“We believe that small, positive actions make significant changes in our lives and the world,” says Mehmet Taskan, outreach representative for the Orlando Turkish Cultural Center, which opened with a big inauguration ceremony in the US last week.
Growing out of the Nile Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2003 to promote a better understanding of the Turkish community living in Orlando, the goal of the center is to promote intercultural relations between all people of different nations.
During the grand opening of the center, there were live Turkish music performances and traditional Turkish folk dancing, and guests were served Turkish food. The center features a ballroom named “İstanbul,” a traditional Anatolian room, classrooms, a library, a small grocery store, a play room for children, a meeting room and an office.
Among the activities the Nile Foundation has organized so far are annual dialogue dinners, dialogue nights, trips to Turkey, humanitarian work, cooking classes, local field trips, art exhibitions, community visits, Turkish language classes, food and handcraft festivals, essay contests for middle school and high school students, weekend classes and Ramadan dinners.
Facing the challenges of today's world, Taskan says they chose to contribute to solutions through dialogue and educational, cultural and humanitarian efforts. “The Nile Foundation approaches the world with realistic optimism to build a better future for tomorrow. Our main principles for dialogue are paramount to our activities and mission: Be peaceful and respectful, accept each other the way we are, engage in dialogue not debate, focus on our similarities as humans while acknowledging our differences,” he adds.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Turkish frigate captures five pirates off Somalia: army
A Turkish frigate intercepted a skiff off Somalia and captured five pirates Tuesday on suspicion that they were preparing for attacks, the Turkish military said.
The Gaziantep, operating with NATO forces in the region, seized the skiff in the Gulf of Aden with the help of a helicopter and amphibian commandos.
The Turkish operation was launched after intelligence that the boat was moving close to two ships, sailing under the British and Marshall Islands flags, within a "safe corridor" guarded by the multi-national naval force to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels.
"A possible ship hijacking has been prevented," the statement said, adding that instruments used in piracy were found on the skiff. The Turkish force captured 12 pirates in two similar operation last month.
The world's naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates threatening one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. Pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships last year, a rise of more than 200 percent over 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
A Turkish bulk carrier with a 23-strong crew remains captive in the region since July 8.
The Gaziantep, operating with NATO forces in the region, seized the skiff in the Gulf of Aden with the help of a helicopter and amphibian commandos.
The Turkish operation was launched after intelligence that the boat was moving close to two ships, sailing under the British and Marshall Islands flags, within a "safe corridor" guarded by the multi-national naval force to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels.
"A possible ship hijacking has been prevented," the statement said, adding that instruments used in piracy were found on the skiff. The Turkish force captured 12 pirates in two similar operation last month.
The world's naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates threatening one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. Pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships last year, a rise of more than 200 percent over 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
A Turkish bulk carrier with a 23-strong crew remains captive in the region since July 8.
Friday, 7 August 2009
Signs of progress in making peace with Kurds
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk Wednesday suggesting a move towards reconciliation between the government and the main Kurdish political group, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), which Turk chairs, according to a report in the Hurriyet newspaper.
"We are in the middle of a process, and I believe our hopes for the future have increased with today’s meeting," Erdogan told reporters.
Erdogan had refused to meet with the DTP since the 2007 elections because it did not condemn militant activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Turkey and the United States consider the militant group a terrorist organization.
The government's so-called "Kurdish move" is an attempt to resolve decades-old tensions between Kurds, who constitute at least a 12 million-strong minority in Turkey, and the Turkish government.
About 40,000 have died in 25 years of fighting between the PKK and the Turkish government. PKK guerrillas based in Northern Iraq were also a point of contention with the United States and the Iraqi government. Just this week, two PKK guerrillas were killed in eastern Turkey.
"We are in the middle of a process, and I believe our hopes for the future have increased with today’s meeting," Erdogan told reporters.
Erdogan had refused to meet with the DTP since the 2007 elections because it did not condemn militant activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Turkey and the United States consider the militant group a terrorist organization.
The government's so-called "Kurdish move" is an attempt to resolve decades-old tensions between Kurds, who constitute at least a 12 million-strong minority in Turkey, and the Turkish government.
About 40,000 have died in 25 years of fighting between the PKK and the Turkish government. PKK guerrillas based in Northern Iraq were also a point of contention with the United States and the Iraqi government. Just this week, two PKK guerrillas were killed in eastern Turkey.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Crowds enjoy Turkish festival despite rain
Sporadic downpours had little effect on this weekend’s Ottawa Turkish Festival.
Outdoor festivals tend to be pretty weather dependent, said Kerim Khan, director of the Canadian Turkish Heritage Foundation, and while 15,000 people were expected over the festival’s three-day run at Confederation Park, they got at least that many in spite of the rain. Attendees who braved the weather were treated to the food, the arts and performances that Turkey is famous for.
The 2006 Census reported 45,000 Turkish-Canadians in Canada, said Hasan Yilmaz, editor-in-chief of CanadaTurk newspaper. Yet Turkish-Canadian events are growing across Canada, taking place in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Kitchener, Edmonton and Hamilton, he said.
The Turkish culture is known for its hospitality to visitors, and the festival was trying to convey that. While the food in general was popular over the weekend, the biggest lineups were at the Turkish coffee tent and for freshly made gozleme.
While Turkish coffee is famous worldwide, people waited more than an hour for gozleme, a Turkish pastry made with a special dough and stuffed with cheese, spinach and potato.
The festival brought out members of the Turkish-Canadian community as volunteers keen to share Turkish culture with other members of the community.
Outdoor festivals tend to be pretty weather dependent, said Kerim Khan, director of the Canadian Turkish Heritage Foundation, and while 15,000 people were expected over the festival’s three-day run at Confederation Park, they got at least that many in spite of the rain. Attendees who braved the weather were treated to the food, the arts and performances that Turkey is famous for.
The 2006 Census reported 45,000 Turkish-Canadians in Canada, said Hasan Yilmaz, editor-in-chief of CanadaTurk newspaper. Yet Turkish-Canadian events are growing across Canada, taking place in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Kitchener, Edmonton and Hamilton, he said.
The Turkish culture is known for its hospitality to visitors, and the festival was trying to convey that. While the food in general was popular over the weekend, the biggest lineups were at the Turkish coffee tent and for freshly made gozleme.
While Turkish coffee is famous worldwide, people waited more than an hour for gozleme, a Turkish pastry made with a special dough and stuffed with cheese, spinach and potato.
The festival brought out members of the Turkish-Canadian community as volunteers keen to share Turkish culture with other members of the community.
Friday, 17 July 2009
Turkey is seen as ”local” for UK travellers
British holidaymakers are increasingly prepared to travel to Turkey and see it as a ”local” destination, according to one expert.
Head of FX trading at currency exchange company FairFX Rishi Patel noted that the Turkish lira has been very popular recently and Turkey is being used as an alternative to travel in Europe.
He said: “In regards to Turkey, it is still quite a local destination as it were. If you are prepared to travel to Europe, you are definitely going to be prepared to travel to Turkey.
The simplest solution for a typical holiday as an alternative to Europe would be Turkey. Turkish lira was the third most popular foreign currency after the Euro and US dollar in the M&S Money Travel Money Report for the second quarter of 2009.
Head of FX trading at currency exchange company FairFX Rishi Patel noted that the Turkish lira has been very popular recently and Turkey is being used as an alternative to travel in Europe.
He said: “In regards to Turkey, it is still quite a local destination as it were. If you are prepared to travel to Europe, you are definitely going to be prepared to travel to Turkey.
The simplest solution for a typical holiday as an alternative to Europe would be Turkey. Turkish lira was the third most popular foreign currency after the Euro and US dollar in the M&S Money Travel Money Report for the second quarter of 2009.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Istanbul Turkey - Places to See
Istanbul is the capital of Turkey and is the only city in the world which straddles two continents, Europe and Asia. The city is split by the river Bosphorus which was formed by meltwaters at the end of the last Ice Age. It connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
The Bosphorus has played an important role in Turkish history as it was an important trade route in ancient times. The current is extremely fast 2 m/s and the winds are predominantly from the north, and so it was difficult to move from the south to the north. This is thought to be the reason why Byzantine developed as a town. Being on the Southern entrance sailors were able to rest in Byzantine before embarking on the row to the Black Sea.
There are now two bridges which cross the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus Bridge is 1074m long and was completed in 1973. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Bosphorus II) Bridge is 1090m long and was completed in 1988.
The Bosphorus has played an important role in Turkish history as it was an important trade route in ancient times. The current is extremely fast 2 m/s and the winds are predominantly from the north, and so it was difficult to move from the south to the north. This is thought to be the reason why Byzantine developed as a town. Being on the Southern entrance sailors were able to rest in Byzantine before embarking on the row to the Black Sea.
There are now two bridges which cross the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus Bridge is 1074m long and was completed in 1973. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Bosphorus II) Bridge is 1090m long and was completed in 1988.
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