IIPT – The International Institute for Peace through Tourism and Mayor Birol Arslan of Kepez (Çanakkale, Turkey) officially opened the IIPT Kepez Olive Peace Park on April 23, 2025. Jovan Popesku, President of the Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT Serbia), participated in the event.
Timothy Marshall, Chairman of the IIPT Board of Directors, spoke at the opening of the IIPT Peace Park. Among the attendees were Andreas Larentzakis, IIPT Executive Director, and Gail Parsonage, President of IIPT Australia.
The Olive Peace Park is located along the Dardanelles coastline, with views of the Gallipoli Peninsula, a major site of battle during World War I. Now, 110 years later, the enmity between the nations involved in the conflict has been replaced with respect, reconciliation, peace, and friendship – the core principles and goals of IIPT.
The IIPT Kepez Olive Peace Park – Çanakkale, Turkey joins a network of over 450 global IIPT Peace Parks with the aim to:
– Foster the development of peace and understanding at home and around the world;
– Increase community awareness of commitment to peace and a healthy environment;
– Create a common ground for the community to gather in celebration of their nation’s people, land, and cultural heritage;
– Reflect on the connection to the planet and the key role of tourism in building a more sustainable and peaceful world.
In Serbia, two IIPT Peace Parks have already been established – in Kruševac and Belgrade. We expect several more to join soon.