On September 20th and 21st, 2025, the Afroturk community in Izmir celebrated the traditional Dana Bayrami, their annual calf festival. The first day was reserved for lectures by guest speakers from Turkey, Canada, and France. Then, speakers from Egypt, Greece, and Austria were invited to talk about African communities in their respective countries. You can listen to all of these presentations here in Turkish and English.
Ath the end of this first day there was a festive march on one of the busiest walking street of Izmir with live music until the Vasif Cinar Square where the diva Melis Sökmen gave a closing concert. You can watch it here on Youtube
For English, please see below
14.00 Philippe Dupuich Sergisi (Afro-Turk Spirit)
14.30 Başkanlar ve Philippe Dupuich konuşmaları15.00 Panel (Afrika İzleri-Batı Trakya, Anadolu, İran)Moderatör: Orhan Çetinbilek Konuşmacılar:Prof. Behnaz Mirzai (Brock Üni. Kanada)Dr. Yasin Özdemir (Tarih)Dr. Lydia Zeghmar (Antropolog-Fransa)16.30 Konukların konuşmaları
Sibel SürelTzengkiz Retzepoglousimon INOU18.00 Tango Gösterisi (Aybala Ozkaplan-Sermet Sünnetçioğlu)
Yer: Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi (OSYM Binası)
20.00 Melis Sökmen Konseri
Saturday, 20 September 2025
14:00 Philippe Dupuich Exhibition (Afro-Turk Spirit)
14:30 Speeches by the Chairpersons and Philippe Dupuich
15:00 Panel Discussion (African Traces – Western Thrace, Anatolia, Iran)
Moderator: Orhan Çetinbilek Speakers:
Prof. Behnaz Mirzai (Brock University, Canada)Dr. Yasin Özdemir (History, Türkiye)Dr. Lydia Zeghmar (Anthropologist, France)Sibel SürelTzengkiz Retzepoglousimon INOU18:00 Tango Show (Aybala Ozkaplan-Sermet Sünnetçioğlu)
Venue: Bıçakçı Han Basmane
Venue: Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi (OSYM Building)
20:00 Melis Sökmen Concert
Venue: Vasıf Çınar Square