Marking its fifth edition in Fethiye, this year’s Burns Supper was held on January 17 at the Aymes Hotel in Çalış and proved to be the most successful yet, with over 100 guests from various nationalities coming together in a spirit of unity and celebration. Adding a unique flair, this year’s supper featured live music from the Scottish Highlands, enriching the evening with an authentic and memorable touch.

The organisers limited the Top Table to eight people, including the Lady Mayoress of Fethiye and the Honorary President of the Rotarians. Guest musicians Graeme and Magdalena MacKay shared the Top Table with Rotarian Hakan Sarbanoğlu and fundraising committee members Colin and Sine Rous.

The haggis was carried into the room by Stuart Anderson, accompanied by piper James Gray. In addition to his piping duties, James delivered the Address to the Haggis with both eloquence and humour. Guests were also offered a vegetarian haggis alternative, allowing the theme to be maintained throughout the meal.

Generosity was evident throughout the evening, with contributions such as over 200 homemade profiteroles provided by Scottish Dance Group member Dilek Balkan. Speeches included the Selkirk Grace, delivered in Turkish by Hakan Sarbanoğlu, and other key addresses: Sine Rous gave both the Welcome and the Reply to the Toast to the Lassies; Colin Rous offered the Immortal Memory; and Graeme MacKay delivered the Toast to the Lassies. Mustafa Şıkman gave the Toast to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Absent Friends, while the Lady Mayoress spoke about the unity of nations, emphasising the importance of events that bring diverse cultures together.

Following the meal, music and dancing took centre stage. Entertainment was provided by Graeme and Maggie MacKay from Elgin, Scotland, who performed without seeking anything beyond their travel costs. Dancing, led by Sine Rous, began with the Circassian Circle and quickly drew everyone onto the dance floor. The band’s talent was widely appreciated, especially when piper James Gray joined in, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

The event has gained a reputation for surpassing many Burns Suppers held in Scotland, with proceeds supporting local causes. This year, approximately 70,000 Turkish Lira was raised to enhance educational equipment for the children of Seydikemer Şehit Alper Seven Anadolu İmam Hatip Lisesi (Martyr Alper Seven Anatolian İmam Hatip High School).

Organising such a large-scale event involves overcoming many challenges, but the support of donors and sponsors has been invaluable. Hotels and restaurants contributed meal vouchers and overnight stays, while others brought haggis, chocolates, and goods from the UK to boost the raffle takings.

The funds raised will significantly benefit the children, and the organisers extend their gratitude to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of the evening.

Update courtesy of Colin Rous with photographs by Ian Smith.

The post Record-breaking Burns Supper in Fethiye raises thousands for education appeared first on Fethiye Times.

The Burns Supper in Fethiye was held on January 26 and turned out to be a vibrant celebration of a Türkiye/Scotland cultural exchange.

This year, the Burns Supper was held at the Aymes Hotel and welcomed 120 guests from the UK, Russia, Ukraine, North Cyprus, America and Türkiye.

Guests included the Mayor of Fethiye Alim Karaca and his wife Çiğdem, the President of the Fethiye Rotary Club and his wife, British Honorary Consul, Mustafa Şıkman, and Tamer Gülbek and his wife. Tamer Gülbek teaches English at İzmir Economy University and has many publications to his name. These include “Ey Iskoçlar!” a book of many of Burns poems translated into Turkish.

Following the Welcome, given by Şine Rous of the Burns Fund Raising Group, the Selkirk Grace was recited, in Turkish, by Tamer Gülbek.

The Haggis, carried by Garreth Rous of the Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus, was piped in by a local piper, James Gray and speeches were performed by Turkish and non-Turkish representatives.

The Address to the Haggis, which was translated into English and Turkish, was performed by Ewen Rae, a Burns speaking Scot.

The Immortal Memory was delivered by Colin Rous of the Burns Fund Raising Group, the toast to the Lassies was presented by Hakan Sarbanoğlu and the response was given by Nergiz Dinçkan, both of the Fethiye Rotary Club.

Mustafa Şikman gave the toast to Atatürk and Absent Friends whilst also presenting a piece of music written by Paul Dwyer entitled “100.Yil Marşı” celebrating the Centenary of the Turkish Republic. 

A souvenir programme of the event carried translations into English and Turkish which enabled everyone to follow the event.

At the end of the formal part of the evening Scottish Ceilidh Dancing was led by members of the Fethiye Scottish Dance Club and everyone was encouraged to join in.

The Circassian Circle gave everyone the opportunity to meet with and dance with people that they had never met before and highlighted the multi-national flavour of the evening.

The Aymes Hotel excelled themselves in all areas and their catering was the best that we have seen in the five years that we have held this event. Haggis had been brought out, and donated, by many people who had arrived on Turkish soil from Britain and we also had donations from local businesses, Restaurants and Hotels in the Fethiye area.

This year’s recipient of our fund raising was, once again, Seydikemer Şehit Alper Seven Anadolu Imam Hatip Lisesi (Martyr Alper Seven Anatolian Imam Hatip High School). This relatively new school, set in the quiet rural location 40 kilometres from Fethiye, has three science rooms, but with little or no equipment for the students to learn from. The total profit from the evening amounted to over 46,000 Turkish Lira and all these proceeds are to add to the donation we made last year, in providing much needed equipment for their science facility. As a result of the extremely high inflation rate in Türkiye, the villages have been without so much and this cultural event helps to provide them with opportunities that they would otherwise not have.

The invaluable help and support of the Fethiye Rotarians and so many other people ensure that this event can take place, enhancing the relationship between Türkiye and the Celtic nations

Thank you to photographer, Norman Clark, who gave his services with no charge.

Once again, we could not have held this event without the support of so many people and organisations – too many to mention individually – but we do give our sincere thanks to all of you. The children are our future and we love the opportunity to support them.

Thank you to Colin Rous for the update.

The post Burns Night – a cultural exchange between Türkiye and Scotland appeared first on Fethiye Times.