The 22nd Turkish Culture and Art Festival in Boston, Massachusetts started with the participation of representatives from the Boston municipality, the state governor's office and many citizens on Oct. 29.

Held as part of Turkey's Republic Day, which has been celebrated in Boston since 2000, the 22nd Boston Turkish Culture and Art Festival began with a traditional flag-raising ceremony.

In the festival, students from the Orhan Gündüz School in Boston took place with a special music program this year.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the festival, festival director and president of the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England, Erkut Gömülü, expressed his happiness to open the festival.

Turkish consul-general in Boston Ömür Budak, Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson and Assistant Secretary of Business Development Nam Pham also spoke at the ceremony. They celebrated both Republic Day and also the opening of the festival.

The Boston Turkish Culture and Art Festival will continue until Dec. 15 this year. There are exhibitions, film screenings, concerts and Turkish cuisine at the festival, themed Colors of the Anatolia.