Dear Mr. Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston
Dear President and Members of ATA-Houston,
Dear Commissioner Zafar Tahir,
Dear participants, dear guests,

I am truly honored to address you on this very special occasion. We are all happy to witness that the 27th Houston Turkish Festival is being organized after a four-year break. This festival indeed has a special meaning in the minds and hearts of Turkish American community in Houston and in Texas. In the past, this festival always had been a unique platform to display the richness of Turkish art, Turkish culture and Turkish cuisine. Festival also had played an important role in gathering people from different countries with different cultural identities. It thus served for a better understanding and promoted closer cooperation among the people with different backgrounds.

Dear friends of Türkiye,
This year we, as the Turkish nation, are wholeheartedly proud to celebrate the centennial of the proclamation the Republic of Türkiye. The achievements and success of this past century are excellent signs what the Turkish nation is able to do and this success brings us an opportunity to look forward in self-confidence.

Taking this excellent opportunity, I want to express my profound gratitude to the founder of our Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his brothers in arms because they struggled for the Turkish independence and proclaimed the Turkish Republic after the justified and courageous Turkish Independence War. I want to express my thanks to the people who contributed to the development and prosperity of Türkiye and Turkish nation in this past hundred years.

I also would like to extend my special thanks to those who involved in the realization of the 27th Houston Turkish Festival, especially to Mrs. Ebru Çimen Tarhan the President of ATA-Houston and to the volunteers who took part in the organization process. I am sure that without their tireless work and without their courage, realization of this festival would have not been possible.

Dear friends of Türkiye, thank you all for joining us this evening to share our pride and excitement to celebrate the centennial of the Republic of Türkiye.

I wish you a pleasant and unforgettable time in Turkish Festival,
Please have fun, enjoy the rich Turkish culture, enjoy the rhythm of the unique Turkish music, enjoy delicious Turkish food.
Enjoy this evening! Thanks for listening.