War over eco-days
A POLITICAL row has sparked “eco-days war” in the Karpaz, with many Turkish Cypriot supporters of the popular Büyükkonuk festival proposing to take their custom to an “alternative” event just 12km down the road.
Organisers of the Büyükkonuk Eco-Day, the country’s first such festival, are promising a quieter event, rebranded as Rural Development Day, on Sunday, May 6 — when the nearby hamlet of Turnalar, near İskele, will also stage its third Countryside Village Day.
Previous Büyükkonuk EcoDay festivals organised with municipality support have attracted thousands but mayor Ahmet Sennaroğlu’s backing for nationalist protests in the capital earlier this year sparked calls for a boycott and he cancelled the iconic May event, although it is set to go ahead in October.
Many fans of the eco-day have dubbed the Turnalar festival an “alternative Eco-Day” on social media in protest, but Büyükkonuk Eco-Tourism Association women, who have worked for over two decades for sustainable tourism, called the move unfair and have distanced themselves from Mr Sennaroğlu’s controversial opinions. Their May event will be independent of the mayor and invite no politicians.
Long-time Büyükkonuk ecotourism organiser and former association head Lois Cemal said: “Our day runs from 10am to 6pm and features a 4km walk through fields to the historic Ay Kyra church, returning through Sazlıköy.”
Around 40 stalls will offer local produce at the eco-tourism association market area, with traditional street food and kebabs, donkey rides and home-reared rabbits for sale by youngsters.
The programme features traditional embroidery demonstrations by the Çayırova Lefkara Handiwork Association, basketmaking, wool-spinning and chairmaking and a noon performance by the village folk dance team and choir.
Mrs Cemal, who will feature on Bayrak TV’s Cup of Conversation programme next Saturday, April 21 with association head Kıymet Alibey, said: “We need more education and technical assistance for women to work together. Profit brought us together and can also divide us, as do politicians. We are trying to preserve the tangible and intangible cultural heritage guarded by women and we need to keep our young people in the village to continue.” Büyükkonuk Eco-tourism Association produced a handbook to starting an eco-day festival and one of their stated aims is to help others and spread sustainable tourism.
Turnalar, home to about 100 people, started its festival two years ago with stalls and demonstrations of handicrafts including embroidery, wool-spinning, sockknitting and carpet-weaving as well as the traditional manufacture of carob syrup, cracked wheat and “ayran” and traditional cereal harvesting with donkeys. Promoter Hasan Bilgehan said this year’s programme would run from 10am to 6pm and included an exhibition of archive photographs of the village, local and Turkish folk dancing, concerts by Sol Anahtar, Arda Gündüz, a Turkish TV performer, clowns and cartoon characters.
He added: “We have invited President Akıncı, the prime minister and the Cabinet and we will host a Social Services bus tour for disadvantaged children. Everyone should see the village — it is a museum in itself.”
Turnalar Culture, Nature Protection and Development Association have organised their day with the support of İskele Municipality.