Edibe Sinem Atay’s new cookbook on Turkish and Albanian cuisine is more than a culinary collection — it is a heartfelt celebration of history, identity, and shared heritage.
TIRANA, May 24, 2025.When diplomacy meets the warmth of the kitchen, something deeply human and enduring is born. Edibe Sinem Atay, a seasoned Turkish diplomat and the spouse of Turkey’s Ambassador to Albania, Kağan Atay, has recently published a beautifully curated cookbook exploring the shared culinary traditions of Türkiye and Albania.
But to those who have met her, this latest achievement comes as no surprise.
Always gracious and engaging, Edibe Sinem Atay is known in Tirana not only for her diplomatic elegance but also for the thoughtful hospitality she brings to every public appearance and diplomatic reception. Her warmth, intelligence, and curiosity reflect a genuine love for people and for the country she now calls home. In her presence, one senses not only a trained diplomat but a woman of culture, compassion, and vision.
Yet Edibe Sinem Atay is far more than a diplomat’s wife. She is herself a distinguished diplomat with over two decades of service. Born in Ankara, she attended the prestigious TED Ankara College from 1986 to 1997, laying the foundations of a lifelong commitment to education and public service. She went on to study at the highly regarded Middle East Technical University, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree—an academic path known for cultivating many of Türkiye’s top civil servants and diplomats.
In 2003, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, embarking on a diplomatic career that would take her across Europe. She served at the Turkish Consulate General in Antwerp, then at the Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna—an experience that deepened her understanding of international institutions and intercultural dialogue. Alongside her diplomatic assignments, Atay also pursued academic excellence. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Vienna, focusing on international relations—adding academic rigor to her professional career and reflecting her belief in lifelong learning.
Most recently, she served as Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Tirana from 2022 until mid-2024. It was during this period that her engagement with Albanian society deepened in unexpected ways—especially through its culinary culture.
A Culinary Connection Forged by History
Her newly published book, Common Recipes of Türkiye and Albania, published by the ALSAR Foundation under the personal supervision of the Foundation’s chairman, Mr. Mehdi Gurra.
is not just a collection of delicious recipes—it’s a carefully woven tapestry of history, identity, and cross-cultural friendship. With over 500 years of shared history between the two nations, Turkish and Albanian cuisines have evolved in tandem, creating dishes with similar ingredients, names, and flavors.
“As I traveled across Albania, I was amazed by how many dishes were so similar to those from home,” Atay writes. “It felt like I had found a piece of Türkiye in Albania.” That feeling of familiarity sparked the idea for the book, a project she undertook not only with intellectual rigor but also with a personal passion rooted in her own life experience.
The book categorizes traditional dishes—soups, pastries, vegetables, meatballs, stews, and desserts—offering side-by-side insights into how the same dish may appear in both cuisines. Recipes like börek, imam bayıldı, dolma, sütlaç, and tulumba reflect not just culinary artistry but centuries of coexistence. With this book, she invites readers in both countries to explore their similarities, cook together, and deepen a friendship that stretches back centuries.“Cuisine tells the story of a people,” she notes, “and these recipes are a reminder of how closely Türkiye and Albania remain connected and how much more they can share.”
In a world where diplomacy is often conducted through statements and summits, Atay offers a quieter but equally meaningful path: the dinner table.
Her hope is that the book not only preserves traditional dishes but passes them on to future generations — so that young Turks and Albanians can grow up knowing not just what unites them, but also why.
A Diplomat’s Heart in Every Page
What sets this book apart is not just its scholarly precision or the authenticity of the recipes, but the heart behind it. Atay worked closely with Albanian Profesor Lindita Latifi Xhanari and drew upon handwritten cookbooks passed down through generations of Albanian families. It is a project rooted in memory, respect, and shared heritage.
For Atay, who is also a mother of two—Bartu and Tulca—the book is a bridge between generations. “I hope these recipes not only introduce the rich culinary heritage of our two countries,” she writes, “but are passed down to future generations. I would feel very pleased if I could make a small contribution to this.”
And indeed, her contribution is anything but small.
This book is also a quiet form of public diplomacy—a gesture that reflects the very best of what cultural exchange can be. In a world where diplomacy often happens behind closed doors, Edibe Sinem Atay reminds us that the most powerful bridges are sometimes built at the dinner table.
More Than a Cookbook
Beyond the pages of her book, Atay continues her diplomatic mission in Tirana with sincerity and humility. Her attentive nature, warm smile, and deep respect for Albanian culture have made her a beloved presence within diplomatic circles and beyond. Whether hosting ambassadors or chatting with local chefs, she brings to each encounter a rare blend of curiosity and compassion.
In the eyes of those who know her, Edibe Sinem Atay is never “just” the ambassador’s wife. She is a diplomat, a scholar, a cultural ambassador in her own right—and now, a storyteller through food.
With Common Recipes of Türkiye and Albania, she invites us all into her kitchen—not only to cook, but to understand, to appreciate, and to celebrate the rich cultural dialogue between two nations.
And perhaps, as we try her recipes, we too may feel what she felt: the warmth of a shared home in a land once foreign, now familiar.
The post A Taste of Friendship: Turkish Diplomat Bridges Two Nations Through the Language of Food appeared first on Tirana Times.
