The Pain and Heroism of the Balkans Will Live On in Bornova

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki visited Balkan immigrant associations in the district, delivering a message of unity and solidarity. During the visits, he announced several projects to honor the region’s shared heritage, ranging from a monument dedicated to Adem Jashari to a memorial commemorating 11 genocides that took place west of the Meriç River. At the warm and friendly gatherings, association presidents thanked Mayor Eşki for the meaningful sensitivity he has shown toward the immigrant community.

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki delivered a message of unity and togetherness through a series of visits to Balkan immigrant associations operating in the district. Visiting the Veles Immigrants Culture and Solidarity Association of Macedonia and the Bornova Albanians Culture and Solidarity Association, Mayor Eşki announced plans for monuments that will preserve the memory of the heroes, symbols and historical tragedies of the Balkans in Bornova.

The visits were also attended by Mübeccel Timaç, Chair of the New Party’s Bornova District Organization, municipal council members and neighborhood headmen. During the warm and friendly meetings, the demands of Balkan immigrants—one of the most important components of Bornova’s multicultural identity—and planned cultural investments in the district were discussed.

Mayor Eşki Makes the First Entry in the Association’s Historic Guestbook

During his visit to the Veles Immigrants Culture and Solidarity Association of Macedonia, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki signed the first pages of the commemorative guestbook established by the association. In his remarks, Mayor Eşki made powerful statements, emphasizing that the heroism and tragedies experienced by the people of the Balkans would never be forgotten.

“We are one big family whose roots lie in these lands and whose hearts beat in solidarity with our kinspeople in the Balkans. We will not leave these ties as mere words; we will engrave them into the squares and parks of Bornova. We will carry the name and heroic struggle of Adem Jashari, the legendary commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, into the future through a monument and park project that we will build in Yıldırım Beyazıt Neighborhood.

We will neither forget our suffering nor allow it to be forgotten. We will enrich the Srebrenica Memorial in Atatürk Park with a unique work of art composed of lily petals, a symbol of Bosnia’s resistance and purity. Our greatest historical responsibility will be to bring to Bornova a monumental memorial that vividly recounts the 11 major genocides suffered by our kinspeople, and the immense pain they endured, in those ancient lands west of the Meriç River. This monument will serve as both a reckoning with the past and a memory for the future.”

Association Presidents Thank Mayor Eşki

The projects announced by Mayor Eşki and his inclusive approach were warmly welcomed by the association administrations. Dr. Şaban Acarbay, Honorary President of the Veles Immigrants Culture and Solidarity Association of Macedonia, and Melek Taşol, President of the Bornova Albanians Culture and Solidarity Association, expressed their appreciation for the municipality’s continued support of the immigrant community. They thanked Mayor Ömer Eşki for his thoughtful visit and the projects honoring their shared heritage.