AMMAN — The Turkish embassy in Amman, to commemorate International Women’s Day, hosted a piano recital by renowned Turkish pianist Tuluyhan Ugurlu at the Al Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman on Tuesday.

 

The recital’s compositions drew inspiration from the event’s theme — “World changes if women want”. Ugurlu chose the evening’s musical compositions to pay homage to women across the world, with pieces labelled “A woman in the Islamic world” and “Women moving towards the future”, according to the concert programme.

 

The event’s opening remarks were presented by the Turkish ambassador to Jordan, Murat Karagoz, who said: “I want to congratulate women across the world on the day we celebrate them, and I endorse the view of their ability to shape our world for the better.”

 

The piano recital, which was attended by over 100 people, was accompanied by an audio visual presentation that paid homage to women’s struggles by elaborating on the lives of historical figures such as Joan of Arc and Marie Curie. The presentation also reminded the audience of the role of women in the ongoing refugee crisis in Jordan, and their plight in terms of the low literacy rates among refugee women and a lack of employment opportunities. 

 

Her Majesty Queen Rania also featured in the presentation, which recognised her humanitarian work to promote women’s rights with a musical composition labelled “A Queen’s war on women’s rights”.

 

Ugurlu delivered a speech at the end of his performance, saying: “I am proud today to perform in Jordan, and am constantly enamoured by the humanitarian work the country has endorsed. They have welcomed refugees from various troubled regions, and are champions of women rights in the Middle East.”