Life style
With love from Turkiye
BY Zanita Careem
To celebrate Turkiye 100th Anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye the Ambassador for the Republic of Turkiye hosted a largely attended reception at the Galle Face Hotel. The grandeur of the evening, the resonance of the patriotic anthems of Turkiye and Sri Lanka and the profound words from the Ambassador of Turkiye, Demet Sekercioglu and chief guest, Sri Lankan Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Affairs, Wijedasa Rajapakse, guest of honour Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Education and leader of the House created an atmosphere of unparalleled significance.
The reception was not just an event, it was a testament to the unity, strength and cultural richness that the grandeur ofthe republic of Turkiye offer. . The resonance of the patriotic anthems between both countries and the profound speeches created an atmosphere of unparalleled significance. The reception held at the Grand Ballroom of the Galle Face Hotel was not just an event, it was a testament to the unity, strength and cultural richness that define the Republic marking it as an extraordinary milestone
Amid these stirring speeches, the night was adorned with glamour and glitz, well attended by diplomats, members of parliament,and other dignitaries.
Address by Ambassador R. Demet Sekercioglue on the occasion of the celebrations of the 100th Anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye It gives me immense pride and honour to welcome to celebrate a monumental milestone in the history of modern Türkiye.
A hundred years ago, on 29 October 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish War of Liberation, surrounded by his comrades and parliament members, proclaimed the Republic, declaring that “the sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation.”
Kanchana Rajapakse from the embassy
PLO representative in Sri Lanka with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry
Through his visionary reforms, the military genius who also proved to be an exceptional statesman laid the foundations for a strong Republic, which a century later emerges as a pillar of strength and stability in a turbulent region.
Contrary to popular belief, Atatürk did not seek to replicate Western civilization but to build a strong democratic, secular, and modern state while preserving the unique character of the Turkish nation.
Today, Türkiye: is counted among G20 countries.
Emerges as the second-largest army of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Has built a strong national defense industry. Steadily becomes an energy hub. Provides shelter to millions fleeing war-affected regions. Stands as the most generous country in terms of humanitarian aid compared to her GDP.
T ürkiye pursues an enterprising and humanitarian foreign policy in line with her founding principle, “Peace at home, Peace in the world,” in order to resolve crises, establish peace, stability, cooperation, and share prosperity in her region and beyond.
The Ambassador of Turkiye Demet Sekercioglu making the keynote speech
The Ambassador of Turkiye Demet Sekercioglue, , Atif Sekercioglu with daughter
She tirelessly works to find peaceful solutions to the wars in Syria and Ukraine and spares no effort to stop the unprecedented atrocities in Palestine.
While consolidating her strategic locations around the world, Türkiye, through her “Asia Anew” initiative, also looks forward to strengthening her cooperation with Asian countries, many of which she has historical relations with.
In fact, it is well-known that relations between Turks and Sri Lankans go back long before the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Ottoman Empire and Ceylon in 1864 when the First Honorary Consul of the Ottoman Empire was appointed in Colombo.Later on, the young Republic of Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize the independence of Sri Lanka in 1948.
So, 2023 is not just a year individually important for Türkiye and Sri Lanka, as we respectively celebrate the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye and the 75th year of the independence of Sri Lanka; it is also an important milestone in our bilateral relations.
Indeed, 2023 also marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of our Embassy in Colombo and the tenth anniversary of the launch of our national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines’ flights between Istanbul and Colombo with a stopover in Male.On this historic occasion, I am proud to announce that Turkish Airlines’ first direct flight landed in Colombo this morning.
I am confident that this new arrangement will make a significant contribution to the Sri Lankan tourism market at a very crucial time and contribute to further developing our economic relations.
As we embrace the “Türkiye Century” I also firmly believe that our people-to-people ties, which have proven their strength by supporting each other during challenging times, most recently during the earthquake that struck Türkiye earlier this year, will continue to prosper in the years to come.
Long live Türkiye-Sri Lanka Friendship!
Pix by Thushara Athapaththu
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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