Culture & Art - turkofamerica.com

Katharine Branning receives her award from Umran Beba, Vice President of Pepsi Co.

The Most Well Written Story of Turkish Tea

How did you meet Turkish people and Turkish tea first? Did you know anything about them before then?
Before coming to Turkey I had little knowledge about the country, its people or customs. I of course knew the basics: that it was a Muslim country located in the Middle East; that the Ottomans ruled there; that it was famous for baths and strong coffee, but that was about it. I had learned, however, much about its art in my university classes. I remember being fascinated as a child by the image of the camel on the pack of Camel cigarettes my father smoked and always asked to play with the pack. I think the first words I ever learned to read were “Turkish Tobacco” which was written in bold on the pack! But I knew nothing about the tea culture: I assumed that all Turks drank Turkish coffee!

July 1, 2019
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Demetra with his husband businessman Mustafa Mustafaoglu.

A Cultural Diplomat: Demetra George

Demetra George (Mustafoğlu), Honorary PhD: one of the most celebrated musical ambassadors of the United States. Soprano Demetra George has graced opera stages and concert halls, including Carnegie Hall as well as U.S. Embassies across Europe. A two-time Grammy List nominee for her cd “Demetra George Sings Love Arias” she has sung for four U.S. Presidents, and performed with over 700 symphony orchestras and boasts a repertoire of more than 20 opera and operetta roles and 18 in musical theater.

July 1, 2019
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Rising Star Chef Ana Sortun: How Turkish Cuisine Has Changed Her Cooking Career

Turkey’s cuisine is recognized as being one of the most sophisticated in the world and it wasn’t well represented in the Boston area at the time Chef Ana Sortun decided to open Oleana in 2001. With a degree from La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, the Seattle-born Ana Sortun opened Moncef Medeb’s Aigo Bistro in Concord, Massachusetts, in the early 1990s. Stints at 8 Holyoke and Casablanca in Harvard Square, Cambridge soon followed.

July 1, 2019
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Pink Martini Goes on Turkey Tour

American band Pink Martini, known for its multilingual lyrics and cross-genre forays, will tour six Turkish cities this month. Singing favorites, from Samurai love songs to 1930s Cuban music, French chansons to Brazilian Street songs; the band will perform for fans in the northwestern province of Bursa on May 14, Istanbul on May 16, İzmir on May 17, the southern province of Adana on May 18, Ankara on May 20 and the central province of Konya on May 21. In a delightful surprise for Turkish fans, the band recorded the famous Turkish song, “Aşkım Bahardı,” on their 2016 album “Je Dis Qui.”

May 16, 2019
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Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner O'Neal Hold a Press Conference on Crime Statistics

By Ali Cinar - NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill made the opening remarks at trhe press conference. Commissioner thanked to Christian Cultural Center, Senior Pastor Reverand AR Bernard and his son Pastor Jamaal Bernad and highlighted how important to have community based meetings with partners. He added" :Not just the NYPD, it means every city agency, our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels, and, of course, all 8.6 million people who live in this great city."

April 2, 2019
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Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Chief Harrison Visited Muslim Community after the Terror Attack in New Zealand

By Ali Cinar - Mayor Bill de Blasio , NYC International Affairs Commissioner Penny Abeywardena, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to UN Craig John Hawke and NYPD Officials visited the 96th Street Islamic Cultural Center in Manhattan to deliver remarks and meet with members of Muslim community after the terror attack in New Zealand. NYC Mayor Blasio was welcomed at the Cultural Center and talked w many Muslim Members before the speeches. Mayor Blasio said:"I stand here today as a leader of this city to send a clear message to all our Muslim brothers and sisters that we stand with you in solidarity. We understand the pain you’re feeling at this moment and the loss you are feeling, and we are here to ensure that this community is respected and embraced and protected."

March 15, 2019
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Jimmy Cuneyt Gurkan with Turkish actress Tuba Buyukustun.

2018 International Emmy® Winners Announced At Gala In New York

By Jimmy Cuneyt Gurkan - The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the winners of the 46th International Emmy® Awards tonight at a Black-Tie Gala event attended by 1,000 television professionals from around the world and hosted by comedian Hari Kondabolu at the New York Hilton. I was at the Emmy festival and the Award Gala in New York. There were three nominations for Turkey. Best Performance by an actor nomination for Tolga Saritas for his role in SOZ (The Oath) and Best Telenovela nominations for Istanbullu Gelin (Evermore) producer Kerem Catay and Cesur ve Guzel (Brave and Beautiful) producer Onur Guvenatam O3 Medya. Unfortunately none of the Turkish nominees won but it was a great exposure for Turkish TV. Tuba Buyukustun was also at the Emmy’s representing “Brave and Beautiful”.

November 26, 2018
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Brooklyn-based firm Studio Vural imagined a funeral memorial for Jamal Khashoggi in front of the White House. (Courtesy Studio Vural)

Studio Vural Designs Memorial to Slain Journalist Jamal Khashoggi

By Sydney Franklin - A Turkish-American architect has designed a speculative funeral memorial for the late Jamal Khashoggi. In an immersive sketch, Selim Vural, owner of the Brooklyn-based Studio Vural, envisioned a traveling memorial for the Washington Post journalist who was allegedly murdered while visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul this October. Vural places the memorial in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., as a nod to President Donald Trump’s business links with the suspected murderer, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. An axonometric view of the memorial shows the design arranged in the outline of a keffiyeh, traditional Arab headgear, overtop green grass.

January 4, 2019
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Turkish-American Actress, Jandae Percem Turning Heads In “Entity Project”

By Robert D. Cobb - If you think beauty and brains can’t coexist, you are wrong. We want to introduce you to a woman who has a lot of both. Her name is Jandae Percem, she is a Turkish-American actress, director, producer, model, and mom! Yes, you heard it right. If you look at her photos we can avoid any explanation regarding her beauty, but you should know that this powerful woman founded her own film production company Oceans Filmworks in 2018 and is developing new projects non-stop.

January 4, 2019
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Turkish Cultural Foundation Releases 2017 Annual Report

Last year, Turkish Cultural Foundation allocated a total of $373,289 to grants, operational and program disbursements to pursue its mission. TCF continued to be a leading private grantmaker in the area of Turkish cultural preservation and promotion. In 2017, TCF provided a total of $52,724.81 in grants and fellowships to organizations and individuals. The TCF Fellowship programs help build artistic, cultural and scholarly exchanges across the globe. In 2017, TCF awarded six fellowships, bringing the total to 204 awards awards since we began the programs.

December 18, 2018
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The Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker was seen working with a film crew in the Turkish city on Wednesday

Sean Penn Jets in to Turkey and Meets with An Adviser to President Erdogan

A Turkish official says Sean Penn is in Turkey working on a documentary about the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Turkey's president, said Thursday that the two-time Oscar winner interviewed him in Ankara as part of his 'preliminary preparations' for the documentary before leaving for Istanbul where he was due to meet with Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee. The 58-year-old Hollywood actor has been in Turkey working on the death of the Washington Post columnist who was critical of the Saudi crown prince. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents on October 2 after arriving to handle routine paperwork.

December 11, 2018
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Seattle Turkish Film Festival Starts on November 9th

Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington (TACAWA) has curated contemporary Turkish films and presenting them since 2012. This year, TACAWA has selected 11 featured films and top ten finalist films of its short film competition to whet auidence’ appetite. 6th Seattle Turkish Film Festival will be opened with the gala at Gordon Biersch on November 9, Friday at 6:30 pm. Ayta Sozeri, the actress of our opening film "In the Family / Aile Arasinda", will be at the opening gala and she will answer questions after the film followed by the gala.

October 23, 2018
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New Troy Museum Opens in Turkey During the "Year of Troy 2018"

NEW YORK (October 22, 2018) – The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the opening of the Troy Museum as part of the 2018 “Year of Troy” celebrations, marking 20 years since the archeological site was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the world’s most important contemporary museums and selected from more than 150 projects by an internationally respected jury in the National Architectural Design Competition, the Troy Museum officially opened this month. One of many initiatives undertaken to commemorate the “Year of Troy,” the museum is expected to draw one million tourists in its first year alone.

October 23, 2018
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"Eksi Bir" Is Announced as Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at Chelsea Film Festival

Chelsea, NY — The Chelsea Film Festival closed its 6th Annual Edition on Sunday, October 21 after having presented 87 Films from 21 countries at AMC Loews Theatre 34th St. The list of winners were announced by the 2018 Jury Members (Laura Gómez/Jury President and Adam Mirels) on Sunday, October 21st at AMC Loews Theatre 34th St. at 9.30pm.

October 23, 2018
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Chelsea Film Festival

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