The Srebrenica genocide, known as the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, was condemned in İstanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday by 8,372 pairs of shoes in front of a monument consist of two steel-framed pillars in the form of the letters U and N (United Nations).
 
A total of 8,372 Bosnians were killed in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 1995 by units of the Bosnian Serb army under the command of Gen. Ratko Mladic during the Bosnian war.

Young Bosnians Association President Enisa Kezo stated that this monument serves as a metaphor for the “betrayal of the United Nations,” which failed to prevent the Srebrenica genocide from happening and to intervene to stop the mass killing of thousands.

“The whole world should remember this genocide and should see the United Nation's dishonor,” stated Enisa Kezo. She later criticized those who called the genocide a “massacre,” saying, “This cannot be a massacre because a massacre is nothing compared to genocide.” Kezo thanked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu for their support in the project.

Trips to Turkey for Americans organized by the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians and the Atlas Foundation are more than just another vacation.
 
These US-based organizations strive to provide a deeper, more accurate understanding of Turkey by offering foreigners a unique cultural immersion experience.

The Turquoise Council is an independent umbrella organization that works to foster interactions between Americans of Turkish and Eurasian descent and the wider community.

The Atlas Foundation is one of its member organizations in Louisiana. Both organizations coordinate trips to Turkey for Americans who desire an authentic, well-rounded experience.

As far as cultural exchange programs go, these trips may appear short -- typically nine to 10 days -- but Turquoise Council President Kemal Öksüz said that “our trips provide an intensive, informative view of Turkish society on a broad scale.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Turkish choreographer Korhan Basaran isn’t interested in beating around the bush: the title of his evening-length show last Tuesday night at the Ailey Citigroup Theater was “I am Korhan, this is my dance!” He began “On Life,” the final section, which was inspired by New York, chatting with audience members while wearing an “I ♥ NY” T-shirt.

There’s something charming about this, even (or especially) if it might cause a grizzled New Yorker to raise an eyebrow or two: Mr. Basaran ended that section alone onstage, dripping with sweat, his intense mien slowly softening into an earnest smile. You want to root for this immigrant artist, whose breathless program biography describes him as “based in the mighty New York”; “On Life,” with its buckling, collapsing phrases set to Philip Glass, pushes the dancers to drenched exhaustion in a clear emulation of chaotic, at times alienating, urban life. (The dancer Jenna Otter is particularly effective here.)