Turkish Cuisine Week: Türkiye, partners celebrate flavours, sustainable bilateral relations.

This was during the Turkish Cuisine Week which showcases the country’s rich, diverse food culture. This year marked the fourth edition and the first to be hosted in Douala. 

Attendees amongst which included the Littoral Governor, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua; the Honorary Consul of Türkiye to Cameroon, Senator Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko; the General Manager of Access Bank Cameroon, Ellis Nzo Asu; amongst others, got to discover the sustainable, healthy, and traditional cooking methods that define Turkish gastronomy. 

This year’s theme: “Classic Dishes of Turkish Cuisine”, focused on timeless recipes passed down through generations — sharing the country’s distinctive flavours, values, and hospitality with the world.

Speaking at the event, the Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, His Excellency Volkan Öskiper, said by organising the event in Douala, the intension was to brandish his country's soft diplomacy to his Cameroonian friends. 

"Diplomacy maybe 50 or 60 years ago was only one kind. Now, there are a number of diplomacies, just like sports, football and having tasted the Cameroonian cuisine for the past four months that I have been here; I thought the Turkish cuisine would have been of interest to our Cameroonian friends. I have seen happy faces here and I I'm happy that I was able to do this," he said. 

Cameroon and Türkiye as noted by the General Manager of Access Bank, shares similarities with Cameroon especially as in is in-between two continents. 

"Türkiye is found in the middle of two continents; there are diversity of too many things which will reflect in the cuisine we will taste,” Nzo Asu said.

Access Bank, being the sponsor of the event, seized the opportunity to make gains in the Turkish market. It worth emphasising that the bank is amongst the top ten biggest banks in Africa. The bank is ranked first in Nigeria and present in 15 countries in Africa and the UK. 

Meanwhile, the Douala event, it was said, was aimed at promoting the principles of zero waste and sustainability, which have long defined traditional Turkish cooking. 

From local and seasonal ingredients to simple, waste-free preparation techniques, the week celebrated recipes that are not only delicious but also mindful of the environment and wellbeing.

The menu presented by the embassy chef, Edimo Nestor, featured menu that offers a warm and authentic taste of Türkiye food, with dishes such as garnished rice, seasoned grilled lamb, cakes amongst others.

The dishes, rooted in Türkiye’s fertile geography and cultural history, reflect the essence of its culinary identity: nourishing, communal, and welcoming.

Away from Cameroon, each of Türkiye’s 81 provinces also showcase their own local interpretations of traditional recipes — shaped by regional climates, ingredients, and customs. 

From olive oil-based dishes of the Aegean coast to the bold, spice-laden cuisine of the Southeast, and the seafood specialities of the Black Sea, Turkish Cuisine Week offers a sensory journey through the country’s rich regional diversity.

A diverse programme of cooking workshops, tastings, cultural performances, and exhibitions accompanied the week.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3459 of Friday May 30, 2025