Turkish culture show held ahead of NBA game

OHIO, US

NBA watchers enjoyed a Turkish folk dance performance Sunday ahead of a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. LA Clippers game in the Midwestern US state of Ohio.

A folk dance troupe affiliated with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry performed a three-minute show on the court to spotlight Turkish culture on the NBA's global stage organized by the Yunus Emre Institute, which promotes Turkish language and culture worldwide, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Turkish Heritage Night was held shortly before the game at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, where Turkish basketball player Cedi Osman's team the Cavaliers faced the Clippers.

The institute said the dance show’s aim was to introduce “the rich culture of Anatolia” to the global stage, urging Americans to visit Türkiye to have a chance to enjoy Turkish culture even more.

Hasan Murat Mercan, Türkiye’s ambassador to the US, said before the show that it would have a “lasting impact” in promoting Turkish culture.

“People will have good memories of Türkiye in their minds,” he said.

Sports has “so much connectivity” and the ability to “bring so many people together,” said Cavaliers CEO Nic Barlage.

“It’s really an honor and privilege for us to be able to have Turkish heritage right here,” he said.

He added that Cleveland’s Turkish player Cedi Osman could be an “ambassador” to showcase the “power of the NBA” not just in America but also in Türkiye.

A ‘very special night’

Osman told Anadolu that the Turkish performance at the game was a “very special night” for him.

Noting that there are currently four Turkish players in the NBA, he said: “It's important for us to see such a night organized.”

Gokhan Coskun, who heads the Yunus Emre Institute’s operations in the US, said during a reception ahead of the dance performance that basketball is a "powerful vehicle to bring the global community together, open dialogue, and expose the values we share to people around the world."

"The partnership offers great opportunities that have been received and leverages relations through business and communities through cognitive diversity such as fostering innovation, supporting different markets, and expanding access," he added.

The event came after the Yunus Emre Institute signed a deal with the Cavaliers in 2020 to promote Turkish culture, language, history, and art on the NBA's global stage.

With the partnership, the institute said it aims to create a bridge between Türkiye and the US and to increase the number of people who forge bonds with and are friendly to Türkiye in the US and all around the world.

Under the partnership, the Cavaliers are also promoting Turkish tourist attractions on social media. The campaign will provide two people with a trip to Türkiye.

In addition to Ambassador Mercan, Coskun, and Cavaliers CEO Barlage, the reception ahead of the show was attended by Ebubekir Sahin, the head of Türkiye’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), and members of the Turkish American community.

Many Americans also attended the reception, during which they had the chance to sample Turkish cuisine.

Fans at the NBA game also enjoyed the Taste of Türkiye hall, which offered a “tour of Türkiye” with photos from the country’s various regions.