Originally published The Kurdish Globe
By Mehmed Sabri Akgönül

An introductory meeting of the Ismail Besikci Foundation was organized in Diyarbakir on February 26. In attendance were Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Member of Parliament Leyla Zana, Head of the Diyarbakir Municipality Osman Baydemir, Diyarbakir Sur District Mayor Abdullah Demirbas, as well as representatives of Kurdish NGOs, intellectuals and writers.

The Ismail Besikci Foundation was founded on 29 November 2011. The first introductory meeting took place in Sweden on January 14 and the second in Istanbul on February 18.

At the meeting, the deputy of the foundation, Ibrahim Gurbuz, spoke about objectives, saying their goal was to cherish Besikci’s works and legacy via research in scientific, social and cultural fields, documentation and culture centers, institutes and a museum. The foundation plans to organize contests in several fields for which they will give Ismail Besikci awards, and there are plans for media and publishing activities. They also intend to publish all of Besikci;s books and translate them into Kurdish and English. He noted that Besikci donated his collection of books, magazines and newspapers gathered during the last 60 years. Gurbuz called upon the people of Diyarbakir to become volunteers to protect the foundation.

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