After a six-year hiatus, Turkish Student Association returned to campus in spring 2023, and the student organization is back in full swing with events lined up for the fall semester.

Members of Turkish Student Association held a bake sale Sept. 20 in front of Parks Library, selling almost every item within the first hour, according to Muhammet Bekir Arslan, the International Student Council representative for the Turkish Student Association and a graduate student in architecture.

“Everybody is asking when is the next time of the Turkish food sale,” Arslan said.

The homemade dishes offered included Revani, which is a semolina cake with syrup, pumpkin pie, Baklava, Turkish tea and Kisir, a bulgur-based salad.

According to Arslan, Turkish women in the Ames community offer their homes and baking skills to assist the organization with events.

“Yesterday, all the executive members just gathered together in our president’s house and we cooked almost half of this stuff,” Arslan said.

At the bake sale, members of the Turkish Student Association also sold tickets to the organization’s next event, a concert Oct. 29 to celebrate the 100th year of the Republic of Türkiye.

Turkish folk/pop group TÜRKANA will perform at the event, which is to take place at Harvest Vineyard Church in Ames. Tickets are $10.

According to the Turkish Student Association’s website, the concert program will also feature a presentation showcasing Turkish culture in hopes of providing an invaluable opportunity for the Iowa State community to engage in a cultural exchange, broaden their understanding of Turkish traditions and promote unity and inclusivity by bringing individuals from different backgrounds together to celebrate a shared cultural milestone.

“Even though the name of it is Turkish Student Association, we are always welcome to everyone,” Arslan said.

To learn more about the Turkish Student Association, visit their Instagram.