Türkiye has been organizing regional celebrations that pick up pace in the spring for decades. The festivities honor both Türkiye's abundance of natural beauty and its distinctive topography.

The country has a lot to offer its people and even visitors from abroad. From Istanbul's Tulip Festival, Mersin's Daffodil Festival and Adana's Orange Festival to Karaburun Narcissus Festival, visitors can spend quality time enjoying the natural beauty the country offers its visitors.

The annual Daffodil Festival has finally arrived, with daffodils embellishing the landscape with their vivid yellows in Mersin and the Karaburun daffodils creating the most magnificent aroma in Mediterranean gardens.

Daffodil Festival

The Mersin Metropolitan Municipality organized the Daffodil Festival to publicize the efforts to plant daffodil seedlings on wasteland converted for cultivation. Mersin Metropolitan Mayor Vahap Seçer and his wife Meral Seçer participated in the celebration, which garnered a lot of public attention. The mayor and his wife went into the daffodil field to collect the blooms with local woman farmers.

Several residents from Mersin's city center took part in the festival, which was held in Tarsus' Pirömerli district. Many activities such as daffodil field trips and harvests, a daffodil arrangement competition, daffodil jam making, daffodil cultivation, games and performances kept the audience engaged.

Seçer, who was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the citizens, harvested daffodils by saying "may it be fruitful." Sharing that the daffodil is his favorite flower, the official said: "I am with my sisters (referring to the woman farmers). Today we have a Narcissus Festival. We are living in an age where women's hard work and participation are yielding results. May it be fruitful."

The mayor started his speech by saying that the festival took place in beautiful weather and energy. "It is a truly fragrant festival," he commented. The scent of daffodils, the chirping of birds and the sprightly energies of the Tarsus people make this place heaven. Let's welcome our daffodils, the flower of love, which symbolize innocence."

Affirming that the municipality works diligently to serve the citizens, the mayor said: "I love our people very much. I say this with pride. The love and respect you show us make us proud, but it also makes us emotional. Your love makes us want to do so much more," he added.

Commenting on the atmosphere and enthusiasm during the festival, Seçer said: "It is an amazing festival. Let me be honest, I did not know and did not expect such a scenario until I came here. People from all parts of Mersin are here. This is the real purpose of the festivities: To be together, to cherish the same identity we share and to stand united under the same flag."

"We are doing good work in agriculture," the mayor continued, highlighting that the municipality especially supports women who take part in agriculture. "The land is the place where the most halal income is obtained. Every penny earned by the farmer is halal. I don't need to tell you how much hardship farmers go through, especially women," the official lamented.

Seçer also shared the good news about the solar panel project that will facilitate the nomads living in tents, saying: "Yörük citizens spend their entire lives in their tents. They go to the mountains in the summer and go down to the plains in the winter. They need electricity. This year, we will distribute 300 solar energy panels to needy families," he announced.

Karaburun Narcissus Festival

The 5th Karaburun Narcissus Festival, organized by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Karaburun Municipality to introduce the daffodil to the world, brought together thousands of Izmir residents in the district. The festival has brought great economic activity to the district, making both the people of the region and the producers smile.

The festivities have gained great momentum with the support of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Thousands of people from local cities and abroad flocked to the festival, which was held on Jan. 21-23. Long lines of vehicles formed at the entrance to the district center. Visitors, who shopped for both daffodils and local handicrafts, tasted the unique flavors of Karaburun.

Emphasizing that production-based festivals provide an economic boost to the city, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer said: "The festival is experiencing an intense pace this year. Tours and trips are organized, which is Izmir's contribution to the country's development."

Meanwhile, Karaburun Mayor Ilkay Girgin Erdoğan shared that over 100,000 visitors attended the festival only on the first day. "The festival hosted not only people from Türkiye but also from abroad. I believe with the support of Soyer, the Narcissus Festival will reach the heights it deserves," he added.

Sharing her experience at the festival, one of the participants named Melek Dursun who came all the way from Ankara to attend the event, said that her friend from Izmir told her about the festival. Meanwhile, another participant named Duygu Üçer said: "I attend the festival every year. However, extensive participation makes this place too crowded at times."

On the other hand, Hasan Öksüzer, a Narcissus producer, said: "I have been working in this field for 30 years now. I am very pleased. As a farmer and a producer, this festival brings smiles to our faces. I have already sold half of my flowers. We even had foreign customers. It's very crowded, I'd extend my gratitude to our mayor, Tunç Soyer. Without his cooperation, it wouldn't have been possible."