Organised for the 24th time this year by Büyükçekmece Municipality, the International Istanbul Büyükçekmece Culture and Art Festival is attended by 100 countries within the scope of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Republic.
STANDING OVATION FOR MINUTES
The Foras National Dance ensemble from Hungary participated in the International Altınköprü Folk Dance Competition, one of the main categories of the festival, and first performed the folk dances of their country on the stage. At the end of the performance, the Hungarian dancers came to the stage once again with the flags of Turkey and Hungary and sang the Izmir Anthem in Turkish. Thousands of spectators filling the amphitheatre gave the Hungarian group a standing ovation for minutes.
"I KNOW VERY WELL WHAT THIS SONG MEANS FOR TURKS"
Jozsef Szigetvari, the director of the Foras National Dance ensemble, stated that he loves Turks very much and said, "I am a Hungarian, I love Turks. One of the biggest reasons for choosing this song is that we have been living in the same lands for centuries, we have been visiting each other's homes and countries. That's why I chose this song. I know very well what this song means to Turks and what it expresses. When you come to a land, learning the language of that land is one of the greatest gifts for you, and today I had my team perform this song, which is the gift of friendship and brotherhood between Turks and Hungarians."
