Ayıntap Sohbetleri, which brings Gaziantep’s deep-rooted history and cultural richness to the microphone, has begun meeting listeners on Şafak Radio.Şafak Radio, continuing its broadcasting life under the umbrella of the Bülbülzade Foundation, is launching a new program series that sheds light on the city’s history and art. Acting with the mission of preserving local values and passing them on to the future, the radio aims to refresh Gaziantep’s memory through “Ayıntap Sohbetleri.” Broadcasting on 98.0 frequency, this voice brings the city’s hidden stories and traditions into homes with expert guests.THE JOURNEY OF WORD AND SOUNDIn the first program of the series held on Wednesday, April 15, the topic “The Journey of Word and Sound in Gaziantep” was discussed. Moderated by Hüseyin Rahmi Açıkkol, the broadcast featured Muzaffer Uslu, Lecturer at GAÜN Turkish Music State Conservatory, and Zeyneb Türkoğlu, Lecturer at Kilis 7 Aralık University State Conservatory. In the program, Gaziantep’s music culture and oral tradition were examined in depth, offering listeners an enjoyable start.GAZİANTEP’S WEDDING TRADITIONSAyıntap Sohbetleri will continue with its second program to be broadcast on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:00. This week’s program will focus on one of the city’s most colorful cultural elements, “Gaziantep Wedding Traditions.” Moderated again by Hüseyin Rahmi Açıkkol, the program’s guests will be Ülger Algın, researcher-writer İbrahim Alisinanoğlu, and historian-writer Asım Mıhçıoğlu. From wedding customs to henna nights, from traditions on the verge of being forgotten to current practices, many details will be brought to light in this broadcast with distinguished guests.Şafak Radio continues to contribute to Gaziantep’s social life with its broadcasting policy that strengthens social ties and prioritizes cultural continuity.

Our foundation continues to support the academic and spiritual development of participants of all ages in the Anatolian Cultural Centers located in Gaziantep and Syria.As Bülbülzade Foundation, we continue our educational activities with determination through our Anatolian Cultural Centers. In our courses, we do not only focus on children; we strengthen awareness of education across all segments of society by reaching participants of all ages. In this context, we continue our educational programs in our centers located in the Taşlıca, Narlıtepe, and Selahattin Eyyubi regions of Gaziantep. We also extend our educational network beyond our borders; we implement comprehensive educational programs for Syrian students in five different cultural centers located in Aleppo, Al-Bab, Jarabulus, Afrin, and Azaz in Syria.WE PRESERVE CULTURAL TIESIn the activities we carry out in our centers in Syria, we follow a curriculum tailored to the needs of our participants. We provide Arabic and Quran education and offer programs that support school lessons. Especially for participants preparing to return to their country, we organize intensive Arabic courses. In this way, we aim to preserve the connection of students of all ages to their native language and culture.THEY ACHIEVED OUTSTANDING SUCCESSParticipants receiving education in our centers demonstrate outstanding success at the end of the term. Ismail Elabed, Mahmud Aruk, Omar Mustafa, and Teym Mustafa, who continued their Arabic education at Taşlıca Anatolian Cultural Center (AKM), completed the term in first place. A similar success is also seen at Narlıtepe AKM. Jihad Al Haji, Suftlana Habash, and Muhammed Jawad, who attended Arabic classes in Narlıtepe, also achieved first place in their respective groups with their performance.STRONG COOPERATION WITH GAZİANTEP METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITYWithin the framework of the protocol we have carried out with Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, we also take an active role in GASMEK centers spread throughout the city. Thanks to this strong cooperation with the municipality, we reach children in three different GASMEK centers with our volunteer teachers. With this project carried out by our foundation’s volunteer education staff, we ensure that every child has access to quality education and put the principle of equal opportunity in education into practice.

The Karagöz store of the Bülbülzade Foundation Aid Unit continues its assistance activities in April without slowing down, while preserving the dignity of our citizens in need.Our Aid Unit, which operates within our foundation, continues to provide support through its store in Karagöz by respecting the dignity of those in need. Within the scope of our “Dress a Child Too” campaign, we implement a model that goes beyond traditional aid methods. In this special space, our children walk among the shelves and personally choose the items that suit their tastes and needs. Through this method, our children not only receive new clothes but also fully experience the joy of shopping in a store. As a result of our meticulous efforts throughout April, we have enabled many of our children to experience happiness as if it were a holiday celebration.WE WORK SHOULDER TO SHOULDERThis meaningful aid mobilization, led by the Bülbülzade Foundation Store Unit, incorporates a multifaceted network of solidarity. At every stage of the project, the Mozaik Women and Family Association, Anadolu Student Union, ESC (European Solidarity Corps) volunteers, and members of our Tradesmen Unit take active roles. Our volunteers closely attend to every detail, from sorting donations to organizing the store, welcoming children, and helping them find the right sizes. The strong bonds we have established with our stakeholders make it possible for aid to reach those in need in a much more organized and efficient manner.CONTINUITY IN AIDRather than producing temporary solutions in our aid activities, we aim to establish a sustainable system. For this purpose, we have tied our “Dress a Child Too” campaign to a specific schedule. To ensure the continuity of aid, we open the doors of our Karagöz store to families every two weeks on Saturdays. Our store unit teams complete their preparations with great care to keep stocks up to date and reach more children at each meeting. Our foundation will continue to stand by families in need with determination, keeping the spirit of social solidarity alive.

We conducted an in-depth analysis of Amin Maalouf’s work “In the Name of Identity”, in which he examines the phenomenon of identity and crises of belonging, together with participants from different cities and disciplines at Pusula Book & Coffee.The Anatolian Student Union, operating under our foundation, and the Gaziantep University Anatolian Student Community continue to bring book lovers together through the Oku’yorum Project. In this meaningful reading initiative, which has continued uninterrupted for three years, we held the first analysis session of the second term. We selected Amin Maalouf’s striking work “In the Name of Identity” as the opening book of the term. We gathered at Pusula Book & Coffee on the Gaziantep University campus and thoroughly examined the concept of identity—one of the most pressing issues of the modern world.AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS ACROSS CITIESOur event was not limited to students in Gaziantep. The participation of guests who traveled from other cities specifically for this session further enriched the diversity of ideas at the table. In the session moderated by Rukiye Kaplan, we explored in depth the dual impact of identity on the human psyche. We discussed how identity can be both a foundational element that shapes us and, at the same time, a factor that can lead to polarization and conflict.The unique perspectives offered by participants studying in a wide range of disciplines—from engineering to theology, from medicine to social sciences—added both academic and human depth to our discussions. This interdisciplinary approach greatly contributed to interpreting Maalouf’s universal messages along a broad line extending from the local to the global.ON AMIN MAALOUF AND “IN THE NAME OF IDENTITY”In this essay, Lebanese-born French author Amin Maalouf raises the question of why many people resort to violence in defense of their identities, and throughout our discussion, we pursued this critical question. We examined in detail how reducing a person to a single identity leads to dangerous consequences, emphasizing the indivisibility of identity. We also explored how the distinction between “us” and “them” transforms identity into a deadly weapon and analyzed the crises of belonging at the root of social conflicts.As the author suggests, we sought to develop a universal perspective by looking beyond mere tolerance and exploring how different parts of our identities can coexist without being denied in today’s world.During this productive gathering at Pusula Book & Coffee, we also shared our own journeys of identity inspired by the lines of the book. Through the Oku’yorum Project—where we deepen as we read and grow richer as we discuss—we continue to read, understand, and make sense of the issues of our civilization and our time together.

During our visit to Syria with the delegation of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (ICSU), we met with official authorities and examined on-site the humanitarian situation and the reconstruction process.For years, we have been standing by the people of the region through a wide range of activities across many parts of Syria, from education to humanitarian aid, from social support to development projects. We continue our efforts առանց interruption to carry our deep-rooted field experience and institutional memory further through new collaborations. In this context, together with the ICSU delegation, we conducted a comprehensive field visit to Syria between April 13–16, 2026. In order to identify current needs on-site and strengthen our institutional ties with local dynamics, we held intensive engagements along a wide route extending from Aleppo to Damascus.STRATEGIC MEETINGS IN DAMASCUSDuring the Damascus leg of our visit, we met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Damascus, Nuh Yılmaz, and evaluated the latest developments in the region and civil society activities. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority shared with us its projects aimed at rebuilding infrastructure. In our meetings with the Ministry of Awqaf and the Presidency of Labor and Social Affairs, we focused on increasing social resilience and restoring public services. We also visited the historic Al-Osman Mosque and observed its spiritual atmosphere on-site.FIELD OBSERVATIONSAs part of our field program, we completed our official engagements in Aleppo with the Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Aleppo, Muammer Hakan Cengiz, and the Head of the Aleppo Political Bureau, Saad Nahsan. In order to better understand the social fabric of the city, we held productive meetings with the Aleppo Beşir Association and the Syrian Forum Presidency. Following Aleppo, we traveled to Daraa, where we met with the Governor of Daraa, Anwar Taha al-Zuğbi, to discuss the humanitarian situation in the region and visited the historic Omar Mosque.FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FUTURE ACTIVITIESIn order to observe daily life and social facilities, we examined the Nadi Al-Muhafaza Sports Facility in Damascus. To better understand the region’s social dynamics, we visited the Douma district of Damascus and exchanged views with local residents and officials. These engagements form the basis of the activities we will carry out across Syria in the upcoming period, as well as our budget planning.As Bülbülzade Foundation, we remain firmly committed to contributing to the process of lasting recovery in the region and strengthening humanitarian aid bridges.

As part of the Erasmus+ project of Bülbülzade Association, 40 young people from 5 countries who came to Gaziantep met with Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin and examined the city’s global success model and future vision on site.The Erasmus+ KA151 project titled “Borderless Youth for an Inclusive Future,” carried out by Bülbülzade Association, supported by the Turkish National Agency and hosted by Bülbülzade Foundation, continues to bring international youth together with the cultural and administrative richness of Gaziantep. Within the scope of the project, a youth delegation of approximately 40 people from 5 different countries such as Germany, England, and Serbia visited Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin in her office. During the meeting, which took place in a sincere atmosphere, the young people had the opportunity to ask Mayor Şahin directly about the city’s historical texture, tradesmen culture, and local government achievements.THE ART OF BEING PART OF THE SOLUTIONDuring the visit, Fatma Şahin, who made comprehensive statements about the “Gaziantep Model,” which attracted great interest from the young people, defined this concept as the embodiment of the principles that the world calls productivity and coordination at the city scale. Şahin emphasized that the basis of success lies in the understanding of being part of the solution rather than the source of the problem by saying “we, not I” in every field from the refugee crisis to the mobilization in education. Giving concrete examples of work in the fields of migration management and social services, Şahin shared strategic steps with the young people, ranging from the integration of refugee children into the system to the construction of 126 schools built in cooperation with industrialists.GAVE ADVICE TO YOUTHAnswering questions from young people from different countries about personal development and success, Mayor Şahin referred to the life philosophy of Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar in her speech. Şahin reminded young people of the following three basic principles that will guide them in their career journeys:First of all, work very hard to make the long life ahead of you productive.Do not be afraid of failures; learn to rise quickly by taking a lesson from every fall.Begin the ideal of changing the world by first focusing on your own development and transforming yourself.