"Turkish Cuisine Week" kicks off with the Balıkesir Gastronomy Festival, organized under the auspices of the Presidency and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife First Lady Emine Erdoğan and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy attended the event.

Turkish Cuisine Week is celebrated with a theme determined every year in 81 provinces and in Turkey's embassies, consulates, overseas consultancy and representative offices with promotional activities all over the world.

Within the scope of the week, the book "Centennial Recipes and Turkish Cuisine," which was prepared under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and aims to promote Turkish cuisine internationally, will also be launched. She also announced that May 21-27 will be celebrated as Turkish Cuisine Week every year.

With the events to be held during Turkish Cuisine Week, traditional foods will be promoted internationally with recipes that leave a mark not only on the past and tradition, but also on the future.

In her speech at the Balıkesir Gastronomy Festival, Erdoğan said one cannot possibly count the beautiful aspects of Balıkesir. Highlighting the abundance springing from the soil, the flavors of the dishes, its deep-rooted history, Blue Flag beaches and healing waters, Emine Erdoğan emphasized that Balıkesir is a summary of Turkey's potential.

Stating that they aim to promote Turkish cuisine in all its aspects and to achieve its deserved place in the world ranking, Erdoğan said: "Of course, Turkish cuisine is already known all over the world. It is even among the best cuisines, yet we know that a few dishes form the main lines of this reputation. Here, we are talking about thousands of years of history in Anatolia and a distilled essence from different civilizations."

"Our Gaziantep, Hatay and Afyon are also included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Every corner of our country is a gastronomy paradise. Let's bring this title to many more of our cities together," she said.

"We also have dishes that are protected by UNESCO. Many more dishes can be added to this list such as 'abugannuş,' 'oruk,' 'künefe,' 'Turkish delight,' 'kaymak,' 'sucuk' and 'pöç', but we have many more dishes that can receive geographical indications. Our duty is to work to revive this heritage and not to leave any aspect of it unexplored. I would like to take this opportunity to express that I have always been a supporter of original projects in this field," she said.

Expressing that gastronomy is expanding its sphere of influence every day, Erdoğan said: "Many new terms such as gastro-culture, gastro-tourism and gastro-diplomacy are proof that cuisine has become a power in itself. In particular, gastro-diplomacy is at the forefront of the soft power elements of states. Therefore, ethnic restaurants that open one after the other in metropolises are not an ordinary eating and drinking place, but rather waving national flags," she said.

Noting that the doors of ethnic restaurants open paths to geographies, civilizations, ecologies, traditions and beliefs, she said: "Those are places where prejudices melt the fastest. Therefore, we offer not only taste but also a world of culture on the plate. When we take all this into consideration, the potential of Turkish cuisine to become the world's leading cuisine with its wide range is very clear."

"The heritage we have is a unique tool to strengthen our country's image and to express ourselves in the most accurate way. I believe that we have set off on a good path together by declaring Turkish Cuisine Week under the leadership of our Ministry of Culture and Tourism."

The first lady also noted that as the cuisine is the mirror of a culture, Turkish culture would also be recognized in the international arena. Explaining how Turkish people value even a piece of bread as a "blessing," giving seats of honor to our friends at our tables, not touching food until the elders start to eat, she said that Turkish cuisine provides a lot of information, from our family values ​​to our world of belief.

In a global community where fast food culture is spreading rapidly, the first lady emphasized the importance of healthy and local dishes. "Halal, vegetarian and organic options are among the most preferred. I think the best answer to this search is hidden in Turkish cuisine. When you look at Anatolian cuisine, you will see that many recipes are quite healthy. There are recipes that heal the soul and body," she added.

Emphasizing that industrialization has changed the face of the cuisines as in everything else, Erdogan said: "When we say hybrid seeds, genetically modified organisms, carbon footprint, fast food culture, we have moved away from the essence of the table. As a matter of fact, when we look at the root of preventable diseases today, we see that most of them are caused by what we eat and drink," she said.

Noting that tourists now want to get to know the history, culture and life of the destination, she added how pleasing it is to see authenticity is rapidly gaining value.

Also, these days when some countries face the lack of food, Erdoğan said that Turkish cuisine promotes waste-free methods.

"Our kitchen, the transformation of leftover products into different dishes, is an important solution to the global food waste problem. Because what makes a kitchen waste-free is the mentality and teaching behind it. People are looking for ways to be environmentally friendly. However, the nature-friendly identity of our kitchen is not a new concept. It is thousands of years of experience. I sincerely believe that bringing this experience to light with the right communication plan will carry us to the forefront of the international arena."

Emphasizing that anyone who is familiar with the subtleties of Turkish cuisine can be a gastro-diplomacy ambassador, Erdoğan called for all to promote Turkish cuisine together.

After the speech, the apron-wearing ceremony of the first year students of Balıkesir University Burhaniye Faculty of Applied Sciences, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department was held.

First lady Erdoğan helped student representative Melisa Selen with her apron, and then took photos with the students and participants.