Food for Diplomacy

Kadir Has University’s Lifelong Learning Center, in collaboration with its Chef School, and the CIES, inter alia, organizes a series of monthly dinner meetings throughout 2014-2015 academic year, with the overall theme of “Food for Diplomacy”.

The fifth meeting took place on 14 April 2015 at The Kadir Has University’s ChefSchool Restaurant. The guest chef was Ms. Katerina Xekalou, award winning restaurateur, and owner of Avli Hotel and Restaurant in Rethymnon. Chef Xekalou cooked singular dishes exemplifying the Greek and Cretan culinary culture, for a select group of guests from Turkey and Greece.

The guest speaker was H.E. Yannis Boutaris, the Mayor of Thessaloniki. He spoke about “The role of culture in the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey”.

Food for Diplomacy focuses on the common heritage of culinary culture as a facilitator for enhancing political, social and cultural dialogue between Turkey and its near and far neighbors. The project aims at strengthening diplomatic, cultural and economic links. A special partner for this event was the Hellenic Foundation for Culture.