Christie’s Must Name Bidder for a ‘Stolen’ $14.5 Million Turkish Idol, Judge Rules
In what can only be described as a highly unusual art law case, a Manhattan federal judge has ordered Christie’s auction house to identify the winning—yet ultimately unsuccessful—bidder of a 5,000-year-old artifact that Turkey is claiming as stolen cultural property. The bizarre part? The troubled deal stemmed from an auction in late April that was never consummated. The buyer reneged and Christie’s still possesses the piece, described as an Anatolian marble female idol of Kiliya type. The artifact, known as the Guennol Stargazer, has been in the US for nearly 60 years and has already passed through the hands of several owners since it was allegedly illegally excavated and smuggled out of the country.
- Published in Culture & Art
- Written by Admin TOA
NEW YORK (June 18, 2015) – The Specialty Food Association is launching its first-ever ad campaign and retail test designed to build consumer awareness and engagement with specialty food. The theme is "Celebrate Specialty Food. Craft. Care. Joy." The tests come as sales of specialty food have topped $100 billion for the first time and continue to climb, and as industry growth far outpaces that of conventional food. 
Turkish-Americans celebrate their heritage this month with a week of restaurant discounts at participating eateries, a parade and festival, and an event at Borough Hall. The 32nd Turkish Day Parade and Festival kicks off on Saturday, May 18, at noon. Organized by the Federation of Turkish American Associations, the parade takes place in Manhattan, with participants gathering at 56th Street and Madison Avenue and marching down to Dag Hammarskjold Park on 47th Street and 1st Avenue, where they’ll join with the festival.
Port Jefferson Station, NY - By Lon Cohen - portjefferson.com - Semiral “Sam” Catalbas says it’s easy to guess why she’s opening Chit Chat Café, a Turkish-American café and grocery store on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station. “Because I’m Turkish,” she says with a smile, her accent clearly coming through her words. The Port Jefferson Station resident, who said that her husband owns a gas station, is originally from the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul in Turkey but has lived in the United States for the past 10 years. Catalbas partnered with her cousin, Gilly Akcay, who is also the landlord, to open the new café. 
Zeytin Mediterranean Grill is a new Mediterranean/Turkish restaurant that opened this week in Las Colinas. Zeytin, which means "olive" in Turkish, is doing a cafeteria-style buffet on weekdays at lunch; and full-service, full-menu table service on nights and weekends. Owner Kemal Cenkci previously owned and operated Mediterranean and Turkish restaurants in San Antonio and Northern Virginia. "Our dishes are authentic and made from scratch," he said. "We have the gyro, which is well known and loved across the country, and authentic Turkish Doner Kebab, one of the few in the Dallas-Fort Worth area." 
