On April 16, 2026, a panel discussion titled “Turkish Presence and Identity in the Balkans from History to the Present” was held at the Koço Ratsin Cultural Center conference hall in the city of Kichovo, North Macedonia, organized by the Atavatan Association, the Gayret Education, Culture, and Arts Association, and the Tek İstikbal Association, under the leadership of Matusiteb. The panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Hüsniye TATAR, a faculty member at the Faculty of Law at Yalova University, featured Prof. Dr. Taner Tatar, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Prof. Dr. Oktay ÖZGÜL, Head of the History Department, as speakers. The event was attended by school principals, teachers, students, and numerous leaders of civil society organizations. The panel, which drew significant interest, highlighted the historical and socio-cultural status of the Turkish presence in the Balkans and the importance of the Turkish language. Our Department Chair, Prof. Dr. Oktay ÖZGÜL, who served as a speaker at the panel, delivered a presentation titled “The Place and Importance of the Balkans in the Historical Geography of the Turkic World.” In his speech, our professor emphasized that the language and culture of the Turks in the Balkans are an inseparable part of the 285-million-strong Turkish World. He noted that the Turkish presence in the Balkans did not begin solely with the Ottoman Period; but that it was preceded by the arrival of the Cimmerians and Scythians, followed by the Huns, Avars, Pechenegs, Kipchaks, and Oghuz Turks, whose early migrations contributed to the Turkification of the region. He noted that there is a wealth of linguistic and archaeological heritage associated with the Turkish presence in the region today, and that our government is making significant efforts to preserve this heritage. At the conclusion of the panel, our Department Chair invited the students to consider majoring in History. The panel concluded with the presentation of a plaque and closing remarks.
