Conclusion of the “We Are Yemenis” Forum

September 10, 2019

Under the auspices of Dr. Mohammed Al-Adil, the Deputy Minister of Yemeni Expatriate Affairs, and in the presence of Dr. Yassin Aktai, Adviser to the President of the Turkish Republic,

The Yemeni Friendship and Cooperation Association concluded “We Are Yemenis” Forum which was held in the period (5-8) September, 2019 in Yalova, Turkey with the participation of 220 participants from various Yemeni governorates.

The Yemeni Friendship and Cooperation Association concluded the Yemeni Forum with a closing ceremony attended by Dr. Yassin Aktai, the advisor to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a number of members of the Shura and Representatives Councils, Yemeni former ministers and deputy ministers, businessmen, notables and social figures, heads of institutions, academics, and Yemeni students in Turkey.

In his speech, Dr. Ahmed Al-Aqabi, the head of the forum, welcomed the guests and thanked them for attending, stressing that the Yemenis, through this forum and under the slogan “We Are Yemenis … Title of Civilization and Ambassadors of Values”, embodied the most beautiful meanings of love, cohesion and brotherhood after years of hard times and living in Turkey and other countries away from their homeland. He also said that although the Yemenis moved away from their homeland, they would remain loyal to it. He added that, through their cooperation, brotherhood and unity, the personal disputes and the provincial and sectarian allegiances would melt away.

Al-Aqabi pointed out that the Yemeni was a good person who contributed to building any country in which he lived and considered it as their homeland and that would happen in Turkey.

Al-Aqabi greeted Turkey’s president, government and people, noting that they embodied “the meaning of victory and hospitality” and bore the burdens in order to support the oppressed people and host the immigrants.

On the other hand, Dr. Abdul-Raqeeb Abbad, the head of the Yemeni Friendship and Cooperation Association, welcomed the attendees and expressed his great optimism because the Forum achieved its noble goals that brought us together under the umbrella of the Yemeni national project. He added that more than 220 participants belonging to the elites of faithful and wise people, including parliamentarians and members of the Shura Council, businessmen, notables, heads of associations and institutions, students and academics spent good time getting acquainted and supporting each other. He confirmed that all of them had remembered those wonderful memories to Sana’a, Hadramout and Socotra. He said that every inch of Yemen was present throughout the period of the forum.

He said; “The Yemeni Friendship and Cooperation Association will be, God willing, the resort for all Yemenis.”

He added; “Our Turkish brothers describe the Yemeni community as the most organized. We will be more organized because we are authentic people. Surely, Yemen will return as it was.”

Dr. Yassin Aktai expressed his great pleasure due to his participation in the closing ceremony of “We Are Yemenis” Forum. He said; “I am always happy because I live with you, my Yemeni brothers.” He added; “Most of you came to Turkey as immigrants and we hope to be your supporters.”

Dr. Yassin Aktai added; “The word ‘support’ is easy to be said, but we hope that God will help us to achieve a part of this great task because Yemenis are suffering from a great deal of injustice, difficulties, and foreign interference and they do not deserve this bad situation.”

He added; “We appreciate Yemen and the Yemenis do not deserve to live in all these difficult circumstances and foreign interventions. Yemen is present in Turkey’s historical memory and the role of Owais Al-Qarni is the best evidence.”

He said; “The Lord of the Worlds has chosen immigration to Turkey for you in order to make us benefit from each other and it is an opportunity to build a new joint civilization that can face the current challenges.”

He confirmed saying; “The current situation makes Muslims not be ready to solve their problems and the world’s problems and they are away from that. Immigration is a good chance to meet in other countries to build a new civilization together, so blessing lies in integration and mixing.”

Dr. Yassin Aktai concluded saying; “The Yemeni community is the most organized and optimism is one of the most important values ​​of politics. Focusing on opportunities helps us more. Then the Yemeni community will be a bridge between the Turkish people and the Yemenis.”

In his speech, Dr. Muhammed Al-Adil, the Yemeni Deputy Minister for Expatriate Affairs, thanked the Turkish government and people for hosting their Yemeni brothers and their role in caring and honoring them. Al-Adil said that the forum included the discussion of distinguished programs and there was great interaction from the part of the Yemeni community members with these programs. He also expected that the participation in the upcoming forum would be larger and it would include distinct attendance of Yemeni women.

In the participants’ speech, Mr Salah Pattis, a member of the Yemeni Shura Council, said that this forum revived the memories of the forums and camps that were organized in their beloved Yemen.

He added that what distinguished that forum was that the participants were from all over Yemen and they represented all age groups from all the Yemeni governorates. They were also from among those who had various disciplines, interests and areas of creativity and that was hopeful.

He said; “In such forums and meetings, we can discuss what is going on in our country. Yemenis belonging to various governorates, including Hadramout, Sanaa, Tihamah, Aden, Shabwa and Taiz meet together one forum. We forget the provincial, ethnic, sectarian, regional and even partisan factors and say in one voice ‘We are all Yemen’.”

He added; “We thank The Yemeni Friendship and Cooperation Association represented by Dr. Abdul Raqeeb Abbad, Dr. Ahmed Al-Aqabi and the team working with them. Actually, they have been creative and beneficial, so we express our thanks and gratitude to them.”

It is worth mentioning that the forum lasted for days during which many programs, seminars, workshops, acquaintances and sports, cultural, artistic and entertainment activities were included.