Turkish diaspora literature workshop held in Cologne

A workshop focused on Turkish diaspora literature was held in Cologne, Germany, hosted by Maarif Europe. The event was organized through a collaboration between the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University (KSÜ), the Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality, and Maarif Europe.

Project coordinator Prof. Dr. Selim Somuncu discussed the historical context of migration and the efforts to establish Kahramanmaraş as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. The workshop included academic presentations on postcolonial perspectives of diaspora and the examination of racism, alienation, and belonging within immigrant texts.

Sessions also featured second and third-generation immigrant writers, including Dursaliye Şahan, Aysel Yalçın, Selçuk Ülger, Bayram Zıvalı, and Yasemin Kelkit. These participants discussed the evolution of the concept of migration, the role of literature as a space for resistance, and the societal challenges faced by immigrant communities in Germany.