The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT)'s "Balkan Express" project began on 29 June, 2010.

Within the context of the project that will run until 20 August, the region's history, architectural structures, culture, tourism, professions and daily lives of its people are broadcast live on TRT. Thus, the Balkan Express initiative will be making significant contributions in forming friendly relations and improving cultural cooperation between Turkey and the states in the region.

Turkey and Balkan states enjoy a centuries long mutual past. This experience, per se, prompts Turkey to establish amicable relations with all states in the region. A continuation of this mutual past can be seen in the region as locals still use many Turkish words. Some of the most distinguished pieces of Ottoman architecture decorate Balkan cities. Official data suggests that there are 1 million 600 thousand Turks living in the Balkans. The region is also home to several Muslim communities that also share the same past, culture and fate with the Turks. According to official figures, Muslim population in the Balkans is over 8 millions.

The Balkan Express project raises some topics closely related to Turkish culture and history, and helps promote tourism opportunities in the Balkans. It can also be said the Balkan Express initiative familiarized citizens of Turkey and the Balkan states.

As of 22 July, live transmissions of the Balkan Express in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Hungary have been completed. Local people showed great interest in those broadcasts. Related ministries and local administrators in the cities on the Train's route have extended support to the realization of the Balkan Express imitative.

Live transmissions from Bulgaria featured some nationalist Bulgarian parties opposing Turkey's membership to the European Union and exploiting Turkey's membership bid in domestic politics. Furthermore, racist Bulgarian party 'Ataka' sabotaged live broadcast planned to be made from Sofia. Yet, political parties such as these make up the marginal segments of the Bulgarian society and don't represent the whole of Bulgarian people. For, rapprochement between Turkey and Bulgaria in the past 20 years is evident in the country.

We won't be exaggerating when we say Turkish people are met with deep interest in Romania. Yet, the fact that more Turkish businessmen prefer this country for establishing business relations proves this assessment. The Balkan Express crew was greeted with interest not only in Romania but also in Hungary.

It was also possible to feel the recent rapprochement between Turkey and Serbia with all its vividness. Related state institutions made great efforts to ensure problem-free broadcasts for the Balkan Express crew. And a certain amount of moderation was observable in Serbians' prejudices towards Turkish people.

It can be said the Balkan Express project contributed to softening of ties between the societies of Turkey and some Balkan countries. Prejudices and imperfect knowledge are basic obstacles lying before the realization of mutual understanding between societies. The Balkan Express has helped different people, though indirectly, to communicate, know each other better and enrich their cultural worlds. As long as people get to know each other better and deepen their dialogue, they begin to question some of their deep rooted prejudices. Thus, continuation of the Balkan Express project in cooperation with the national TV stations of the Balkan countries will be useful in the future as well.