Exhibition “Alija at 100: Life, Ideas, Struggle” Opens in Istanbul

In the beautiful setting of the renovated Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul, on December 19, 2025, the exhibition “Alija at 100: Life, Ideas, Struggle” was ceremoniously opened. The exhibition was organized by the İlim Yayma Foundation of the Republic of Türkiye, in cooperation with the Alija Izetbegović Foundation from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The exhibition will be open until January 18, 2026, and is presented in Turkish and English.

During the opening ceremony, representatives of the Alija Izetbegović Foundation addressed the audience. Šefik Džaferović, former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke about the important presidential legacy of Alija Izetbegović, while Esma Zlatar, the Foundation’s Secretary General, provided more details about the exhibition itself, the exhibits, and aspects of Alija Izetbegović’s private life.

On behalf of the İlim Yayma Foundation, the Foundation’s President, Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, addressed the gathering. He welcomed the guests and the delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of Alija Izetbegović—especially for younger generations—and underlined that the Republic of Türkiye will always stand by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the speeches and the presentation of commemorative gifts, representatives of the foundations and sponsors officially opened the exhibition. The ceremonial opening was attended by high-ranking guests from the Republic of Türkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina. On this occasion, the publishing house Ketebe distributed sets of Alija Izetbegović’s books published in Turkish to those present. The event was covered by numerous Turkish media outlets, and reports were also published by Bosnian and Herzegovinian media.

We express our gratitude to the İlim Yayma Foundation for the very successful organization of the exhibition in Istanbul marking the 100th anniversary of Alija Izetbegović’s birth, and we look forward to continued cooperation and the implementation of many other planned projects.

ALIJA IZETBEGOVIĆ FOUNDATION