The Trakya University Institute of Romani Language and Culture Research participated in the “Awareness Training on Romani Cultural Research in Our Country.”

Associate Professor Dr. Gökhan Ilgaz, Director of the Trakya University Institute of Romani Language and Culture Research, Research Assistant Muhammed Tağ, and Lecturer Tülay Tekin Yılmaz participated in the online “Romani Cultural Research in Our Country” awareness training, coordinated by the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services.

Organized under the coordination of the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services—one of the regions with a high Romani population—the training aimed to support, guide, and find common ground for upcoming Romani studies in Balıkesir by sharing research findings and field experiences related to Romani communities living in Turkey.

The program featured presentations by Associate Professor Dr. Gökhan Ilgaz, Research Assistant Muhammed Tağ, and Lecturer Tülay Tekin Yılmaz from Trakya University; Doctor Lecturer Erdem Dirimeşe, Director of the Romani Culture Application and Research Center at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University; and independent researcher, Sociologist Neşe Kaymak.

In his remarks, Associate Professor Dr. Ilgaz highlighted the Romani community’s pressing challenges in education and housing.

Research Assistant Muhammed Tağ, a historian, provided an overview of Romani history, migration routes, their entry into the Balkans and Europe, and their status under the Ottoman Empire.

Sociologist and Lecturer Tülay Tekin Yılmaz drew on her fieldwork experiences to discuss best practices for conducting interviews with Romani groups, common issues facing these communities, and the critical importance of education for disadvantaged populations.

Doctor Lecturer Erdem Dirimeşe shared the work and insights gained by the Romani Culture Application and Research Center at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, while Sociologist Neşe Kaymak offered practical advice and considerations for effective fieldwork based on her own experience.