Attending North America's biggest Turkish festival celebrating the country's heritage, Türkiye's ambassador to the US highlighted the potential for such events to foster cultural exchange.

"I hope such activities can facilitate interaction, not only between and among the Turkish community, but between the Turkish community and the larger American society," Sedat Onal said at the ongoing three-day Turkish Festival that began on Friday.

Onal highlighted the current "promising stage" in Türkiye-US relations, which includes a multifaceted "rising trend" in trade, cultural exchange, and political ties.

He said that "one of the most important and strong parts of our relationship is people-to-people contacts," which events like the Turkish Festival promote.

"I think such activities like this help us increase bonds of friendship, cooperation, empathy, and understanding between the Turkish community and the larger American society," he said, vowing to continue supporting such activities.

Gathering of communities

The event opened on Friday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, setting the tone for a weekend of music, food, art, and cultural exchange. More than 200 booths line the festival grounds, offering Turkish cuisine, artisanal works, and traditional crafts such as calligraphy, paper marbling (ebru), illumination (tezhip), and ceramics.

Onal also emphasised that the festival serves as a platform for "our broad vision of the Turkish community," bringing together Azerbaijanis, Central Asian Turkic diasporas, and local Muslim groups.

Khazar Ibrahim, Azerbaijan's ambassador to the US, used a similar tone, saying: "We are together not only in Türkiye, not only in Azerbaijan, but also in different geographies, in America, in Chicago."

Noting that the Azerbaijani American Community of Illinois has also set up a stand at the event, Ibrahim said it "makes me very proud that the Turkish community and the Azerbaijani community are here together."

"Of course, Azerbaijan and Türkiye are 'one nation, two states,' and we always stand by each other. But this place is something different — this is Chicago, right in the heart of America," he added.

Sharing heritage, building understanding

Mehmet Gulluoglu, vice president of the Turkish Green Crescent, an anti-addiction organisation, told Anadolu Agency that such events are "incredibly important because, in truth, we don't know each other well enough — people around the world do not know one another well enough."

Gulluoglu, who has also served as Türkiye's ambassador to Tanzania, spoke at the festival about Türkiye's peace diplomacy and outreach. "Here, on behalf of the Green Crescent, we’re also distributing our publications on addiction prevention to both Turkish citizens and international visitors," he said.

"We have such a vast and rich civilisation to share — from our cuisine to our folk dances, from the legacies of the Ottoman and Seljuk eras to the heritage of the Republic of Türkiye, including our history and archaeology. There is so much we can tell the world. But it's only valuable if we actually share it. If we don't, we remain a hidden treasure, closed off from others."