YTB Holds Special Reception for 60th Anniversary of Turkish-Dutch Labour Agreement

The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) holds a 60th Anniversary Reception to mark and commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Turkish immigration to the Netherlands kicked off upon the advent of the Labour Agreement signed by and between Türkiye and the Netherlands on August 19, 1964.

Having set off upon the ratification of the labour agreements back in the 1960s, the Turkish diaspora has been present in the country for 60 years now, with the fifth generation leading the way. Turkish guest workers, who moved from Asiatic Türkiye to Europe and then to many other countries around the world, made them their second homeland over time and grew into an essential element of the countries they have resided in.

 

Familiarizing people with the process they have gone through and the outstanding efforts made by the Turkish community, which constitutes a cornerstone of the relations between the countries and offers a lot to both the country they reside in and Türkiye in many aspects, is the focal point of the 60^th anniversary events held by YTB. On the occasion of the 60^th anniversary events, various cultural, artistic, and academic activities are set to be organized throughout 2024.

 

To this end, YTB is set to organize a 60^th Anniversary Reception to mark and commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the Turkish labour immigration kicked off upon the ratification of the Labour Agreement signed by and between Türkiye and the Netherlands on August 19, 1964.

 

The reception is going to be held at 7 p.m. On Monday, May 6, 2024 at Theater Zuidplein in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and attended by 650 people of Turkish community residing in the Netherlands and the Dutch people. 

 

To be attended by the leading figures of the Turkish community, opinion leaders from various disciplines and sectors, non-governmental representatives and figures of symbolic relevance for the Turkish diaspora, the reception is to be joined by high-ranking officials of both Türkiye and the Netherlands. 

 

Among the key objectives of the 60^th Anniversary Reception is to remember the importance of the Turkish immigration kicked off in the 1960s and subsequent ones in large quantities for the Dutch economy, and to help the future generations gain insight into this historical process.

 

The reception is also organised to highlight that Turkish labour immigration is not only about the past, but also a process that influences our present and future.

 

The event is viewed as an occasion to celebrate our common heritage and pass it on to future generations, as well as an opportunity to honour our over nearly 430,000 Turkish nationals residing in the Netherlands.