ANTALYA - ''Seventh International Mediterranean Youth Festival'' has started with a parade of participating youths in southern province of Antalya on Tuesday.
Students from Poland, Jordan, Lebanon, Croatia, Ukraine, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Turkey's Akdeniz University (AU) marched to the Cumhuriyet Square.
AU Rector Prof. Dr. Yasar Ucar and students laid wreath to the Ataturk Monument in the square and performed a minute of silence out of respect to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Great Leader and the Founder of the modern and secular Republic of Turkey.
Speaking to reporters, Ucar said that when he had been appointed as the AU Rector in 1996, he thought it necessary to have university students set up close ties with foreign university students and he decided to organize such a festival.
Noting that 350 foreign students from 15 countries and 200 Turkish students would participate in the festival, Ucar said, ''under this festival, students will attend 170 activities in a number of fields such as music, sports, theatre and painting. All activities are free of charge.''
(MS-AÖ) 11.05.2004