When the Utah Jazz drafted Enes Kanter with the third pick in the 2011 NBA Draft it meant that for the first time in NBA history two Turkish players would play on the same team. Mehmet Okur who has been a member of the Utah Jazz for seven seasons, and the only Turkish player ever to win a NBA Championship and be an All-Star talked about the selection and other topics.

Memo13: What dou you think about the Jazz drafting counteryman Enes Kanter? What dou you expect from Enes and the Utah Jazz as well as yourself in the upcoming season?

Okur: As you know there are 6 Turkish players presently in the NBA. I feel that Zaza Pachulia is also Turkish as he has Turkish passport and he grew up in the Turkish system as he had been in Turkey since a very young age. If we count Zaza, with Hidayet Turkoğlu (Orlando Magic), myself, Ersan Ilyasova (Milwaukee Bucks), Omer Asik (Chicago Bulls) and Semih Erden (Cleveland Cavaliers) that makes six Turkish players. Now with the drafting of Enes this will make it seven players. I am very excited that we will be the first Turkish players to ever play on the same NBA team. This will be a major milestone. Since my first days in the NBA, I always hoped that Hidayet and I would play on the same team, and together perhaps win a NBA Championship. It was a dream of mine, and now hopefully we will get there with Enes. We have a very wide big men rotation. I think everyone knows this and everybody will come prepared to do battle in camp. As far as Enes goes, the adjustment he needs to make to the NBA and to Utah in general should be easier because not just myself but my entire  family will be there to help him out. Enes has a home already in Utah and I think he is well beware of that. I finished my ninth season in the NBA and I believe that my experiences will benefit him greatly.

On behalf of The American Turkish Society and Moon and Stars Project, we are pleased to announce  that the winner of the second Young Photographers Award is Tuncay Cetin from Akdeniz University, who will receive $5,000 for his award. In addition, honorable mentions will go to Emir Ozsahin of Bilgi University and Mahmut Koyas of Okan University, who will each receive $2,500. The awards will be used to cover the recipients' tuition and/or photography equipment purchases.

The Young Photographers Award was established by Elisa and Haluk Soykan in 2010 to encourage and support undergraduate students of photography in Turkey. The program is administered by the Moon and Stars Project and The American Turkish Society; and was made possible by a grant from Young Photographers Award Fund established by the donors, Elisa and Haluk Soykan at Turkish Philanthropy Funds. In addition, Moon and Stars Project makes an additional $1,000 contribution to the program to support exhibition expenses.

MADRID — Turkey midfielder Hamit Altintop's switch from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid is set to be completed on Monday, the Spanish sport daily Marca reported on Saturday.

"It is expected that his signing with Real Madrid will be officially announced on Monday," wrote Marca, without citing a source.

Another sport daily, As, also reported that Altintop's deal was nearing completion and said his arrival was "at the express request of (Real coach Jose) Mourinho".

The sixth annual Paterson-Clifton Turkish American day parade and festival will take place Saturday, May 14. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. from Madison Avenue, Paterson along Main Street to Main Memorial Park in Clifton.

The post parade festival will take place at Main Memorial Park. The festival will feature stands where all can buy Turkish food and various Turkish goods. There will be children’s games, prizes and live musical performances including singers and folklore dancers.

On Thursday, May 12 the Turkish flag will be raised in front of Paterson City Hall at 10 a.m. and at noon at Clifton City Hall.