The focus of the offer was Turkish cuisine. Among them were numerous desserts. © Ralf Ruder
At the weekend, the Turkish Parents' Association Weilheim, together with the help of Turkish citizens from Weilheim, Schongau and Peißenberg, organized its first major cultural festival on Marienplatz after a three-year delay due to the pandemic. The "Turkish Days" are intended to help people get to know each other.
Weilheim – Alfred Honisch opened the "Turkish Days" on Marienplatz on Saturday afternoon. In his speech, Weilheim's third mayor recalled that the first Turkish citizens came to Weilheim about 60 years ago. Not only did they strengthen the economy, but they also brought their culture with them. Today, with 415 people, they form the largest group of immigrants, ahead of citizens from Ukraine and Kosovo.
Consulate helped
The new Imam Cemal Bildik praised the performance of the organizers, as it was important to get to know each other. The best person is the one "who brings the greatest benefit to humanity", and understanding contributes to this benefit.
The festival was organized by the Turkish Parents' Association Weilheim, founded in 2018. Fikriya Duman-Polat, who held supplementary lessons for Turkish children in Weilheim, had also been involved in the preparation of the event, which was already planned for 2020 but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. According to the chairwoman of the parents' association, Dengi Tokmak, the festival is intended to help enrich the culture. She thanked the city of Weilheim for its support. The city, as well as numerous sponsors and the Turkish consulate in Munich, contributed a lot to making the celebration possible.
The "Turkish Days" were held on Marienplatz at the weekend. Several thousand visitors had come. © Ralf Ruder
According to spokeswoman Nur Altun-Gündogdu, around 100 people from Weilheim and the surrounding area got involved to make the festival possible. The effort was worth it. On Saturday, around 1500 visitors came, on Sunday there were even more, also thanks to the better weather.
Soon it's French Week
The focus of the offer was Turkish cuisine. At the stalls there were not only kebabs and lahmacun, but also lesser-known dishes, including numerous desserts. The supporting programme was not limited to Turkish contributions. The Trachtenverein also took part, as the festival was supposed to serve to get to know each other, according to Altun-Gündogdu. The proceeds will be used to support victims of the earthquake in Turkey.
So far, there have been several street festivals in Weilheim where other cultures presented themselves. The best known are the French Week, which will take place again this year after a three-year break, and the Italian Week on the church square, which was held until 2019. Once there was a Russian cultural festival on Marienplatz. The Turkish Days are thus already the fourth event of this kind.
