New York University will be presenting a talk that will explore the historical journey of Dersim (now called Tunceli), a mountainous region in eastern Anatolia with a predominantly Kizilbash Kurdish population, as it transitioned from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state. The talk will be by historian Cevat Dargin of Columbia University, who […]
The late Turkish ambassador Zeki Kuneralp (1914-1998) is regarded as one of the most brilliant diplomats of his generation. He served twice as Turkiye’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, with both terms taking place during crucial periods in modern British history, as the UK tried to come to terms with its role as a post-imperial […]
Lefkoşa born singer-songwriter Buray has rarely been out of the Turkish charts since releasing his critically acclaimed debut album 1 Şişe Aşk [1 Bottle of Love] in 2015, which scored him two number hits “İstersen” and “Sen Sevda Mısın”, and won him multiple awards and a legion of fans. Buray has gone on to release […]
It’s not every day that bedtime stories get turned into a children’s book, but for one mother and daughter duo, that’s exactly what’s happened. London-based Çağrı Oral and her young daughter Zehra Aziz have just had their first book, The Little Girl With A Big Heart, published. The story, which is in English, centres on […]
Earlier this year, the Turkish Women’s Philanthropic Association of England (TWPA) launched a patchwork bedspread project. The TWPA ladies intend to auction their handiwork to raise money to support those in the care of children’s charity SOS Children’s Village in North Cyprus. TWPA say that “Patchwork quilts symbolise strength, resilience, security and family” which is […]
Once thought lost, a small bronze fifteenth century medallion portraying Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (1432-1481) is up for auction at Bonhams in May. It has been valued at between £1.5 million and £2 million by the auction house. Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II before his 1453 conquest of Constantinople to wear as a lucky charm […]
The eclectic Djanan Turan and The Flying Karpet Collective return to the Jazz Café to bring us a new addition to their Psychedelic World project, this time celebrating the incredible music of one of the Godfathers of Anatolian Rock, Erkin Koray. The free-spirited, guitar-playing singer-songwriter is one Turkiye’s most significant artists of the past 60 […]
April will see the UK’s first ever Turkish Fashion and Arts Festival, where designers of Turkish descent and those incorporating Turkish elements into their collections will showcase their diverse creations on the runway at this one day event. The shows will take place at The Engine Room in Tottenham, North London, in the evening, followed […]
The 28th edition of the Turkiye-Germany Film Festival has just concluded, with this year’s big prize going to Zeki Demirkubuz’s film Hayat [Life], which won Best Feature Film. Demirkubuz, who wrote, produced and directed the film, also won the Grand Jury Prize. His film Hayat is a hard-hitting drama set in contemporary Turkiye that centres […]
The Yunus Emre Institute London is taking their educational project ‘Karagöz & Hacivat’ to south London to Mountview in Peckham later this month. The project allows students from diverse backgrounds the chance to learn about this traditional form of Turkish culture, while being entertained at the same time. Over 30 different plays from the ‘Karagöz […]
