Yunus Emre Institute promoted the rich elements of Turkish culture during the game between NBA teams Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers in Ohio, United States of America.

TÜRKİYE AND TURKISH CULTURE ON NBA'S DIGITAL SCREENS

During the game where Turkish basketball player Cedi Osman wore the jersey of Cleveland Cavaliers, visuals and information about Türkiye and Turkish culture were shared on digital screens as part of the "Turkish Cultural Heritage Night" organized by the Institute.

TÜRKİYE WIND IN NBA HALL

In the second leg of the event, which took place on January 28, 2023 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Yunus Emre Institute brought many different cultural values of Türkiye to the NBA hall, from gastrodiplomacy activities featuring the unique flavors of Turkish cuisine to traditional Turkish folk dances.

Prior to the game, American basketball fans enjoyed watching a Turkish folk dance performance as well as touring the "Taste of Türkiye" hall, where the richness of different regions of Türkiye was on display.

SPECIAL GIFT EMPHASIZING THE 100TH  ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC

At the Turkish Cultural Heritage Night event, Washington Yunus Emre Institute Coordinator Gökhan Coşkun was presented with a jersey with the number 100 and the inscription "Türkiye" on it by the Cleveland Cavaliers, emphasizing the 100th anniversary of the Republic.

On the other hand, Turkish Ambassador to Washington Murat Mercan, Turkish Consul General in Chicago Engin Türesin, Culture and Promotion Attaché at the Turkish Consulate General in New York Hüseyin Baştürk, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin, Washington Yunus Emre Institute Coordinator Gökhan Coşkun, business partners of the Cleveland Cavaliers, prominent figures in sports and politics from Türkiye and the United States, business people and senior representatives of non-governmental organizations came together at the reception held by the Yunus Emre Institute.

"IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT IN TERMS OF INTRODUCING TURKISH CUISINE AND FOLKLORE"

Turkish Ambassador to Washington Murat Mercan said, "Türkiye is being promoted everywhere in the stadium right now. These elements will be shown on television screens. It has been a very important event in terms of promoting Turkish cuisine and folklore. This will definitely have a lasting effect."

BUILDING A CULTURAL BRIDGE BETWEEN TÜRKİYE AND THE USA

Gökhan Coşkun, Coordinator of the Yunus Emre Institute in Washington, stated that the Institute aims to build a cultural bridge between Türkiye and the US through its activities and to increase the number of people in the US and around the world who have ties with Türkiye and are friends of Türkiye.

"Basketball is a powerful tool to bring humanity together, to initiate dialogues and to bring our shared values to people around the world," said Coşkun.

"IT IS TRULY AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ORGANIZE THE TURKISH CULTURAL HERITAGE NIGHT EVENT"

Nic Barlage, Senior Executive of the Cleveland Cavaliers, said: "We know that sports have the power to bring so many people together. Therefore, it is truly an honor and a privilege for us to be able to organize the Turkish Cultural Heritage Night event at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse."

Regarding the cooperation with the Yunus Emre Institute, Barlage said, "Yunus Emre Institute has an incredibly important place in this country and in the promotion of Turkish culture. This cooperation is one of our partnerships that we are proud of."

"IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE NBA TO SHOWCASE ITS STRENGTH NOT ONLY IN AMERICA BUT ALSO IN TÜRKİYE"

"There is no better ambassador than him," Nic Barlage said about Turkish player Cedi Osman, who plays for his team. For us, having a guy like Cedi on our team is very important to showcase the power of the NBA not only in America but also in Türkiye."

National basketball player Cedi Osman pointed out that there are only 4 Turkish players in the NBA and that the promotion night organized in cooperation with his team has a special significance for him.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ON "TÜRKİYE"

After the Cleveland Cavaliers shared posts about Türkiye on their social media accounts, two people were given round-trip tickets to Türkiye in a lottery for those who attended the organization where Türkiye's cultural richness was introduced.

TÜRKİYE PROMOTION DESK TOOK PLACE

In the hall where Türkiye was promoted, US citizens had the opportunity to ask the questions they were curious about Türkiye at the Türkiye promotion table set up by the Culture and Promotion Attaché Office of the Turkish Consulate General in New York.

TÜRKİYE IS REPRESENTED IN GIANT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA

Yunus Emre Institute continues to accelerate its sports diplomacy activities, organizing large-scale activities to promote Turkish language and Turkish culture in the world in the 100th anniversary of the Republic and representing Türkiye in giant international organizations.