Academic staff from the Culinary Program of Devrek Vocational School at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) were highly appreciated for their contributions to local gastronomy and their active role in the 5th Rize Gastronomy Festival.
Lecturers Mustafa Gökyar and Erol Kesgin from the Culinary Program undertook district coordination, one of the key pillars of the festival, and contributed to the organization that was held between October 10-12, 2025, to introduce the cultural richness and local cuisine of Rize on a national level that attracted great attention from all around Türkiye. The event was carried out under the coordination of Süleyman Tarakçı, Director of the Nalia Black Sea Cuisine Board, and more than 200 local dishes from 12 districts of Rize were documented during the festival.
The organization gained special meaning with the visit of the First Lady, Ms. Emine Erdoğan, and the themes such as preservation of local cuisine, sustainability, and healthy nutrition were highlighted.
Emine Erdoğan stated in her speech at the festival that “This meaningful meeting is not just a gastronomy festival but a step toward carrying the cultural memory of Rize into the future. Each local flavor represents the identity and richness of this land; it should be preserved and passed on to the future generations. I congratulate those who contributed to the organization that recorded more than 200 local dishes from 12 districts of Rize focusing on sustainability, healthy nutrition, and local values.
Rector Özölçer: “We Carry Our Gastronomy Culture into the Future with Science”
Commenting on the academics participating in the 5th Rize Gastronomy Festival on behalf of BEUN and the festival, the Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer stated the following:
“5th Rize Gastronomy Festival, honored by the visit of esteemed wife of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ms. Emine Erdoğan, has been a significant and valuable organization to protect and transfer the rich local cuisine to the future generations. I extend my gratitude to Ms. Emine Erdoğan for her kind visit and valuable contributions to the introduction of our culture on the national and international platforms.
I wholeheartedly congratulate Lecturer Mustafa Gökyar and Lecturer Erol Kesgin who represented our university successfully at the festival. The devoted work of our academics both contributed to the development of local gastronomy awareness and made a name for our university. As Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, we will continue to support all initiatives that aim to carry the Turkish cuisine on the basis of science and culture, particularly the Black Sea cuisine that makes up a significant part of our deep-rooted culture. I would like to emphasize that I believe such visionary works will continue with a sustainable approach and thank all those who contributed to the organization of this event.
