Pink Martini Goes on Turkey Tour

American band Pink Martini, known for its multilingual lyrics and cross-genre forays, will tour six Turkish cities this month. Singing favorites, from Samurai love songs to 1930s Cuban music, French chansons to Brazilian Street songs; the band will perform for fans in the northwestern province of Bursa on May 14, Istanbul on May 16, İzmir on May 17, the southern province of Adana on May 18, Ankara on May 20 and the central province of Konya on May 21. In a delightful surprise for Turkish fans, the band recorded the famous Turkish song, “Aşkım Bahardı,” on their 2016 album “Je Dis Qui.”

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Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner O'Neal Hold a Press Conference on Crime Statistics

By Ali Cinar - NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill made the opening remarks at trhe press conference. Commissioner thanked to Christian Cultural Center, Senior Pastor Reverand AR Bernard and his son Pastor Jamaal Bernad and highlighted how important to have  community based meetings with partners. He added" :Not just the NYPD, it means every city agency, our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels, and, of course, all 8.6 million people who live in this great city."

Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Chief Harrison Visited Muslim Community after the Terror Attack in New Zealand

By Ali Cinar - Mayor Bill de Blasio , NYC International Affairs Commissioner Penny Abeywardena,  Permanent Representative of New Zealand to UN Craig John Hawke and NYPD Officials visited the 96th Street Islamic Cultural Center in Manhattan to deliver remarks and meet with members of  Muslim community after the terror attack in New Zealand. NYC Mayor Blasio was welcomed at the Cultural Center and talked w many Muslim Members before the speeches. Mayor Blasio said:"I stand here today as a leader of this city to send a clear message to all our Muslim brothers and sisters that we stand with you in solidarity. We understand the pain you’re feeling at this moment and the loss you are feeling, and we are here to ensure that this community is respected and embraced and protected."

Visit Istanbul Will be Istanbul's Open Door to Tourism

Visit Istanbul promotes Istanbul, famous for its cultural and art events, conventions, gastronomy tourism alongside its historical aura, in the international arena. The project, managed by the Tourism Directorate of the Cultural Department of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), aims to introduce Istanbul in select countries in the best way possible to create positive public opinion. Visit Istanbul advertises Istanbul, the capital of many civilizations throughout history and with traces of many cultures, and all of its mesmerizing features, from its historical beauty to cultural wealth and dynamic social life.

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Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive at Berklee College of Music

Launched in 2007 in memory of Arif Mardin (1932-2006), world-renowned producer/arranger and Vice Chairman of the American Turkish Society, the Arif Mardin Music Fellowship aims to further the education of promising musicians from Turkey by providing an opportunity to study in the United States. The program is conducted in partnership with Berklee College of Music in Boston, where Mardin’s successful music career began as the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship.

2018 International Emmy® Winners Announced At Gala In New York

By Jimmy Cuneyt Gurkan - The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the winners of the 46th International Emmy® Awards tonight at a Black-Tie Gala event attended by 1,000 television professionals from around the world and hosted by comedian Hari Kondabolu at the New York Hilton. I was at the Emmy festival and the Award Gala in New York. There were three nominations for Turkey. Best Performance by an actor nomination for Tolga Saritas for his role in SOZ (The Oath) and Best Telenovela nominations for Istanbullu Gelin (Evermore) producer Kerem Catay and Cesur ve Guzel (Brave and Beautiful) producer Onur Guvenatam O3 Medya. Unfortunately none of the Turkish nominees won but it was a great exposure for Turkish TV. Tuba Buyukustun was also at the Emmy’s representing “Brave and Beautiful”.

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Can Netflix Take Turkey’s TV Dramas to the World?

By Alex Marshall - LONDON — On a recent evening, Nahid Akhtar, 47, sat on a sofa in London shouting at a TV. She was watching “The Protector,” Netflix’s first original series in Turkish. The show, released that day, is about a young antiques dealer, Hakan Demir (Cagatay Ulusoy), who discovers he belongs to an ancient line of superheroes who have to save Istanbul from evil — and find love at the same time. “Oh, please, don’t kill his baba!” Akhtar, a Turkish drama superfan, called out at one point before Demir’s father was, indeed, murdered. “Turkish dramas have so many orphans,” she said. “Every single series I’ve watched the hero never has both parents.”

Studio Vural Designs Memorial to Slain Journalist Jamal Khashoggi

By Sydney Franklin - A Turkish-American architect has designed a speculative funeral memorial for the late Jamal Khashoggi. In an immersive sketch, Selim Vural, owner of the Brooklyn-based Studio Vural, envisioned a traveling memorial for the Washington Post journalist who was allegedly murdered while visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul this October. Vural places the memorial in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., as a nod to President Donald Trump’s business links with the suspected murderer, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. An axonometric view of the memorial shows the design arranged in the outline of a keffiyeh, traditional Arab headgear, overtop green grass.

Turkish-American Actress, Jandae Percem Turning Heads In “Entity Project”

By Robert D. Cobb - If you think beauty and brains can’t coexist, you are wrong. We want to introduce you to a woman who has a lot of both. Her name is Jandae Percem, she is a Turkish-American actress, director, producer, model, and mom! Yes, you heard it right. If you look at her photos we can avoid any explanation regarding her beauty, but you should know that this powerful woman founded her own film production company Oceans Filmworks in 2018 and is developing new projects non-stop.

NYC is ready for New Year Eve Celebration by Ali Cinar New York

By Ali Cinar, New York - Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner O'Neill Hold Media Availability to Discuss New Year's Eve Security. Before New Year Eve, NYC Officials provided an update on how New Year’s Eve in Times Square will be both safe and fun. There will be 7000 Police Officers will be on duty for New Year Eve's Festivities in Times Square, including, police cars, sand filled sanitation trucks,counterterrorism teams and police dogs.Nearly 200 police cars will block intersections leading to the pedestrian areas. Roads in the Time Square area will begin to close at 4:00 a.m. on Monday (New Year's Eve).


First Time Drone Technology during New Year Eve :

NYPD will be deploying NYPD drones for over-watch in the City. New drone technology will help NYPD a visual aid and the flexibility of being able to move a camera to a certain spot with great rapidity through a tremendous crowd. NYPD Officials also encouraged New Yorkers not to fly a drone New Year Eve. If they do, there is a good chance they will be going to end up getting arrested.

NYPD Commissioner: "We are ready for New Year Eve"

NYPD  Commissioner James O’Neill:' People will be safe on Monday and they should feel safe too.We are prepared." He also added  there are no known, credible threats to the city or the New Year’s Eve event and he encouraged spectators to remain vigilant and to alert officers if they suspect something is awry.

NYC Mayor: Up to 2 Million People in Times Square.
Mayor Blasio said during the press conference  that NYC  is expecting “up to 2 million people in Times Square itself” for the ball drop, repeating a figure often cited by city officials, organizers and television broadcasters.He also added NYPD has done an outstanding job year after year, keeping the event safe and orderly and that’s what we expect again this New Year’s Eve.

In addition, NYPD's Deputy Commissioner John Miller share some details how the City will be secured with 1225 surveillance cameras. Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison and Chief Terence Monahan answered some questions during the Press Conference.

There were over 300,000 Turks who travel to United States during 2018. NYC hosts many Turkish tourists during Christmas and New Year season. Many Turkish restaurants in the City will be having a New Year's Eve Party on Monday night.

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