Mümin Ali stated that the Balkans have a significant literary accumulation with approximately 2000 poets and writers trained during the 600-year Ottoman rule.
Reminding that the architectural heritage in the Balkans bears strong traces of Turkish culture, Dr. Ali detailed the effects of Turkish-Islamic culture through the number of mosques, city texture and religious life reported by historical sources. Lecturer added that in a multi-layered structure where different cultures coexist in the Balkans, Turkish plays a unifying role and Turks are in a culturally leading position. Member Dr. Mümin Ali concluded his speech by reminding that academic ties with the Balkan countries should be strengthened and studies should be carried out with the awareness that Turkish is an important bridge in communication with the communities living in the region.
Program; Educator and Writer Dr. Lecturer It ended with the presentation of a certificate of appreciation and a gift to member Mümin Ali by President Faruk Özlü and Rector Nedim Sözbir. – DUZCE
