A commemoration program titled “Cengiz Dağcı on the centenary of his birthday” was hosted by the Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) in collaboration with the Crimean Turks Culture and Solidarity Association and the Union of Eurasian Writers.

Writer and poet Cengiz Dağcı who has worldwide recognition for his works in Turkish was commemorated on the centenary of his birthday. The commemoration program held at YTB for Crimean novelist and poet Cengiz Dağcı was participated by YTB President Abdullah Eren; Mükremin Şahin, President of the Crimean Turks Culture and Solidarity Association; Asst. Prof. Yakup Ömeroğlu, Chief Executive Officer of the Union of Eurasian Writers; and Prof. Dr. Yüksel, Lecturer at Gazi University Faculty of Letters, as well as many listeners.

The program opened with a short video screening on the life and works of Cengiz Dağcı. YTB President Eren gave a keynote speech and highlighted that the year 2019 that happened to be the centenary of Dağcı’s birthday was also the 75^th anniversary of the exile of Meskhetian Turks and Crimean Tatars. Eren said “We will organize a series of programs throughout 2019 about the exile of both Meskhetian Turks and Crimean Tatars. To crown the series, we would like to hold the final program as a commemoration day with books and documentary efforts as well as with national and international programs.” Stating that when one mentions of the exile, history and literature of Crimean Tatars, it is a must to mention of Cengiz Dağcı as well, Eren said “We attach utmost importance to this kind of commemoration programs. It is important that we are aware of the struggles fought.” Eren emphasized that they as YTB, which is currently a young organization, believe that the Turkic world should be passed down from one generation to another and will maintain their efforts in this respect. Şahin, President of the Crimean Turks Culture and Solidarity Association began his speech by giving information on Crimea’s geography and importance for the Turkic history.  

- "Crimea is the synthesis of the Turkic world"

Stating “The Crimean geography has such a culture which can be considered the synthesis of the entire Turkic world,”, Şahin continued that it was also a trade center.
“Cengiz Dağcı never lived in Turkey but the books and novels he wrote have found place among the most beautiful work in Turkish. Dağcı’s novels have always had impact on the Crimean Turks living in Turkey and reminded them of their homeland.”  
The program continued with a video screening where students who have come from the Turkic Republics to Turkey for education purposes talk about Cengiz Dağcı, as well as speeches about Dağcı.

- "Dağcı is buried in Kırım"

Asst. Prof. Yakup Ömeroğlu, Chief Executive Officer of the Union of Eurasian Writers began his speech by touching upon the oppressions on the Turks throughout the history.
Noting that Cengiz Dağcı spent the majority of his life in England, Ömeroğlu said that he wanted to come to Turkey but was not accepted then, based on an unfortunate order.
He stated that the subsequent attempts by the highest authorities of the Republic of Turkey to bring Dağcı to Turkey failed. Ömeroğlu told about the process where Dağcı’s body was brought to Crimea from London upon his demise and stated that he was buried in a forestland in Crimea.

- "Dağcı’s work is about all Turks"

Prof. Dr. Zuhal Yüksel, Lecturer at Gazi University Faculty of Letters covered the biography and work of Dağcı in the first part of her speech. “Cengiz Dağcı’s work is not only about the Crimean Tatars but about all Turks living in the Soviets. Therefore, Dağcı’s novels have a distinguished importance for those who live outside and do not know Crimea at all,” said Yüksel.

Yüksel stated that Dağcı’s tone and style in his work varied depending on the events experienced and that he told about normal events in a plain tone while he wrote about bad events using short but strong sentences.