Children join celebrations marking 70 years of Jordanian-Turkish relations

AMMAN – It was all smiles at the Turkish embassy on Sunday where dozens of children gathered to celebrate, among other occasions, seventy years of diplomatic ties between Amman and Ankara.

This year, Jordan and Turkey celebrate seven decades of cooperation, as diplomatic ties were formally established on January 11, 1947. 

Sunday also marked celebrations for Turkey’s National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

“This year is of special importance in terms of the Jordanian-Turkish relationship,” Turkish Ambassador in Amman Murat Karagöz told The Jordan Times. 

To mark the occasions, a group of nine volunteers from the Turkish SosyalBen association for social responsibility project came to Jordan to hold a week of workshops on arts, sports, music, dance and photography in three UNRWA schools in Wahdat Palestinian refugee camp. 

“We wanted this year to be different and have an impact on refugee children. Being a foreigner in a country is not easy, but being a refugee is especially difficult. Palestinian refugees suffered a lot during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948, and then in 1967, and we know they are in dire conditions and we wanted to give them hope,” Karagöz said. 

Yasemin Hanci, one of the volunteers, noted that the activities helped the refugee children “open their minds to new ideas”, adding that “they were very talented and engaging”. 

Thirty children from an orphanage in Irbid, aged between 5 and 10, took part in Sunday’s celebrations. 

“It is not always about money. Such an activity raises their spirits and enthusiasm, and makes them feel that they are not forgotten,” said Maysoon Mrouj, who is responsible for the children at the orphanage.