The Hungarian_Turkish Cultural Year series of events continued with outstanding program sin Ankara and Istambul
With significant state participation, the Hungarian – Turkish cultural season's events continued in Ankara and Istanbul, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation informed the MTI on Tuesday.
The working committee in charge of the cultural season between the two nations (Hungary and the Republic of Turkey) in Ankara evaluated the concluded events of the Hungarian-Turkish cultural season along with the success of the Hungarian-Turkish collaboration, which was exceptionally successful. Ayda Ünal, the ambassador-rank leader in charge of the season, and Péter Hoppál, the government commissioner for the season, represented Hungary. They led the committee discussion, held ont he 20th of September at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic. At the meeting, they evaluated the collaborations and the programs that had already been implemented, along with discussing the remaining tasks. Lastly, the committee began preparations for the Hungarian – Turkish cultural season’s closing event.
On September 18, an exhibition of modern Hungarian artists' works was introduced at Istanbul's Pera Museum as a season highlight. The exhibition, titled Calculations and Coincidences, which will be open until January 2025, includes pieces by Vera Molnár, Dóra Maurer, and Gizella Rákóczy from the Magyar Nemzeti Bank's (MNB) contemporary art collection, according to another ministry statement. This exhibition demonstrates excellently that the cultural exchange plays an important role in the Hungarian – Turkish connections, helping to foster deeper understanding and cooperation between the states. The press statement cites Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development, who spoke at the opening of the exhibition. He noted that Hungary highly appreciates its strong connections with the Republic of Turkey, not only in culture but also in trade, education, and diplomacy. This exhibition gives us both the opportunity to celebrate our cultural heritage and to look to the future and explore how Hungary and the Republic of Turkey can continue to develop and cooperate, he added.
In his opening speech, Péter Hoppál, the government commissioner, thanked the MNB for making its impressive and unique collection available for the Hungarian-Turkish cultural season. He stated that the goal was to initiate projects across all cultural fields to strengthen, inspire, and deepen Hungarian-Turkish collaboration while planning 100 significant activities for the season. Péter Bozó, managing director of the MNB, and Birol M. Özalp, director general of the Pera Museum, also welcomed the exhibition.
On September 19, Péter Hoppál opened the Hungarian – Turkish translators’ professional conference at the National Széchenyi Library, held at the Presidential Library of the Republic of Ankara. He discussed the significance of translation work, saying that reading and learning from each other's writings and experiences helps people understand and appreciate one another.
He also opened the exhibition of the MNB Arts and Culture exhibition „Ösztönvilág és Szoftvergrammatika”, featuring works by young visual artists, on September 21. Despite Hungarian-Turkish relations remaining strong for centuries, the government commissioner stated that it is still our responsibility to nurture positive sentiments toward one another across generations. Péter Hoppál thanked the Turkish partners and the MNB for allowing the exhibition to be shown in the context of this cultural season in Turkey. The Győr Ballet participated in the CerModern gallery's opening night performance. On September 22, the State Opera House staged the production Piano Plays and Romance, choreographed to works by Liszt, Wagner, and Kodály.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, the governments of Hungary and the Republic of Turkey launched the Hungarian-Turkish cultural season. The season will conclude in December 2024, after starting on December 18 of the previous year.