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

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For English, please see below

20.09.2025 Cumartesi

14.00 Philippe Dupuich Sergisi (Afro-Turk Spirit)

• 14.30 Başkanlar ve Philippe Dupuich konuşmaları
• 15.00 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 Sürel
• Tzengkiz Retzepoglou
• simon INOU

18.00 Tango Gösterisi (Aybala Ozkaplan-Sermet Sünnetçioğlu)

Yer: Bıçakçı Han Basmane

19.00 Kortej Yürüyüşü

Yer: Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi (OSYM Binası)

20.00 Melis Sökmen Konseri

Yer: Vasıf Çınar Meydanı

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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)

16:30 Guest speeches

• Sibel Sürel
• Tzengkiz Retzepoglou
• simon INOU

18:00 Tango Show (Aybala Ozkaplan-Sermet Sünnetçioğlu)

Venue: Bıçakçı Han Basmane

19:00 Parade

Venue: Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi (OSYM Building)

20:00 Melis Sökmen Concert

Venue: Vasıf Çınar Square