Azernews.Az

An international charity event was held in Ankara under the auspices of the Association of Solidarity of the Wives of Turkish Foreign Ministry Partners (DMEDD).

Azernews reports, citing Report, that representatives of diplomatic missions from 50 countries operating in Ankara, along with their spouses, members of the press and local residents, took part in the event.

Azerbaijan was represented with two stands organised by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Turkey. Günel Məmmədova, the wife of Ambassador Rəşad Məmmədov, said one stand showcased a variety of traditional Azerbaijani dishes, while the other featured national teas, assorted local products, small carpet samples, kelagayi scarves and other handicrafts.

Organisers noted that Azerbaijani products attracted strong interest from visitors.

The cultural segment of the event included dance and performance pieces from various countries, including Azerbaijan.

Simay Gümrükçü, head of DMEDD, told Report that the event required extensive effort from both the association and the spouses of diplomats stationed abroad and in Ankara. For this reason, she said, the charity fair is held only once every two years.

Diplomatic representatives from Azerbaijan, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Japan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Iran, who were present at their respective stands, described the charity event as highly valuable in comments to Report.

DMEDD was founded on 24 September 1981 to support the families—particularly the spouses and children—of Turkish diplomats and Foreign Ministry staff who were martyred while performing their duties abroad. Over the years, the association has broadened its activities and now carries out extensive assistance programmes, especially in the fields of education and healthcare.