The 13th Frankfurt Turkish Theater Festival will be held on June 3–9 at Gallus Theater in Frankfurt, bringing together theater lovers for a week of performances and events dedicated to the memory of renowned Turkish theater figure Haldun Dormen.
The festival will open on June 3 with a commemorative night for Dormen, paying tribute to one of the most influential names in Turkish theater.
Organized by Tiyatro Frankfurt e.V., the event serves as an important cultural platform that brings prominent figures of Turkish theater together with European audiences while strengthening cultural exchange between Türkiye and Germany.
The festival, supported by the General Directorate of State Theaters, will feature productions by the Istanbul State Theater. In addition to stage productions by leading Turkish theater institutions and private companies, the festival will host talks, panels and workshops, bringing together actors, directors, writers and theater professionals with audiences in Frankfurt.
All performances will be staged in Turkish with German surtitles.
Festival President and Tiyatro Frankfurt Artistic Director Kamil Kellecioğlu said the event goes beyond theater, emphasizing the role of art in challenging times.
“Today, the world is going through wars, economic crises and uncertainties. In such times, art is not a luxury but a necessity. For 13 years, the Frankfurt Turkish Theater Festival has become not only a space where plays are staged but also a bridge where people understand one another and cultures meet,” he said.
“Haldun Dormen was not only an artist for us but a path and a stance. Walking the path he opened and keeping this light alive is a great responsibility for us. With this festival, we are not only building a stage but also a bond, a memory and a future,” he added.
Festival Türkiye Coordinator Hannan Aslan described the event as the result of nearly a year of intensive work.
The festival’s honorary presidents are Tamer Levent and Ayşenil Şamlıoğlu, while actor Zafer Algöz serves as curator.
