Balgarianovinite.com The Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Tournament carries Bulgaria and Turkiye from a shared past towards a shared future, Consul General of Bulgaria in Edirne Radoslava Kafedzhiyska said on Monday. Her comments appeared in a 120-page special supplement of Edirne Gazetesi.
“The historic Kirkpinar tournament is an exceptionally valuable tradition, not only because it is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but also because for more than six centuries it has preserved a legacy that carries us from a shared past toward a shared future,” Kafedzhiyska said.
She noted the regular attendance in recent years of official guests from Bulgaria at the Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Tournament, saying it had helped strengthen contacts between the two countries.
“Over the years, many businesspeople, academics, members of Bulgaria’s National Assembly, mayors, representatives of Bulgarian local authorities, diplomats and artists have travelled to Edirne specifically for Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Week. In their meetings and talks, they exchange views on joint projects, future cooperation and cultural exchanges, which are then put into practice,” Kafedzhiyska said.
Kafedzhiyska said experience had shown that the Kirkpinar tournament was far more than a wrestling arena that keeps a tradition alive.
“It is a deeply rooted institution, a powerful platform that brings together people, cultures and ideas. Kirkpinar not only carries a centuries-old sporting tradition into the future, but also highlights the best in our societies. It builds bridges of friendship and understanding, bringing together people from different professions and walks of life across a much wider geography, starting with the Balkans,” Kafedzhiyska said.
Kafedzhiyska also underlined the important role such events play in developing cooperation between close neighbours such as Bulgaria and Turkiye.
“Just as two wrestlers, firmly planted on the ground as they grapple, form a strong bridge between them, friendship and brotherhood between neighbouring peoples must be built on equally firm and unshakable foundations. We must continue on our path without forgetting our past, while respecting our ancestors and preserving the traditions they left us. We should strive to understand and appreciate our neighbours’ cultures, seeking and nurturing the values that unite us rather than divide us. Our shared future will be shaped not by our differences, but by our shared memory, common values and mutual respect,” Kafedzhiyska concluded.
Edirne Gazetesi is one of Edirne’s oldest newspapers. Its 120-page special supplement on the 665th Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Tournament, held as part of Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Week from June 29 to July 5, had a print run of 10,000 and was distributed free of charge, Edirne Gazetesi Editor Gokhan Tuzladan told BTA. Tuzladan said Kafedzhiyska had been invited to comment on the tournament as a diplomat who knows Edirne well and enjoys strong standing in the local community for her contribution to bilateral relations and people-to-people contacts across the border. Consul General Kafedzhiyska: Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Tournament Bridges Shared Past and Future 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-20 17:39:41 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law