ANATOLIAN FOLKLORE TOURISM and SOLIDARITY FOUNDATION

    The fascinating originality of the Turkish Folklore simply comes from a variety of extra-ordinary cultures which have been existing for thousands of years on Anatolia that has often been admitted as the crossroads of continents for different ethnic groups. The Turkish Folklore carries the characteristics of these cultures throughout centuries by means of the traditional features of the cultural heritage. And this is, not surprisingly, why the well-known Turkish Folk Dance, fed by a mosaic of different cultures, still successfully reflects the enthusiasm and sentimentality of Anatolian people, describing their real life-style in an artistic manner. Each dance tells something about the way they smile, the way they cry, the way they fight or the way they fall in love, with an impressive rhythm and the old-styled costumes. Yet, Turkish Folk Dance serves as a social function by providing collective entertainment for the community.

    Being established in 1971, Anatolian Folklore & Solidarity Foundation (AFTUD) is one of the leading amateur organizations of Turkey which has been making serious contributions to the Turkish Folklore for nearly three decades by performing the traditional Turkish Folk Dance. The primary goal of AFTUD is to demonstrate the Turkish Folk Dance as an artistic event without deforming the original features which had been alive until now and are likely to be so even in the future. AFTUD also owns an impressive archive of folkloric studies, original traditional costumes of almost all regions of Anatolia and related authentic accessories as well.

    The dancing group dominantly consists of high school and university students and several courses are being organized each year by the Foundation for hundreds of attendees including small children and teenagers in order to teach the Turkish Folk Dance.

    AFTUD has represented the Republic of Turkey at numerous international festivals and competitions in coordination with relevant Government agencies including Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Turkish Radio and Television Association as well as several private organizations, and had the honor of being awarded many outstanding prizes in most of the activities involved.

	Adnan KARACA
	Chairman of the Executive Board

 

PROMOTER COMMITTEE

 

 

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS & COMPETITIONS INVOLVED

1973 Iran Festival (IRAN)
1975 Peace Celebration (NORTHERN CYPRUS)
1976 Cairo Turkish Week (EGYPT)
1980 Loretto Festival (ITALY)
1981 Ohrit Festival (YUGOSLAVIA)
1984 Llangollen Festival (UNITED KINGDOM - Second Prize)
1986 World Summer Festival (JAPAN)
1986 Dijon World Folk Dance Competition (FRANCE-First Prize)
1986 Balkans Festival (ROMANIA)
1986 Oslo International Children Festival (NORWAY)
1987 Damascus Turkish Week (SYRIA)
1988 Asian Festival (SINGAPORE-MALAISIA)
1988 Bremen Fest (GERMANY)
1989 Norfolk Festival (UNITED STATES)
1990 Children’s Festival (SWITZERLAND)
1991 Turkish Week (AZARBAIJAN)
1992 Vienna Turkish Week (AUSTRIA)
1993 Llangollen Festival (UNITED KINGDOM - First Prize)
1994 Milan Fair (ITALY)
1996 Babylon Festival (IRAQ)
1997 Constance Festival (ROMANIA)
1998 Eindhoven Turkish Week (HOLLAND)
1998 Lisboa EXPO ’98 (PORTUGAL)
1998 Barr Wine Fest (FRANCE)
1999 Sarajevo Folk Dance Festival (BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA)
1999 Mallorca World Folk Dance Competition (SPAIN - Third Prize)
1999 Ufa Folk Dance Festival (RUSSIAN FEDERATION)
1999 Folk Dance Show (HOLLAND)
1999 Ingushetia Folk Dance Festival (RUSSIAN FEDERATION)
2000 Oslo Folk Dance Festival (NORWAY)
2000 North Carolina Youth Festival (UNITED STATES)

2001 Children’s Festival (RUSSIA)

2002 Strazburg Festival (FRANCE)

2004 Wesel “Turkısh Week”  (GERMANY)

2004 Wesel “Turkısh Week”  (GERMANY)

2005 International Folk Dance Festival (QAUTAR)

2005 Folk Dance Show “Turkısh Week” (HOLLAND-GERMANY)
2007 Vladimir Spivakov Art Foundation 4. International Youth Festival (RUSSIA)

2007 Primorsko International  Children’s Folk Dance Festival (BULGARIA)

2008 Bakü Turkısh Week "Türkiye Rüzgarı" (AZERBAIJAN)

2008 Ashgabat "Altın Asrın Altın Nesilleri" International Youth Festival (TURKMENISTAN)