Message from the World Neolithic Congress:

Dear Colleagues, Dear Friends,

Since the initial steps in organizing the World Neolithic Congress, positive input from colleagues all over the World waiting impatiently for the Congress to take place has been a continuous source of enchanting inspiration. The earthquake on the 6th of February devastating most of south-eastern Turkey and parts of Syria causing the loss of countless lives, of families and friends, leaving many homeless and almost entirely destroying some of the towns, deeply saddened us all, and inevitably necessitated a revision of priorities. Even in the early aftermath, postponing the World Neolithic Congress seemed the only solution; however, we had to obtain the consent of all partners before making an announcement.

Under the prevailing conditions, contacting our partners, Istanbul University, Harran University, the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, local collaborators, sponsors and the Scientific Committee as well, needed time. Fortunately, we now have the full consent of all parties to postpone the congress until 2024. Despite the eventuality of the postponement, we have been gratified to receive messages from participants expressing their continued enthusiasm about the congress coming to fruition.  When the physical environment in Türkiye begins to recover and conditions become clearer, information about a definite date will be given. We hope that we shall all meet once health and happiness have been restored in the region.

Respectfully,

The World Neolithic Congress