Turkey’s Kayseri added to UNESCO Creative Cities Network

By Esma Kucuksahin

KAYSERI, Turkey (AA) – Turkey's central province of Kayseri has been added to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in field of gastronomy for its rich cuisine, a local official said on Wednesday.

Kayseri city mayor Memduh Buyukkilic said that a special commission was formed within the municipality which carried out hard work and managed to enter the network.

He emphasized that the municipality continues its efforts to make the city a tourism center of the region.

"Kayseri, our ancient city, which has been the cradle of many civilizations since the earliest times of history and maintains its importance in every period, has also proven itself in the field of gastronomy," Buyukkilic said.

Besides its agricultural, economic, cultural, commercial, and geopolitical importance, Kayseri is also home to lots of food varieties, he also said.

"We continue our efforts to introduce all our foods to the world," he added.

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.

At least 180 cities, which currently make up this network, work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level, according to the UNESCO website.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara