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Welcome to the Turkish Business Council Dubai & Northern Emirates April update. After holy Ramadan we extended our heartfelt Eid greetings to all our members and their families. April saw another busy and productive month at TBC with a magnificent Iftar dinner with our members as well as attending Iftar at our TBC member, Lalezar Restaurant, supporting children with SMA disease. We were also invited to take Iftar at Taksim Restaurant in Global Village alongside the participation of our esteemed Ambassador. We enjoyed visiting our member vendors within the Turkish Pavilion at Global Village too.

Our National Sovereignty and Children's Day on April 23 was celebrated under the auspices of our consulate. Our Board of Directors met with Turkish children and families at the Consulate office and celebrated both holidays together. After the celebration at the Consul's office, we participated with all our children in the April 23 Festival organised with the support of the Dubai Türkçe Saatleri and Sultans of Dubai organisations and the Turkish Business Council with the Dubai Consulate on April 30.

Meanwhile, we have reached the final stages of preparations for the May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day Basketball and Volleyball tournaments. As ever, these popular events bring together the spirit of morality and honesty amongst athletes that Ataturk taught to our young people, and we expect another well-received and enjoyable tournament season to enjoy.

We have also completed the preparations for our Annual Ordinary General Assembly, which will take place on May 9, 2023. The AGM is of great importance to us and our valued members, as it involves presenting financial and activity reports of the past year and outlining our plans for the upcoming year. We kindly request the participation of all our esteemed members in the AGM.

After the AGM, there will be elections for Administrative Board Members for TBC which are held every two years.

April has also seen many other networking, social and business opportunities for our members and esteemed guests.

IFTAR FOR SMA CHILDREN AT LALEZAR
Iftar was taken at Lalezar Restaurant with families visiting Dubai for the treatment of children’s SMA disease.

Thank you and appreciation to our members Orontes, Lalezar Restaurant, LC Waikiki and Turkish Airlines General Management in Dubai for their support to this valuable evening.

IFTAR AT TAKSIM TURKISH RESTAURANT IN GLOBAL VILLAGE
We were invited to an Iftar dinner at Taksim Restaurant in Global Village with the participation of our esteemed Ambassador. We then visited our member vendors at the Turkish Pavilion in Global Village.

23 APRIL NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATION
Our National Sovereignty and Children's Day on April 23 was celebrated under the auspices of our consulate. Our Board of Directors met with Turkish children and families at the Consulate office and celebrated both Ramadan and Children’s Day together.

DUBAI TÜRKÇE SAATLERİ NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND CHILDREN’S DAY FESTIVAL
We gathered on April 23 to celebrate the National Sovereignty and Children's Day with Turkish children, under the auspices of the Dubai Consulate General, and with the support of Dubai Turkish Times, Sultans of Dubai organisation, and the Turkish Business Council.

Our own celebration took place on Sunday, April 30, due to the Ramadan holiday, hosted by The Arbor School. This year, during our April 23 Dubai celebrations, we sent bags filled with supplies to children affected by the earthquake through the "YOUR SCHOOL BAG IS READY" project.

In the "Stage is Yours" section, children who wanted to participate showcased fun performances for the gathering attendees.

TURKISH AVIATION PROFESSIONALS MEETING
The Turkish Consulate General in Dubai brought together Aviation professionals working within Dubai and the Northern Emirates for a networking and learning opportunity. It was a pleasure to see our distinguished pilots and aviation professionals from the TBC membership amongst the attendees.

MAY 19 COMMEMORATION OF ATATÜRK, YOUTH AND SPORTS DAY BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS
On the occasion of the May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, the third May 19 Dubai Basketball Meeting, held under the auspices of our Consulate General and with the support of the Dubai Turkish Business Council, is returning this year with even greater enthusiasm. Following the positive interest seen in the past two years, this year's tournaments are held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of our Republic and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

The draw for the teams and groups for the May 19 Dubai Basketball Meeting was held on Wednesday, April 19, at the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Dubai in order to determine the team and groupings.

Before the group pairings, the teams were formed by the organising committee in a fair draw with the assistance of Consul General Onur Saylan. Considering factors include gender, age, height, and ability level based on the declarations shown on the registration form. This year, a draw was done for the first time for three separate categories - men, women, and children ages U12 and U10.

RESPECTS PAID TO FALLEN AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TROOPS AT ANZAC DAY DAWN SERVICE
For this year's ANZAC ceremony, the New Zealand Consulate, Australian Consulate, and Turkish Consulate in Dubai came together once again to continue the annual tradition.

The ceremony was a solemn occasion where the attendees paid their respects to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served and sacrificed their lives during World War I at Çanakkale, Türkiye. We believe that the ANZAC ceremony is an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our nations and to reflect on the shared values and principles that bind us together. We are grateful for the opportunity to come together with our counterparts to honour the legacy of the ANZAC spirit and to pay tribute to those who have served our countries with bravery and honour.

Atatürk, pays tribute to his former foes and reflects his understanding of the cost of war:

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."