Festival excitement in Gökbel

The 18th Traditional Gökbel Oil Wrestling Festival, held in Alanya this year, has begun. Alanya Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik, speaking at the festival’s opening, which also hosted a children’s play area, an Off Road show, and a Kubat concert, stated, “We aim to make our festival an event that will provide significant contributions to our city in cultural, economic, and touristic aspects.”

The Traditional Gökbel Oil Wrestling Festival started in Gökbel Plateau. The first day of the festival, set up in a large area and attended by citizens with tents showing great interest, received high marks for its entertainment, organization, and various activities.

This year, a children’s play area was established for the first time at the festival. The workshop tents set up for children to learn about the plateau culture and get to know traditional games were never empty and attracted great interest. The area featured mind and intelligence games, origami bookmark making, storytelling, book coloring, face painting, traditional games, and many other activities for children. While learning, the children spent enjoyable time with their families.

Off-Road Excitement
The traditional activity of the Gökbel Festival, Off Road shows, was held on the first day of the organization. Skilled drivers showcased their talents on a track meticulously prepared for breathtaking races. Alanya District Governor Fatih Ürkmezer, Alanya Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik, and protocol members also followed the shows with the citizens. The opening of the Off Road shows was made by Mayor Özçelik, who took the wheel. Overcoming the obstacles on the course one by one, Mayor Özçelik reached the finish line perfectly, receiving applause from the thousands of citizens filling the area. The Mountaineers Off Road Club, which undertook the organization, presented plaques to District Governor Fatih Ürkmezer, Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik, and the presidential advisors Abdurrahman Açıkalın and Nazmi Zavlak for their support. The shows continued for 2 hours with great excitement.

District Governor Ürkmezer and Mayor Özçelik toured the market area set up in the Gökbel Festival area, meeting with the tradesmen and citizens. Mayor Özçelik conveyed his wishes for abundant profits and good business to the tradesmen and also chatted with the shopping citizens.

“We held the festival without looking at what anyone said”
Before the concert of famous artist Kubat, Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik addressed the crowd filling the area. Emphasizing that they organized the festival without looking at what anyone said or listening to anyone’s comments, Mayor Özçelik said, “We established an organization committee with extensive participation and reviewed everything according to the basic standards necessary for a festival. We worked on how we could do it better and more beautifully. And here we are, in your presence. The oil wrestling, a tradition that has lasted for centuries, is an indispensable part of our culture. This ancient sport symbolizes not only physical strength but also courage, determination, and brotherhood. Sports represent brotherhood, peace, chivalry, health, and an activity that protects our youth from negativity. Therefore, we attach great importance to the sporting value of our festival,” he said.

Continuing his speech, Mayor Özçelik said, “We aim to make our festival an event that will provide significant contributions to our city in cultural, economic, and touristic aspects. Tomorrow, our wrestlers coming from all over Turkey will step into the arena. I wish our wrestlers success. Tonight, our famous artist Kubat will give us a magnificent musical feast. I thank everyone who contributed to the organization that has come to this point from the past. I sincerely thank the athletes, artists, and you, our valuable fellow citizens who participated in our festival, and I wish you enjoyable times. I look forward to meeting at many beautiful events.”

The master of folk songs, Kubat, delivered a stunning stage performance. Citizens filling the concert area enjoyed an unforgettable musical feast with Kubat’s songs, experiencing both emotional moments and great fun. The famous artist thanked Mayor Özçelik and his team for their hospitality, while Mayor Özçelik presented a painting featuring the Yörük carpet motif as a gift. Kubat invited Mayor Özçelik to sing together. Mayor Özçelik performed the folk song “Yar Demedin” with the famous artist. The performance of the two received great applause. In the concert, Kubat also included hearing-impaired individuals and sang on stage using sign language with them. After the concert, the first day’s program of the festival came to an end.