The Muğla Yörük Tribes Association Represented Muğla in Moldova

07 Nov The Muğla Yörük Tribes Association Represented Muğla in Moldova

The Muğla Yörük Tribes Association, invited to the Gagauz community’s “Kasım” festival celebrations in the Republic of Moldova, traveled to the town of Chișinău in Căușeni on November 7 with a five-person delegation. Over three days, the association’s delegation participated in various activities, strengthening ties between Gagauz Turks and Turkey.

The delegation visiting Moldova included Orhan Akcan, President of the Muğla Yörük Tribes Association; board members Nail Kızıl and Abdullah Eksihisarlı; Nilcen Demir, Head of the Women’s Branch; and Erdi Filiz from the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Tourism Department. The Muğla delegation joined the Gagauz Turks in their festival celebrations.

Orhan Akcan, President of the Muğla Yörük Obaları Association, stated that they had a delightful time over the three days and spoke about the Gagauz Turks’ hospitality:

 “His Excellency, the Turkish Ambassador to Moldova, and I have known each other for many years. He is a Gagauz Turk. During the “Muğla Yörük Türkmen Toyu” held on July 7-8, we invited the Gagauz Turks, who came with a 28-person delegation. It was a wonderful event. Our interactions continued, and they then invited us to the Kasım festival celebrations.  Our Metropolitan Municipality provided us with transportation support, and I would like to express my gratitude for their assistance. With the support of an assigned colleague from the Tourism Department, we attended with a five-person team. On November 8, we joined the Kasım celebrations in the Căușeni district of Chișinău. Each village sets up a tent, prepares the best local dishes, and the atmosphere turns into a true carnival. We wore our regional costumes and participated in the festivities. It was such an amazing event that we were deeply connected with the local people. When they heard that we had come from Turkey, they were overjoyed.”

Akcan expressed the deep connection between the Gagavuz Turks and their shared roots:

“On the evening of November 8, Anatoliy Topal, the Mayor of Çadır-Lunga, organized a meeting with the heads of neighboring districts. We exchanged ideas, and they emphasized our shared origins. Before leaving, we made a special banner featuring the Turkish and Moldova flags. It had the message: ‘Your blood brothers from Turkey have come; happy Kasım Yort.’ The local community showed great interest in it. It was a beautiful event. On November 9, we visited the capital, where we received even more attention because we were wearing our traditional regional attire.”