In Türkiye, numerous major events, spanning sports, pop music and various other categories, captivate audiences of all ages, showcasing the nation's vibrant enthusiasm. However, among these, a truly exceptional occurrence unfolded during its 12th edition: the International Orange Blossom Carnival in Türkiye's southern province of Adana.
Three remarkable aspects deserve attention in a firsthand report from the event itself.
Firstly, the duration of the carnival stands out. In the spring of 2013, Ali Haydar Bozkurt, affectionately known as the "original idea generator" and hailed as the father of the street carnival by the citizens of Adana, expressed uncertainty to the author regarding the carnival's future during the inaugural 1st Orange Blossom Carnival, citing dependency on numerous factors, particularly future sponsorship. Merely a year later, under sunny skies, the carnival burgeoned into a significant event, warmly embraced by the people of Adana. Expanding rapidly from a single day to three days, the carnival now spans an impressive nine-day program, attracting a record-breaking 1.5 million guests. Of course, not all attendees gathered on a single day; rather, various major events, including open-air concerts, spread across different days, collectively drawing over two hundred thousand visitors daily.
This brings us to the second point: who attends the carnival? Adana boasts a population of over 2 million people, making it feasible that even if only half participated, the magic million milestone would be surpassed. Being present at the carnival confirms this observation – it feels as if an entire city comes alive for nine glorious days. However, another significant factor emerges: approximately 200,000 visitors from across Türkiye and numerous other countries worldwide flock specifically to the carnival. Hotels are fully booked, and securing a table at a restaurant without a reservation becomes a challenge, particularly with Adana's delectable cuisine on offer. Organizers estimate around 150,000 overnight stays in local and regional hotels.
Lastly, what instills pride in the organizers and attendees alike, and what defines the carnival's essence? Who better to provide insight than Ali Haydar Bozkurt, president of the Carnival Committee, and CEO (Marketing and Sales) and chairperson of the board of directors of Toyota Türkiye.
In his original wording, Bozkurt was always looking ahead, the same as back in 2013, and intends to make things even better, if that is the right terminology. He explained that: "In the near future, we will increase our promotional activities, especially abroad, and we want to contribute even more to incoming tourism in our region. In future years, we want our craftsmen to decorate the stores and houses of our citizens during the carnival season. We want to immerse ourselves even more in the carnival atmosphere. We also call on all institutions to plant more lemon trees in the streets of Adana. We want to implement this step by step in cooperation with the relevant institutions in the city. Our traders and guests are very happy with the carnival. Everyone, including children and young people, has a carnival of tolerance. I expect that Adana's economy will reach a record level with the professional support of the events within the framework of this strong cooperation, as well as with the domestic and foreign advertising support and the extension of the program duration to nine days. This year, our carnival will reach an economic value of over 5 billion TL. Twelve years ago, when we set out, we declared that this carnival would send a message of friendship and brotherhood to the whole world. The people of Adana have responded so well to the carnival that we now call for peace and tolerance every year."
In addition, as part of another series of events throughout Türkiye – the large-scale "Cultural Street Festival" – an enormously important additional cooperation partner was found: the Culture and Tourism Ministry, which oversees their Cultural Street Festival. The ministry had decided to include the street carnival in Adana in its own national program in 2024 and has its very own 2024 kick-off event – success everywhere.
The Orange Blossom Carnival in Adana not only contributes approximately 150 million euros (nearly $161 million) to the local and regional economy but also fosters 1.5 million "goodwill ambassadors," spreading Adana's celebratory spirit throughout Türkiye and across the globe. With an enthusiastic city and an "Organizing Committee 2.0," April in Adana becomes a must-attend event. This leads to my final observations: therefore, isn't now the perfect time to advocate for promoting the Republic of Türkiye as a brand, a goal highlighted by the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye on May 9, 2022? What's at stake?
The establishment of the Türkiye Brand Office aims to enhance the nation's brand value in global competition by showcasing its success stories across various sectors, including education, technology, health, communication, industry, defense, sports, culture, diplomacy, humanitarian aid, tourism, energy, innovation, trade, economy, infrastructure and transportation.
As the official information states, quoted from the Türkiye Brand Office available via @BrandTurkiye, "In this context, the strengthening of our national brand is central to the Türkiye Communication Model. Its goal is to institutionalize the activities for the Strong Türkiye Brand, which is an integral part of the Strong Türkiye vision for 2023-2053-2071 under the leadership of our President. Our objectives include completing the transition from promotion to branding, developing the Türkiye National Brand Model, strengthening the Türkiye Nation Brand, increasing our entrepreneurial capacity and the number of trademarks in all sectors, and reaching the target of 20 Turkish Brands in the top 500 by 2030. It combats defamation attempts that harm the Türkiye brand and image in the international arena, and it contributes to the strengthening of Türkiye's global brand identity and value, as well as the country’s image."
Furthermore, what is thus so remarkable with regard to evaluating this year’s Orange Blossom Carnival is that the organizers managed to get full recognition from the central government, which they rightly deserve. Granted, and I have been in Adana from the very first day of the festival, initially, there was some hesitation regarding if the festival "could ever work," and written with all due journalistic modesty, by now I can say that it did for sure.
What’s more, Adana and Türkiye came a long way under the leadership of both the city administration with Mayor Zeydan Karalar, recently re-elected, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the charismatic personality at the helm of this enterprising nation. Regardless of what so many ill-fated "media people" outside of Türkiye deliberately portray in the wrong manner, Türkiye is one nation, one country. It is a role model democracy where the government speaks with the opposition, and where the opposition enters into dialogues with the central government.
The International Orange Blossom Carnival symbolizes this unity – citizens have a right to disagree on certain issues but what modern Türkiye stands for is to disagree in harmony.
With regards to Adana, the carnival, no need to disagree about anything.
