site.btaBTA's Ankara Press Club Hosts Martenitsa-Making Workshop for Second Year in a Row
A martenitsa-making workshop was held Sunday at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) in Ankara. It took place for the second year in a row.
The event was organized by BTA.
Many people participated in the workshop, including Dr Yuksel Ozkale, Chairman of the Balkan Immigrants Economic Research and Social Assistance Foundation (BISAV), journalist Adnan Fisenk who covers the Turkish Grand National Assembly and is media coordinator at BISAV; Hatice Aglac, long-time presenter at the Bulgarian news desk of national public broadcaster TRT; teachers, lecturers and students of Bulgarian Studies from Ankara University and Hacettepe University, along with Bulgarian citizens.
At the opening of the event, BTA's correspondent in the Turkish capital introduced the guests to the symbolism of the martenitsa, the red-and-white good luck charm traditionally exchanged in Bulgaria on March 1 as a token of the coming spring.
Several expat women from Bulgaria demonstrated how to make a martenitsa.
People of all ages took part in the event.
BISAV Chairman Yuksel Ozkale told BTA that it is wonderful to see the tradition of the martenitsa spreading more and more in Turkiye as it symbolizes peace. He said Bulgarian culture has been gaining increasing prominence since the opening of BTA's National Press Club in Ankara. He noted that Turkish citizens greatly enjoy making martenitsi.
Ozkale also said that the previous weekend, BISAV's office in Ankara hosted a similar workshop.
Associate Professor Sadik Haci, a Bulgarian language lecturer from the Bulgarian Language and Literature programme at Ankara University, told BTA that in the past couple of years, the martenitsa, called şans bileği (good luck bracelet) in Turkish, has been growing in popularity in Turkiye. Martenitsi are now sold in stores and many girls buy them while making wishes. He added that social media is increasingly sharing information about the tradition and history of the martenitsa.
"Even though many people are unfamiliar with this tradition, they are still happy to buy martenitsi," Haci said. "We are currently witnessing the spread of one aspect of Bulgarian culture in Turkiye, and it is really impressive."
Duygu Gur, head of the Ankara branch of the International Business Women's Business Matchmaking Association, said the event at BTA's Press Club was wonderful and the atmosphere was very warm and friendly. Until now she had not known anything about the martenitsa tradition, although similar good luck bracelets are sold in Ankara.
Tuncay Ozgur, an expat from Bulgaria, said it was great to see the event held for the second consecutive year at BTA's National Press Club in Ankara. He said the martenitsa has become increasingly popular in Turkiye in recent years, and not just among immigrants from Bulgaria. He is glad that Bulgarian culture is spreading to many places in Turkiye.
Ozgur stressed that the presence of BTA's National Press Club, which opened in the Turkish capital just over two years ago, has contributed significantly to the promotion of Bulgarian culture and that interest in it is growing in Turkiye.
All participants in the workshop made their own martenitsi.
/DD/
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