UNIW Traditional Iftar Program was held this year in Istanbul under the principle of “6 Continents, 66 Countries, One Ummah,” with the participation of deputy ministers, members of parliament, mayors, academics, representatives of public institutions, our members, and numerous civil society organizations. The program began with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an and continued with opening speeches.
In his welcoming remarks, UNIW Secretary General Eyüp Akbal emphasized the spirit of unity and brotherhood in the month of Ramadan and drew attention to the humanitarian crises occurring in different parts of the world. In his speech, Akbal stated that the (oppression), wars, and human rights violations experienced—particularly in Gaza, as well as in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, East Turkestan, and Arakan—have deeply wounded the collective conscience of humanity. He said, “Our greatest prayer is for the suffering in these and similar regions to come to an end, and for justice and peace to prevail.”
Among those who attended the iftar program were: Istanbul Deputy Governor Nail Anlar; Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Halis Yunus Ersöz; Mayor of Fatih Ergün Turan; Mayor of Bahçelievler Dr. Hakan Bahadır; AK Party Deputy Chairperson for Civil Society and Public Relations and Balıkesir MP Belgin Uygur; Istanbul MPs Hasan Turan, Yahya Çelik, İsmail Erdem, and Yıldız Konar; Erzincan MP Serkan Bayram; AK Party Istanbul Provincial Deputy Chairperson for Civil Society and Public Relations Mehmet Emin Özkaya; retired Rear Admiral Prof. Dr. Cihat Yaycı; Rector of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar; TGTV President Attorney İsmail Tuğrul; TGTV Founding Board Chairman Attorney Hamza Akbulut; former UNIW Secretaries General Necmi Sadıkoğlu and Attorney Ali Kurt; Albayrak Media Group General Manager Abdullah Hanönü; as well as our members, representatives of civil society organizations, and diplomatic representatives from the consulates of Sudan, Qatar, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
