Launching of ORSAM Report, Turkish Presence and Ottoman Heritage in Lebanon, in Beirut

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A meeting to launch the report, titled “Turkey-Lebanon Friendship Bridge: The Turkish Presence and the Ottoman Heritage in Lebanon,” was held in Beirut on 11 December 2015. The report was prepared based on a field work supported by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB). In addition to the Turkish Embassy in Beirut, YTB, Coordinatorship of TİKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) in Lebanon, ORSAM and Lebanese non-governmental organizations, locals from Lebanon, members of the press, Turkish academics based in Lebanon and representatives of Turkmen associations also participated in the meeting hosted by Yunus Emre Institute in Beirut.  
 
Cengiz Eroğlu, Director of Yunus Emre Institute in Beirut, M. Musa Budak, Coordinator at the YTB for the Middle East, Şaban Kardaş, ORSAM President and Çağatay Erciyes, Ambassador of the Turkish Republic in Beirut respectively made opening speeches of the meeting. After extending his thanks to academics who prepared the report and to persons, associations and institutions for their contribution, Çağatay Erciyes, Ambassador of Turkish Republic in Beirut referred to the previous report called “The Forgotten Turks” that ORSAM prepared in 2009 on the same subject and indicated that he himself read and benefitted from the previous report before assuming his position in Lebanon. He also referred to the visit of Turkey’s President and Prime Minister to Turkmen in Lebanon during their visit to Lebanon after the first report was published. Having stated that TİKA and Yunus Emre Cultural Center opened offices in Beirut and Türk Kızılayı, YTB, Presidency of Religious Affairs also carried out activities in Lebanon following the publication of the report, Erciyes used the following expressions: “So there are no forgotten Turkmen, but ones that are always remembered. I paid my first visit to Turkmen villages in Akkar district when I came into office. There are also other regions where my Turkmen friends live. I will also visit them at the first opportunity.” Erciyes added that they considered Turkmen living in the region and in Lebanon as “an important bridge” between where they live and Turkey.
 
Oytun Orhan, ORSAM Researcher who prepared the report and Ali Bekraki, President of Ulinuha Association who contributed to the report presented the report together. The meeting ended with the feedback and responses of the speakers to the comments and questions of the participants.