Young Turkish violinist Burcu Göker, known as the "new diva of the violin," will perform at New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall in May. Göker will perform at Carnegie Hall together with American pianist Eric Jenkins on May 2, a statement from the Turkish Culture Ministry said Wednesday. After their concert in New York, the two musicians will come to Turkey and stage performances in five provinces as well as northern Cyprus starting May 9, the statement said.

Göker, a native of Istanbul, started her musical education at the age of eight at the University of Istanbul State Conservatory, where she graduated the high school division at the age of 14.

• April 16, 2011
• Published in Culture & Art

Famed lawyer Mark Geragos -- one of the most outspoken people in the L.A. Armenian community -- is furious that Cosmopolitan ran a picture of Kim Kardashian on the cover of Turkish Cosmo, saying it's another example of Turks rubbing salt in the wound of the Armenian people.

Geragos -- a friend of Kim K's -- tells TMZ ... Turkey seems to be on a campaign to co-opt L.A. Icons.  First, Geragos says, the Turks used Kobe Bryant's image to promote Turkish Airlines, and now Kim.

Geragos says he believes the Kim K cover is a combination of taking advantage of a celebrity and rubbing salt in the wounds of a people who are the victims of genocide.

Geragos says, "Anyone who has synapses firing would never do such a thing." Source: TMZ

Turkey's television drama industry has played a pivotal role in enhancing the country's popularity in the Arab world. "Five years ago the image of Turkey was that of the oppressive Ottoman Empire," Joseph Husseini of Bright I in Lebanon, a media training facility, told Xinhua, adding "the first year Gumus was broadcast, Turkey became the top travel destination."

"Gumus" (silver) was the vanguard of the Turkish drama. Renamed "Noor" (Arabic for "light") and characters renamed with Arabic names, the entire show became a phenomenon in the Arab world. The show was such a success that 85 million Arabs tuned in to watch the series finale broadcast in 2008.

Just a decade ago international sale of Turkish television dramas amounted to less than 1 million U.S. dollars, and in just a few years it managed to reach 50 million dollars in 2010, due primarily to the huge success of those shows in the Middle East.

Turkish productions now make up 60 percent of all programs of Middle Eastern broadcasters, and the demand keeps on growing.