The 64th International Nasreddin Hodja Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Presidency's Communication Directorate, Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and Akşehir Municipality, has begun.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the festival held at Cumhuriyet Square, Mayor Salih Akkaya of Akşehir stated that the festival is meticulously prepared every year. He said, "We welcome rich and high-quality days filled with cultural and artistic events that are worthy of our city and the descendants of Nasreddin Hodja. In our festival, a variety of colorful artistic activities will be showcased, ranging from concerts to theater performances, exhibitions, workshops, folk dances from both domestic and foreign groups, and competitions, appealing to everyone."
Famous actor Çetin Altay, portraying Nasreddin Hodja, expressed his gratitude to everyone for considering him worthy of the role. He said, "I sincerely thank you all for deeming me worthy of this. It is truly a great honor for me. After arriving here, a different excitement overwhelmed me, wearing this hat, wearing this robe and holding the rosary in my hand. I am even willing to come here just to be part of this festival from the sidelines for years to come. I wish you all a great time and lots of fun."
As part of the event, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, the Minister of Family and Social Services, from Konya, also visited the city.
