Celebration of the Centenary of The Republic Of Türkiye
A century ago, General Mustafa Kamal signed the Treaty of Lausanne, which laid the foundations for the Republic of Türkiye. The surroundings of this historic event were commemorated on Thursday October 26, 2023 at the Institute of International Relations (IRIC). The Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, the Director of IRIC and the Member of the Executive Board of the MAARIF Foundation were the panelists at this historic conference.
The amphitheater 500 at the Institute of International Relations was packed to the roof today. The hall was decked out in the colors of Türkiye and Cameroon. It was a day of celebration in Yaoundé. In his introductory remarks, the Director of IRIC thanked the Ambassador for the choice of his institution and above all for the welcome initiative of organizing the celebration of the Centenary of the Republic of Türkiye in Cameroon.
"Türkiye is far from unknown. It occupies a special place in the history of our country's international relations". It was with these words that the President of the Institute of International Relations began his address. He also reviewed the history of relations between Cameroon and Türkiye, focusing on the recent visit of the Turkish President to Cameroon. A sign that our diplomatic relations are on the rise.
H.E. Volkan IŞIKÇI, Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, took the audience on a journey through time. He gave a geographical, political and economic overview of Türkiye’s history, using films, images, diagrams, and a passionate narration. He took us from the birth of the Ottoman Empire to its collapse, from the war between the Sultan Mehmet and General Mustafa Kamal to the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923, which established Türkiye as a Republic, with Ankara as its capital, and Mustafa Kamal as its first President.
Türkiye is present in Cameroon in several areas, including education. The MAARIF FOUNDATION is a Turkish school based in Cameroon. It promotes international cooperation in the education sector. In his very detailed speech, MAARIF Foundation board member Mahmut ÖZDİL highlighted the Foundation's challenges. The aim is to promote cooperation based on equality and mutual respect through education. The right to quality education is recognized as a sign of sustainable development. The aim is to put in place a pan-African approach that promotes diversity and establishes an original education that adapts to the realities of each child. With this in mind, the MAARIF Foundation has 118 schools in 16 African countries.
After all these rich presentations, there was a series of questions and answers, which the panel enjoyed to the full. A family photo rounded off this enlightening celebration.