A Western Black Sea Breeze Blows in Ankara

New Role for Kazım Ergün, President of the Turkish Pensioners' Association

ERGÜN Elected President of the Western Black Sea Council…

The Future Roadmap for the Western Black Sea Was Drawn in Ankara at the ‘Western Black Sea Workshop’. The Western Black Sea Council was established at the suggestion of ZONDEF President Ziya ÖNCEN. At the suggestion of BAKFED President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, Kazım ERGÜN, President of the Turkish Pensioners Association, was unanimously elected President of the Western Black Sea Council.

25 October 2025 Western Black Sea Workshop

ANKARA – The Western Black Sea Workshop, organised with the aim of producing permanent solutions to the chronic problems of the Western Black Sea Region, mobilising the region's development potential and creating a common vision for the future, was held on 25 October 2025 at the TÜED Conference Hall in Ankara.

Western Black Sea Workshop Organising Committee

The Western Black Sea Workshop Organising Committee consisted of the following institutions and representatives:

1- Western Black Sea Equal Opportunities Association (BAKFED) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ (Coord)

2- Turkish Pensioners Association (TÜED) Kazım ERGÜN (Workshop Chair)

3- Our Radio Television (BRTV) Mehmet ÇETİNKAYA

4- Western Black Sea Independent Journalists Association (BBGC) Erol TAYHAN

5- Kastamonulular Platform (KAP) Haydar ÇOLAKOĞLU

6- Strategic Research Centre (STRASAM) Dr. Hüseyin FAZLA

7- Western Black Sea Development Union (BAKAB) Dr. Faruk ÖZLÜ

8- Düzce University (DÜ) Prof. Dr. İlhan GENÇ

Organised under the leadership of the Western Black Sea Equal Opportunities Association (BAKFED) and other civil society organisations in the region, this important workshop brought together regional MPs, mayors, civil society leaders, academics, business representatives and diaspora leaders.

WESTERN BLACK SEA WORKSHOP MAIN AGENDA AND KEY TOPICS

The main agenda of the workshop consisted of the Western Black Sea Development Project (BAKAP), which analysed solutions to the economic, social and infrastructural problems facing the region, the establishment of the Western Black Sea Development Administration (BAKİ) to implement this project, and the Kızılcasu Declaration, which contained the concrete demands of the people of the region. In light of these two fundamental documents, the main topics of focus for the workshop are as follows:

Strategic Infrastructure Investments:

o Completion of the coastal road project, which has been requested for years and has not been completed in the Western Black Sea region, high-speed train lines (Western Black Sea Coastal YHT, Western Black Sea YHT) that will connect the region to the interior and western regions by 2053, and other missing transport infrastructure.

Economic Development and Equal Opportunities:

o Mobilising the region's tourism potential through steps such as declaring it a ‘tourism region’ as a whole, encouraging new industry models focused on green and digital development, and combating regional poverty by establishing a Silicon Valley in the Western Black Sea.

Social Justice and Political Representation:

o Stronger representation of the region in political and bureaucratic decision-making mechanisms and addressing deficiencies in social justice mechanisms.

Cultural and Human Development:

o Preserving the region's rich cultural heritage for future generations, raising the level of education, and creating the necessary social infrastructure for young people to take ownership of the region's future. Attracting the younger generation to the region to implement projects.

Innovation, Competence and Leadership:

o Producing innovative solutions to urban and development problems, particularly the High Speed Train and the Black Sea Motorway, using the region's human resources, geographical values and proximity to Istanbul, as well as strategic resources such as coal, steel and natural gas. Ensuring profitable and safe urbanisation against the Marmara earthquake, creating a lake region to combat water issues and fires, and activating the function of leading the way in competence and national development.

Establishment of the Western Black Sea Council:

o To ensure the economic, social and cultural development of the region, to monitor the establishment of the rule of law and regional equality, and in particular to establish a ‘Western Black Sea Council’ with the aim of monitoring the creation of the Western Black Sea Development Project (BAKAP) and the Western Black Sea Development Administration (BAKİ) that will implement the project. It was unanimously decided that Mr. Kazım ERGÜN, President of TÜED and Member of the SGK Board of Directors, would chair the Council.

Purpose of the Workshop: To Present a Concrete Roadmap and Take Action

The Western Black Sea Workshop held in Ankara on 25 October went beyond being a platform for discussing problems and established a concrete, implementable and timed roadmap for the region's future. The final declaration to be prepared at the end of the workshop will serve as an action plan for the steps to be taken in the region's development struggle and will be presented to all relevant public institutions and organisations.

This historic meeting, which aims to end the neglect of the Western Black Sea and enable it to reach its deserved level of development, has given birth to a Western Black Sea Movement.

The Western Black Sea Will Reach Its Rightful Place

At the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, President of the Western Black Sea Equal Opportunities Association and Workshop Coordinator, delivered the opening speech after a moment of silence and the national anthem. Here, ATEŞ stated, ‘The Western Black Sea should be a region of lakes, not floods, and with this and similar efforts, ’The Western Black Sea will reach its rightful place in Turkey and will also elevate Turkey to its rightful level in the world.‘ ’For the Western Black Sea should be a region of wealth, not poverty; of peace, not disaster; of action, not inertia."

The Kızılcasu Declaration Issued Ministers, the Workshop Demands More

ATEŞ then moderated the session titled ‘History and Strategy,’ stating, ‘In our 2021 Kızılcasu Declaration, we declared that the region should be a holistic tourism region, that a Western Black Sea Development Plan (BAKAP) should be prepared, and that at least 1-2 ministers from the region should be included in every cabinet.’ "As BAKFED, our request for a minister has been fulfilled; now it is time for the Western Black Sea Development Plan (BAKAP). Here, we have three main demands.

1) The Western Black Sea High-Speed Train Line, which is not even included in the 2053 plan, must be immediately included in this plan. In addition to the Karabük, Kastamonu, Sinop line, a Green Road High-Speed Train Line should be planned for the Sakarya Cide-Samsun line. We must immediately relocate the living space of Istanbul, which has a high earthquake risk, to the Western Black Sea via these high-speed trains.

2) Secondly, the unfinished section of the Black Sea Coastal Road (Motorway) Project, the Bartın-Kastamonu-Sinop line, must be completed immediately.

3) Thirdly, the Western Black Sea Region as a whole should be declared a tourism region, and the country's water scarcity and flood problems should be solved innovatively by building dams and weirs in the high plateaus, declaring the region the ‘New Lakes Region’.

"If you ask where these resources will come from, the answer is coal from Zonguldak, which has been supplying the country's coal needs since the Ottoman era; copper from the Küre Mountains; timber from the Western Black Sea, 70% of which is forest; natural gas from Filyos, where new gas fields have been discovered; and Karabük iron and steel will lay the tracks. Our fellow citizens from the Western Black Sea who have migrated to Marmara and Europe will also constitute human resources.‘ BAKFED President and Western Black Sea Workshop Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ ’Now you say, we have flour, we have butter, we have all kinds of spices, why isn't a wonderful halva being made? Because there is no vision, no will. In that case, we will make our own dessert. Our region, which has produced ministers, wants more. The next President should be from the Western Black Sea region."

Agriculture and Livestock Must Be Re-examined on a Demographic Basis

Agriculture and Livestock, the first session, was moderated by Mehmet ÇETİNKAYA, Chairman of the BRTV Board of Directors, who noted that the region's first comprehensive workshop was held in Ankara: "This important workshop is being broadcast live on BRTV, the national and global channel of the Western Black Sea. Six topics, each with its own session. This is a first for the Western Black Sea.‘ ’We at BRTV are always at the service of the Western Black Sea. We must also establish the European Western Black Sea Council."

Alperen Fikret ŞATIROĞLU, President of the Agricultural Development Platform, emphasised the importance of AROMATIC plants for the Western Black Sea economy and read a message of success from Cengiz AYGÜN, President of Kastamonuspor, from Gün Media, stating that he would contribute to future meetings. Dr. Kemal AYDIN, President of the Ibn Sina Institute and the World Geriatrics Council, stated that geriatric centres should be established due to the beautiful climate of the Western Black Sea and emphasised the importance of high-speed rail investments for this purpose. Bekir Yücel TANRIKULU, Deputy Director General of Livestock at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasised the importance of branding and the need to retain the young population in the region. Businessman Bekir ACAR also stated that the tea and hazelnut privilege granted to the Eastern Black Sea region should be balanced with chestnuts in the Western Black Sea region. He focused on the renewal of forests with chestnut trees and mentioned its contribution to high value-added honey production.

Seventy per cent of the Western Black Sea should be forest, one hundred per cent should be tourism

Forest, Environment and Tourism chaired the second session, which was chaired by Kazım ERGÜN, President of the Turkish Pensioners' Association (TÜED). At the beginning of the session, ERGÜN stated, ‘I am very pleased that such a mature and modest team is from the Western Black Sea region,’ and shared his observation that ‘historically, the region is the guarantee of Turkey's independence.’ He recalled the words of the founder of the Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, "My eyes are on Sakarya, my ear is in Dumlupınar, my heart is in İnebolu...‘ and referred to ’the importance of the Road to Independence." The President, who stated that he accepted the presidency of the Western Black Sea Council without hesitation in order to serve the region, emphasised clean environment, sports tourism, and PANPARK forests and wildlife, while also focusing on organic nutrition and sports. He agreed with BAKFED President ATEŞ's statement that ‘SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE WESTERN BLACK SEA SHOULD BE FORESTS AND ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SHOULD BE TOURISM’ and emphasised that children should be directed towards this magnificent nature instead of virtual environments.

Geniuses Should Be Raised in the Western Black Sea Mountains

ZONDEF Honorary President Dr. Gurbet ALTAY reinforced this idea, stating that in Russia, gifted children are specially raised in mountains similar to the Western Black Sea Mountains, kept away from technological distractions but encouraged to produce software and technology. ALTAY, who was the general moderator of the entire workshop, also gave a presentation on health tourism within the region's holistic tourism, stating, "We only receive 3 billion dollars out of the 100 billion dollar turnover worldwide. However, with our infrastructure, technological capabilities, and expert staff, we deserve much more than that. The Western Black Sea region is particularly rich in terms of thermal tourism and tourism for the elderly and disabled. In addition, our natural wealth also increases the potential for health tourism." Dr. Gurbet Altay, who successfully managed the workshop consisting of a total of six sessions, was congratulated on his success by Kazım ERGÜN, President of the Western Black Sea Council, Associate Professor Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, coordinator of the workshop, and the participants.

UN Forest Forum: The Forests of the Western Black Sea are Unique

UN Forest Forum President and GÖNDER Director Yk. Müh. İsmail BELEN began his video speech with, ‘The UN FOREST FORUM stands with the Western Black Sea.’ He continued, "I am delighted to participate in the First Western Black Sea Workshop organised by BAKFED Western Black Sea Equal Opportunity Association in Ankara. The Western Black Sea Forests hold a unique place within the Eurasian Forests. Kastamonu and its surroundings, where I took my first steps in my profession, hold a special place in my heart. We accomplished many wonderful things together with our esteemed colleague Ahmet Sırrı Beşel when he was the Kastamonu Forest Regional Director. I am also grateful for the contributions made to the region by our esteemed colleague Sabri Avcı, particularly in Bartın, and I am happy to support him as much as I can. On this occasion, I congratulate my dear friend, Associate Professor Dr Selahattin Ates, President of BAKFED, and wish him every success. Every corner of our country, every inch of it, and of course every single person, is precious. ‘The west of Melet has a western Black Sea climate. I am also a person from this region,’ he said, expressing his thoughts.

In his message, Dursun Yıldız, President of the Water Policies Association, stated: ‘The water of the Western Black Sea is indispensable for the Istanbul and Ankara basins, and the flowing water in the high basins must be retained in the lakes. This also provides a significant advantage in firefighting.’

Associate Professor Dr Aydoğan AYDOĞDU from Kastamonu Tourism Faculty brought Green Road Tourism in the Western Black Sea to the agenda and expressed the following feelings and thoughts: "Esteemed Partners of the 1st Western Black Sea Workshop, Dear Friends, we have left behind a very beautiful workshop. I learned a great deal about the economic, social, cultural, artistic, administrative, and political aspects of our Western Black Sea Region. From my perspective, it was an exciting, productive workshop filled with experiences I will never forget. For the organisation of the workshop, I would like to thank our BAKFED President, Associate Professor Dr Selahattin Ateş, on behalf of the organising committee members, Dr Gurbet Altay, who managed the programme flow with her endless energy, the session moderators, the participants, Mr. Mehmet Çetinkaya, who broadcast the entire programme live, and all those who contributed, but most of all, our TÜED President, Mr. Kazım Ergün, who patiently followed the programme from start to finish, guided it, gave presentations, and performed his duties as session moderator with boundless energy and passion.

Nature sports enthusiast and researcher Adem Salcıoğlu stated that “Nature adventure sports such as canyoning, caving, and tracking tourism invigorate and rejuvenate people.” Hasan ŞEN, President of KASDERFED, highlighted the importance of nature and historical tourism on the Ankara-İnebolu Independence Road and proposed that the Traditional Ankara Kastamonu Days be transformed into the Traditional Ankara Western Black Sea Days.

Finally, Hasan Türkyılmaz, President of the Chamber of Forest Engineers, emphasised the need to protect these unique forests from fire and conveyed the following messages: "Dear Participants; First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin Ateş for the very serious content of the Western Black Sea Workshop, which was held on 25/10/2025 and at which I participated and gave a presentation on Forest Fires and Preventive Measures. I would also like to thank him for his energy, advice, and life story that sets an example for everyone, and to Mr. Kazım Ergün, President of TÜED, who sincerely hosted the programme. I would like to thank him on behalf of myself and my 20,000 fellow forest engineers, whom I am honoured to represent. It is said that when looking for shortcomings in a programme, human nature tends to prioritise finding flaws. However, it should not be forgotten that the results of the workshop were so beneficial and productive that any shortcomings were negligible. The value of such workshops, which include recommendations and programmes on how to identify and address shortcomings in every corner of our country, especially in the Western Black Sea region, is of the highest order in terms of the country, the region and humanity. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed, participated, and shared these beauties, based on the principle that skill deserves praise. I would like to take this opportunity to express to the esteemed committee that the Chamber of Forest Engineers, with its central management, 15 branch presidents, and 81 provincial organisation officials, is always ready to contribute to our beloved nation and every corner of our country with its physical capabilities as well as its intellectual and scientific contributions. Good health to everyone's efforts!

Western Black Sea Istanbul's Saviour, the Workshop is a Revolution.

Technology-Economy and Development, the moderator of the 3rd Session, STRASAM Think Tank President E. Pilot Brigadier General Dr. Hüseyin FAZLA, pointed out the region's place in Turkish and NATO defence. He noted that what he saw today was more than just a workshop.

In her message, Burcu KÖSEM, former CEO of Dünya Newspaper and President of the Turkish Red Crescent Society in Istanbul, stated: "I am delighted to learn that the workshop has been successfully completed and that valuable outcomes have been achieved for the region. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the realisation of such a visionary organisation, especially you, Selahattin Ateş, President of BAKFED, as well as the organising committee, moderators, speakers and all participants. I believe that this valuable workshop, which shapes the future of the Western Black Sea, will lead to new collaborations in terms of regional development, elderly-friendly policies, and social solidarity; I wholeheartedly congratulate everyone who contributed. My heart and support are always with these visionary efforts. I hope to come together again as soon as possible."

Local guide Cemal Kaya stated that the Western Black Sea mining licences threaten the environment and tourism, and that the licensing and supervision process is not functioning properly. Emphasising the importance of TRADEF in opening up the Western Black Sea to the world, Hüseyin Karadeniz criticised the ‘lack of an exhibition area in the Western Black Sea,’ stating that this workshop was as solid as the first domestic and national car, the ‘Devrim,’ but that everyone needed to put in a litre of petrol. Anticipating that the path opened by this successful workshop would be closed by its own people first, Karadeniz assumed that it would go through stages of being ignored, ridiculed, fought against, and finally accepted.

Göksu Ceren KAYACAN, daughter of BAKFED Vice President and one of the founders of the Western Black Sea Movement, said, "Tablet Kitap is an innovative platform that strengthens equal opportunities in education in Turkey, especially in the Western Black Sea region. By offering an alternative to expensive test books, it allows every student to easily access thousands of questions. It thus reduces the economic burden and offers an environmentally friendly solution by preventing paper waste. The fact that students who are not wealthy can access the same opportunities regardless of their location makes Tablet Kitap a strong supporter of justice in education." She read the letter from her business partner Kadir YOLCU at the workshop held in memory of Yaşar KAYACAN. Haydar ÇOLAKOĞLU, President of the Kastamonulular Platform, requested that the next meeting be held in Istanbul. Easy solutions to problems on a Western Black Sea scale can be produced.

Ayhan SAMANDAR from Düzce University also emphasised the importance of the YHT for the region, stating, "Dear organisers and participants of the valuable Western Black Sea workshop, my brothers and elders with project concerns. For the development of the Western Black Sea and TURKEY, it is imperative that the high-speed train lines we are working on with Japanese professors are constructed. The projects we propose are for the development of Turkey. The Western Black Sea Region will attract at least 3-5 million people from Istanbul and Ankara with the YHT lines. Part of the population of Istanbul, which is awaiting an earthquake, will spread to the Western Black Sea. The Western Black Sea is close to Istanbul. It has historical tourism and agriculture. It is also a rainy region. There is water. Mr. Selahattin ATEŞ, President of BAKFED, stated, ‘With the Western Black Sea Coastal High-Speed Train and the main High-Speed Train mentioned by Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, the seven provinces of the Western Black Sea will become large cities with a population exceeding 750,000.’

Western Black Sea Council: Equal Opportunities for Society

The moderator of the fourth session, titled ‘Politics and Society,’ was Prof. Dr. İlhan GENÇ, Vice-Rector of Düzce University. GENÇ, who argued that a respectful society ideal could be achieved using the example of Düzce, emphasised the importance of cultural development.

Former Bartın MP C. Tufan YAZICIOĞLU stated that TÜED made a quantum leap during the term of its Western Black Sea President Kazım ERGÜN. He demonstrated with evidence that Kazım President's meticulous life and management showed how to be generous without any waste, and that the same approach should be taken as an example by Turkish administrations. Ferhat ÇOLAK, Director General of EU and Foreign Relations at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, introduced ways in which the region could benefit more from EU grant programmes and invited all Western Black Sea residents to take advantage of EU funds.

Retired Colonel Ahmet ÖZKAN, starting from his grandfather Kurtşeyh, drew attention to the spiritual architects of the region, such as Hayrettin Tokadi and Şeyh Şabanı Veli, and how they elevated societies through religion and science, noting that without one, the other would be incomplete. ZONDEF President Ziya ÖNCAN proposed the establishment of a Western Black Sea Council to make Western Black Sea Associations more effective, emphasising that regional action would revive the fragmented influence of the atomised regional population and that the Road to Independence connecting Western Black Sea to Ankara must remain open for this purpose.

KASKON Secretary General Mehmet Diribaş argued that a Western Black Sea President could solve chronic regional problems. He emphasised that this goal, which is the vision of BAKFED, would not only solve the problems of the Western Black Sea, but also solve the fundamental problems of major cities such as Istanbul, Kocaeli and Ankara, such as earthquakes, traffic, safe housing and drinking water. He argued that this would require a change in the political culture of the Western Black Sea region and that young people would break this cycle.

The President of the Istanbul Bolulular Association and the Western Black Sea Business People's Association, who was unable to attend due to a funeral, stated that he fully agreed with all the decisions taken and was present at the council. In order to ensure the economic, social and cultural development of the region, the establishment of the rule of law and the monitoring of regional equality, and in particular to ensure the Western Black Sea Development Project (BAKAP) and the establishment of the Western Black Sea Development Administration (BAKI) to implement it, a monitoring body, the ‘Western Black Sea Council’, was established. It was unanimously decided that Mr. Kazım ERGÜN, President of TÜED and Member of the SGK Board of Directors, would chair the Council, that all participating institutions, along with eight regulatory institutions, would become members of the Council, that institutions unable to attend due to valid reasons would also be accepted into the Council, and that the BAKFED President, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, would be responsible for liaising with other institutions and handling acceptance procedures.

Western Black Sea: Şehit Ambarı-Turkey's Mortar-Turkmen Rule

History and Strategy The moderator of the fifth session, BAKFED President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, stated that he could not understand and was surprised that Kastamonu, referred to by Katip Çelebi as the Turkmen rule, is a province that is 99% Muslim and Turkish (Western Black Sea) and the region with the highest number of martyrs, yet today it is listed as the poorest region in TÜİK reports, which he finds incomprehensible and surprising. He considered it an act of ingratitude that a region that bore the military burden of the empire and the Ankara government after the abolition of the Janissaries in 1826, and where villages like Ersizlerdere, where all the men were martyred, existed, remained the most underdeveloped region, and that Kastamonu, which had not even been occupied, was not given honours such as Şanlı-Kahraman -Gazi titles to Kastamonu, which had not even been invaded, further reinforced this perception of disloyalty.

Prof. Dr. İlhan GENÇ, Vice-Rector of Düzce University, shed light on the cultural and historical identity of the Western Black Sea region, supporting the impact of these migrations with examples from his own life and from Düzce.

Retired Staff Colonel Dr. Mehmet ÇANLI, while explaining the importance of the region in the Çanakkale and Independence Wars, proved why there were so many martyrs from the Western Black Sea region in Çanakkale and the Independence War.

Author Hidayet YÜNSEL clearly stated that Turkey's Independence Headquarters was established in the Western Black Sea region and that this region, which was the stronghold of the Turkmen, was neglected.

Fatma KIRANOĞLU, President of the Şerife Bacı Foundation and President of KASDERFED, referred to the unique role of women in the war, proudly mentioning examples such as Şerife Bacı and Halime Çavuş and the first women's march for the homeland.

Prof. Dr. Cevdet YAKUPOĞLU, on the other hand, mentioned the 1000 years of uninterrupted Turkish history in the Western Black Sea.

Here, he criticised the fact that historical figures such as Hüsameddin Çoban Bey, Gümüş Tekin and Kara Tekin were not mentioned in Kastamonu. Turkish World expert Advisor Namık Kemal YILDIZ brought up the destiny between the Turkish World and the Western Black Sea region. YILDIZ, who assessed the Turkish influence in Afghanistan with the President of BAKFED, also stated that Turkish and related communities value Kastamonu. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Halil Mert, a strategy and management expert, stated that the Western Black Sea region is the mortar of Turkey and will continue to fulfil this role.

On the other hand, the Western Black Sea region has stated that many institutions are not native or national to the region, which upsets the natives and nationals of the region, but that the question of ‘which nation are you from’ is asked out of respect for sensitivities and that this situation shines a light on Turkey.

Common Sense-Common Solution-Common Turkish: Within Çanakkale...

Press, Sports and Arts, the sixth and final session, was moderated by Serdar NALCI, Ankara President of CUMHA News Agency. Nalcı, who said he had been following the Western Black Sea Movement for several years, drew attention to the high calibre of the participants and the high level of participation.

In the final session, Mehmet ÇETİNKAYA, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BRTV, emphasised that Bizim TV is the national and global face of the Western Black Sea and that it is always at the service of the region.

Seyfi Uzunkök, General Manager of Başkent Postası and Cumha, stated that these two grassroots organisations are two good examples of governance. Seyfi Uzunkök stated that the truth cannot be expressed as true for one person and false for another, and that calling right right and wrong wrong is essential for truth and a clean society.

Erol TAYHAN, President of the Independent Western Black Sea Journalists Association, noted that the association's influence in the region is growing but that a higher structure is also necessary. The Western Black Sea Workshop was found to provide an opportunity for this, and the event was characterised by solidarity, equipment and self-sacrifice.

Mehmet KAYAÇAL addressed the relationship between basketball and the stands in non-football sporting events in the Western Black Sea. He stated that the zakat of investment in football is the success that can be achieved in other branches.

Producer Murat ALBAYRAKOĞLU demonstrated the power of cinema in local locations with examples. He referred to the importance of making a Western Black Sea film.

Journalist and writer Mustafa Yaşar Dilsiz, who participated in the workshop on behalf of the Kastamonu Poets, Writers and Musicians Association (KASYOT) with a presentation titled WESTERN BLACK SEA AND CULTURE, ARTS AND LITERATURE, stated that the foundation of regional development and progress is culture, arts and literature, He contributed with a wide-ranging proposal for culture, arts, and literature, which included representatives from countries and provinces bordering the Black Sea. KASYOT President Mustafa Yaşar DİLSİZ requested a separate panel to showcase concrete examples of art and literature from Crimea to Giresun. He emphasised that it is wrong for a generation to grow up without reading books.

Yılmaz CESUR, President of the Anatolian Kastamonulular Association and Deputy President of BAKFED, stated that he was seeking the region's unique musical rhythm with the ‘Sahne Senin Mikrofon Senin Western Black Sea Voice Competition’ and that he expected new developments in music. CESUR stated that the elite level achieved by the Western Black Sea at an academic level would also be achieved at the grassroots level with this event and that he would work selflessly to achieve this. As Deputy Chairman of BAKFED, he expressed his honour in organising a Western Black Sea-scale competition.

‘Western Black Sea Master Tourism Plan’

Düzce Mayor Dr Faruk Özlü showed his support by sending flowers to the workshop and subsequently embraced the idea of declaring the entire region a tourism zone and put it into practice. Accordingly, the Western Black Sea Master Tourism Plan ‘covers Düzce, Bolu, Bartın, Zonguldak, Karabük and Kastamonu.’ Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy welcomed the plan and requested its implementation. Initial discussions between neighbouring cities have also begun. Mayor ÖZLÜ stated that they have started working on the project due to the experience of Cappadocia University, adding, "Tourism must be approached regionally. Düzce alone is not enough. Bolu alone is not enough. The natural tourism boundaries of the Western Black Sea region start from Düzce and extend to Kastamonu. We are proposing a tourism master plan covering six provinces. We have started working on this. We are commissioning Cappadocia University to develop a regional tourism master plan covering these six provinces."

The workshop concluded with the election of the Western Black Sea Council President and the collective singing of the Çanakkale Turkish folk song.