Turkish Cultural Festival Kicks off in the Netherlands

Other highlights of the program include Grup Kervan’s Kervansaray, a show that combines music and dance, arranged by Fahrettin Yarkın; Ensemble Sarband, an international musical ensemble that will perform, among other pieces, works commisioned by the Ottoman sultans; and the massive stage production “Troy,” by dance group Anadolu Ateşi (Fire of Anatolia), under the supervision of artistic director/choreographer Mustafa Erdoğan.

Modern dance lovers in the Netherlands can also feast their eyes on “Seyahatname II” (Travelogue -- reload) by choreographer Beyhan Murphy -- a show that was only recently performed in Turkey and will return to İstanbul to be staged at the Fulya Art Center on Feb. 28 and 29 -- about well-known 17th century traveler and chronicler Evliya Çelebi.

Turkey Now! will also include a Jazz Weekend, with performances by the ensemble Arifa featuring singer Aynur and the duo Erman Dirikcan and Aydın Esen.

The festival this year will focus on the celebration of 400 years of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey, as a part of which numerous exhibitions have been arranged in the two countries. The Amsterdam Museum will display a painting exhibition depicting Dutch merchants and Ottoman sultans, titled “De Kamer van de Levantse Handel” (The Chamber of Commerce for Trade with the Levent).

Turkey Now!, which has organized events in no fewer than 12 cities across the Netherlands, is organized by the Kulsan Foundation, a foundation that promotes Turkish performing arts in the Netherlands. As a part of this, Kulsan organizes the Turkey Now! festival every two years. For this festival Kulsan cooperates with the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Art (İKSV), and Melih Duygulu from Mimar Sinan University in İstanbul, who specializes in Turkish music.

The festival runs from Feb. 23 through May 23. For a full program, visit www.turkeynowfestival.nl/en/programma.

NICK AUGUSTEIJN , İSTANBUL (TODAY'S ZAMAN)