(Minghui.org) Practitioners in Turkey celebrated this year’s World Falun Dafa Day while participating in the five-day Youth and Sports Festival. May 13 was the 29th anniversary of the public introduction of Falun Dafa and the 22nd World Falun Dafa Day. İt was also the 70th birthday of Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa.

To celebrate this special day, practitioners in Turkey introduced the practice for five days between May 17 and 21.

As there were too many people affected by the pandemic in Turkey, the government declared a shutdown in Turkey for 21 days. After the restriction ended on May 17, the practitioners held events at the festival.

Practitioners doing the exercises

Practitioners celebrate the 29th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction and 70th birthday of Falun Dafa’s founder, Master Li Hongzhi

The practitioners were invited to participate in the Youth and Sports Festival, which was held on the coastline by the metropolitan municipality of Mersin City, on May 17-21. Because the municipality liked the Falun Dafa activities very much, they arranged a large space for the practitioners.

In addition, the practitioners demonstrated the exercises on the stage for three days at the festival. They taught the exercises to many people and taught people how to make origami lotus flowers, a symbol of purity in traditional Chinese culture.

During the festival, Falun Dafa received much attention from the visitors. Many people learned about Falun Dafa and the persecution by the communist regime in China. Many people showed their support by signing a petition calling for an end to the persecution.

Doing exercises at the festival for 5 days, May 17 to 21

People learning lotus flower folding

A young practitioner handing out flyers

Signature drive to end the persecution

Many people came to the booth for five days, learned the exercises, and learned about the Falun Dafa local exercise area and said they plan to participate in it.

Alahattin Bayir

Twenty-one-year-old Alahattin is a member of the Cyclists Drive Association. He learned all five sets of Falun Dafa’s exercises. He said, “It was the first time I have encountered Falun Dafa. It really caught my attention. I learned that it is prohibited and persecuted in China. These deaths have to come to an end. I will sign now to show my support. This meditation is so beautiful, I will surely tell everyone I know. I felt a positive energy field while doing the exercises.” He said he planned to participate in the exercises every week at the group site.

Fatime and her friend

Fatime, an 8th grade student, and her friend enjoyed watching the exercises on the stage. They later came to the booth and wanted to learn the exercises. They also learned how to fold paper lotus flowers. She was very surprised to learn of the persecution and signed the petition. She also encouraged her family to sign it.

Teslime Unal Ongun while doing exercises (on the left side)

Retired biology teacher Teslime Unal Ongun, who is interested in bio-energy, learned all the exercises. Later, she came with her bike every day of the festival and did the exercises. She signed the petition against persecution. She stated that she will visit the local exercise site for the week.

From Imece, a local newspaper

A reporter from the local newspaper, Imece, interviewed the practitioners. The article was published on the front page of the printed newspaper, as well as in the virtual online newspaper. The article discussed the practice of Falun Dafa and the persecution in China, including the communist regime’s crime of forced organ harvesting from imprisoned Falun Dafa practitioners.