Cuban residents in Türkiye, friends of the Cuban people, and Turkish citizens took part in a tribute ceremony to José Martí, National Hero of Cuba, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, held at Havana Park in the city of Istanbul, as an expression of the historic bonds of friendship, respect, and solidarity between the two peoples.
The event served to highlight the deeply anti-imperialist character of José Martí’s legacy, as well as to denounce the escalating aggressiveness of the Government of the United States against Cuba, manifested in the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade and other actions aimed at suffocating the Cuban economy and breaking the will of its people.
During the ceremony, Derya Ünlü, on behalf of the Turkish–Cuban Friendship Association “José Martí”, reaffirmed the strong commitment of the Turkish people to the Cuban people and their support for the defense of sovereignty, independence, and Cuba’s right to decide its own destiny without external interference.
One of the most moving moments of the event was led by Turkish actor Mehmet Okuroğlu, who read several excerpts from José Martí’s Simple Verses, translated into Turkish, bringing the audience closer to the universal and humanist dimension of Martí’s thought.
For his part, the Consul General of the Republic of Cuba in Istanbul expressed gratitude for Turkish solidarity and support under the current circumstances facing Cuba, as well as for the presence and commitment of the Cuban community residing in Türkiye, which he described as “the most genuine representation of our identity and the dignity of our people in these distant lands.”
The tribute reaffirmed the relevance of the thought of José Martí and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as symbols of independence, sovereignty, and resistance to all forms of domination, and underscored the shared determination to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship and solidarity between Cuba and the Turkish people.