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ISTANBUL 2010

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator

Egemen Ba¤›fl:

On the eve of the 2010 Progress Report, we askedEgemen Ba¤›fl, Minister for EU Affairs, Chief Negotiatorand Istanbul Deputy, what he expects from the Union,what he thinks of Istanbul’s performance as a 2010 ECOCand what colour is his Istanbul. The Report praised theChief Negotiator for strengthening coordination amonginstitutions, including the civil society in the process andcommunicating with various religious communities.Ba¤›fl emphasizes that Istanbul is full of colours, and it isa cultural capital of the world, not only of Europe.

Interview BER‹VAN AYDIN

“Europe without Istanbulunimaginable”

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The European media often argues that “Turkey needs aminor miracle to revive its EU process.” Yet the GreekCypriots are still furious that Angela Merkel said “both sidesshould take steps”. What is the picture you imagine for theTurkey-EU relations after the Progress Report is released?

In the EU negotiation process, Turkey has come to a pointin which Cyprus acts as a “stumbling block” in openingTurkey’s chapters. The fastest way to get around this is toimplement the European Council’s 26 April 2004unanimous decision to abolish the isolation of NorthernCyprus, which was taken after the Greek Cypriots said“no” to the Annan Plan. Today, only one of the 27 EUmember states implements this decision. The only statethat encourages its citizens to travel to and engages indirect commerce with the Northern Cyprus is the Republicof Cyprus. It is hypocrisy in itself that Cyprus prevents thecitizens of other 26 EU member countries from benefitingfrom the same right. Right now the European Parliament isdiscussing the regulation on direct trade with NorthernCyprus under the new terms of the Treaty of Lisbon. If thisregulation passes and EU members begin to trade directlywith Northern Cyprus, it will be a lot easier for Turkey toapply the EU-Turkey association agreement’s additionalprotocol to Cyprus as the other member states. Mrs Merkelshould actually take the biggest step herself. If she allowsLufthansa Airlines to fly directly to Ercan Airport, thenTurkey will open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships andairplanes. But if the major states and economies of Europereveal their determination to continue with the comedy ofhiding behind the beautiful and charming island ofCyprus, then this will show their insincerity. After all,Turkey’s EU process may be important for Turkey but it iseven more so for the EU. Without the contribution ofTurkey, the chances of Europe solving the problems it

faces today are pretty weak. Today, Turkey has thestrongest army and the youngest population of Europe.Seventy per cent of all energy resources needed by Europeare around the Turkish borders. It is a key country tocombat Europe’s internal integration problem becauseTurkey is a unique country that integrated democracy andIslam very well for over two centuries. When we considerall this, we see that now it is time for the Europeans tolook after their own interests. It is time that they comparethe costs of Turkey’s EU membership with the costs of itsremaining out of the EU and to acknowledge that Turkey’saccession is in the interests of the EU more than Turkey.

This is what we expect from the Europeans, but what are wegoing to do about their expectations from Turkey? In termsof public support, for instance…

As long as the Europeans continue with this double-standard attitude toward Turkey and efforts to createobstacles that no other candidate had to deal with, thepublic opinion will not improve. But if they apply fairpractices as they did to other countries, if they grantTurkish citizens the right of free movement in the EU asthey granted to Serbia which had not even begunnegotiations yet, if they support our fight against terrorism,if Turkey begins to be represented at EU summits againand if they stop hiding behind the Cyprus island, thesupport for the EU process in Turkey will at least triple.

You played a major role in bringing the 2010 Capital ofCulture project to Istanbul, and at its Brussels launch yousaid “Europe without Istanbul is unimaginable”. Having leftnine months behind, has the Agency reinforced thatsituation?

During Istanbul’s nomination for the European Capital of

Photo: SECRETARIAT GENERAL FOR EU AFFAIRS Archive

Culture process, I was the president of the AdvisoryCommittee. I had the honour of heading the delegationthat defended Istanbul in front of the jury. Istanbul is thecultural capital of not only Europe, but the world. Havingbeen the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottomanempires, Istanbul is most naturally a European Capital ofCulture. It was important to assume and then to makegood use of this title for our natural value to bestrengthened and better appreciated by Europeans. In thisregard, Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency has made a veryintense effort. And we, as the government and theparliament, provided the necessary budget and facilities.We see the successful work of the 2010 Agencyunderlying the realization of many cultural infrastructureprojects, provision of financial opportunities for theactivities and the sharing of Istanbul’s cultural richnesswith the world. Once U2 was refusing to come to Turkeysaying “There are human rights violations”, and now theygave a concert and sang a song they wrote for a victim ofan unsolved murder. This shows whence Turkey hascome. If the state television broadcasts in Kurdish 24hours a day in a country in which people were afraid tosay “I’m a Kurd” ten years ago, if 90 years later masses cantake place in Sümela and Ahtamar once again, if a citywhose mayor was imprisoned for reading a poembecomes ten years later a European Capital of Culture,these mean that Turkey is going through an evolution. Ithink the more significant development than those masseswas that the people of Trabzon and Van supported themwith great enthusiasm, let alone reacting. This shows thatmentalities are changing in Turkey and that we return toour essence in peace with our own culture. Istanbul hasreinforced its distinction of being a city in whichmosques, churches and synagogues give piece to

humanity, as it was the case eight centuries ago, andshows that Turkey’s goal to become a full member of theEU is the right target. All these strengthen Turkey’sEuropean identity. Today we see that those who discusshow European Turkey is change their minds once theyhave been to Istanbul. Recently we hosted a dinner in thisgarden for a parliamentary delegation from the Flemishregion of Belgium. One of the parliamentarians in thedelegation said that he opposed Turkey’s EU membershipthroughout his life. But two days after leaving the dinner,he returned home and published an article in a localnewspaper. “From now on I will support Turkey’s EUprocess which I’ve opposed all my life,” he wrote. Thisdelegation had come to Istanbul because it became acultural capital, and they were the Commission of Cultureof the Flemish Parliament. Even that one article by thatone parliamentarian in that commission was worth all thisfatigue, if you ask me. Just like this, hundreds ofthousands and perhaps millions of people who changedtheir views about Turkey, Istanbul, Turks, us. But wemust work even harder to change more…

You are also a parliamentarian, an Istanbul deputy. Whatcolour is this city that you represent, do you think?

Istanbul is colourful… In Istanbul, there is every colour.There are mosques, churches, synagogues, Turks, Kurds,Circassians, Laz, Bosnians, Arabs, Albanians, easterners,westerners, soldiers, civilians, women, men, the young, theelderly, workers, employers, Alevis, Sunnis, Muslims, non-Muslims, more religious or less religious, non-believers…That is what makes it Istanbul, makes it so strong, thecultural capital of the world and not only of Europe.Istanbul’s most important feature is its colourfulness. Itcannot be summed up with a single colour.

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“Let it go, the coffee may boil.Tell me how was Istanbul,” Nâzım Hikmet

How was it?Tell me about Istanbul.

Interviews BER‹VAN AYDIN

‹STANBUL 2010

Journalism is a profession that takes the pulse of life allaround the world. Its essence is the effort to understandwhat is going on and tell it to others. That is why theforeign correspondents dispatched to various parts of theworld have a more difficult job, but also have more fun. Tounderstand completely the agenda of another country, theyneed to get to know its peoples, languages and cultures.Plus they have to deliver these to a completely foreignaudience, in a neutral manner but still providingconsiderable context and perspective. New discoveriesawait day every day. They answer the five Ws and one Husing the five senses and not recitations. Compared to localreporters, they can see the stories from brand newperspectives. That is why they contribute not only to theaudience back home, but also to the host country.Therefore, it is no coincidence that they came to our mindswhen we decided to reflect the colours of Istanbul. Thesepeople try to understand Istanbul and tell it to others, theywere 'foreign' once and now most of them settled here. Wewondered how they would colour a painting that we areaccustomed to, and we asked them what colour is Istanbul.They gave us wonderfully coloured answers. The 'foreign'journalists are sure that they are at the right place at theright time. For on the palette of Istanbul 2010 EuropeanCapital of Culture there are more colours than ever. Theycontinue to discover to show these colours to the world.Here are Istanbul's colours, as seen through their eyes...

“I see

in Istanbul” changing colours

Michael first came to Istanbul in1992 to report on the Council of

Europe summit which was takingplace a few months after the

breakdown of the Soviet Union –new countries were emerging andthe delegates were fighting in the

corridors. That was his first articlefor Die Zeit, and in 2007 he opened

the newspaper’s office inArnavutköy. He loves olive-oil based

food and Istanbul seems to be‘paradise’. However, he had to learn

that in Istanbul there are certaintimes of the year when you are

supposed to eat certain fish. “I likethat now that I have learned the

schedule, as a connoisseur.”

I see changing colours in Istanbul, because the city changesso strongly throughout the year. In spring and summer, thegreen and the blue are very important. Then as the wintersets in, the greyish atmosphere of some weeks in Februaryremind me of Hamburg, my hometown. You would findthat in Orhan Pamuk’s book when he reflects on the Istanbul of his childhood. What I like about Arnavutköy is that it has preserved itscharacter. We have a rather small mosque over here, and anenormous Greek Orthodox cathedral on the other side. Youhave the “usta” here and the “terzi” there. This is a very urban structure. Then a little boutique opens next to thechurch, adding to the mosaic, and I see it as the opening upof Istanbul to the world as it becomes, increasingly, a hub. I was struck when the incidents in Tophane happened. Neither should push out the other, nor fear that they wouldbe displaced. Sulukule was a bad example, but Arnavutköyis a good one and it should be advertised to show that contrasts can live in one area, which again has very much to do with colours. You don’t have to resolve them by having one colour here and the other in the outskirts.

Michael ThumannMiddle East BureauChief of Die Zeit

The first colour that comes to mind is grey, as theexpression of the melancholy of Istanbul that Orhan Pamukand Ahmet Hamdi Tanp›nar talk about. The UK is grey too,but that is because of the weather. Nothing is black andwhite in Istanbul. It is a meeting point of so many cultures,ideas and geographies coming together that nothing can beclear, there is always this mixing together. That is also whatmakes Istanbul interesting. It is an incredibly dynamic cityand always changing, not always for the better, butconstantly moving. But I think you find this energy in allbig cities. New York has a similar feeling. This dynamismmay be what I like the most here - there is alwayssomething new to discover. It might get tiring, frustratingand be very difficult sometimes, but never boring. The first time I came to Istanbul was in 1986. One thingthat struck me was that there was not much electricity andstreets were dark. I used to work in Berlin when it wasdivided as the West and East. One of the first things youwould notice about visiting the East Berlin was the lack ofstreet lights. I think it is quite a good indication ofdevelopment. In the Istanbul of 1990s people did not liveoutside, there were only a few cafes. Now it’s unimaginable,how it has changed. One of the biggest differences inIstanbul is that people are now living more on the streets.

“Nothing is

in Istanbul”black and white

Dorian Jones Freelance journalist

Dorian was dispatched to Istanbulby the BBC in 1993, and when he

noticed he spent more time workinghere than living in London he

decided to move. Now that he andhis wife have a little child, they

cannot move around the city verymuch. Yet still they never miss the

‹nebolu Market, set up every Sundaymorning in Kas›mpafla by villagers

who travel overnight all the wayfrom Kastamonu. Before Cihangir

he used to live in Moda on the Asianside and he loved it. “It has the

feeling of being in the city butoutside the city.”

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“Istanbul is turquoise,golden and a range of grey

Jérôme has been living in Istanbulsince 1996. He loves the escapadesto the Islands when they are not socrowded, the little fishermen ports

where there are six to ten boats andsome wonderful people, and “thetiny places full of old people you

discover by accident” like the innsand narrow streets around the

Grand Bazaar. He also loves lüfer(bluefish), and how it is the king fishof Istanbul. “In the middle of the cityyou still have some people who live

linked to the rhythm of nature. Theygo fishing very early in the morning,whether it’s bad weather or not, and

they keep on watching theBosphorus until they see the lüfer in

early October. I love that.”

One of the colours of Istanbul that I love is the light turquoise that the Bosphorus has after a heavy rain. TheBosphorus is like a main vein bringing life to Istanbul. Thatcolour of fresh air and water is like the natural expression of an entity living inside the city. Something else to discoveris how the weather changes very quickly. It never rains for long. Only a few hours after rain or snowfall the sun appears. I love the colours of the morning in Istanbul. Now we are in the season when the Bosphorus, not the sea but the airabove and around it, is nearly golden. They say that this iswhy the Haliç is called the Golden Horn. There is a speciallight humidity and the sun is not very strong, giving the city a light golden colour that I love. Last but not least, I also love a colour that is not normally agreat one – the grey of the marbles. The marbles have allkinds of grey, lines and waves. I like them less when theyare renewed. I like the marbles a little tarnished with scarsand darker corners that show its history. For me, thesemarbles are very significant in terms of showing the veryrich and long past of Istanbul.

Jérôme Bastion Radio FranceInternational

I think Istanbul is red and gold, the imperial colours of the Sultans. To me, they reflect the grandeur of Sultan Süleyman and the earlier years of the Ottoman Empire. The first time I came to Istanbul was in 1974. The city wasobviously very different then. There was the Topkap› BusStation which was so chaotic that I actually had to have somebody guide me out between the buses. And I have thisvery vivid memory of 1974 of walking up and down the road where the tram line now is, with other foreigners all of us trying to find one bank that would change traveller’scheques. Sadly, what I don’t remember is the Bosphorus.Had I paid attention then, the Bosphorus would have beenthe villages still. In a way, Sultanahmet is my favourite part of the city as I always stay there. Buy when Saffet and I were researching “Istanbul: The Ultimate Guide”, the mostinteresting area that we explored together was Cerrahpafla.It is inside the city walls and it has a lot of historic monuments, but as far as I can see nobody goes there. Again, when we were doing the research for the book, wediscovered the Kad›nlar Pazar›, which is in front of theAqueduct of Valens. You can eat ‘büryan’ kebab and “perdepilav” there. I absolutely loved the perde pilav, in fact I li-ked it oh-so-much that I actually then went to Siirt, whichis where the people in Kad›nlar Pazar› have come from.

“Istanbul is red and gold,

of the Sultans.”the imperial colours

Pat YaleLonely Planet

Cambridge History graduate Pattravelled all around the world and

settled in Turkey. For more than 10years she co-authored Lonely

Planet’s Turkey guidebook, and shealso produced “A Handbook forLiving in Turkey” to help fellow

expatriates. And she recentlypublished the ‘Istanbul: The UltimateGuide’ with Saffet Emre Tonguç. She

lives in a restored cave house inCappadocia with an ever-changing

entourage of cats. “I love Istanbul forits vibrant modernity while still

relishing the continuing ‘otherness’.”

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“Istanbul is orange;

of tulips

Marc came to Istanbul first in 1983and it was love at first sight. He

wanted to become a correspondenthere, but instead was sent to cover

the Islamic world and the US formany years. Finally in 2006, he

became a freelancer and fulfilledhis dream: He and his wife flew

directly from New York to Istanbulon their wedding anniversary. In his

free time Marc organizes informalwalking events in various parts of

Istanbul in English and Dutch –feelfree to contact him if you’d like tojoin! “Well I’m four and half yearshere now and I don’t regret it one

second… I feel at home here.”

The colour of Istanbul is orange, I would say, because thecity obviously reminds me of tulips and it is also a verywarm city. Orange is the colour of the rising and settingsun, soft and warm. It reminds me of the people of Istanbulwho are very friendly, helpful and hospitable. Of coursethere are also rough sides of the city. But my overall impression is that it gives a warm feeling, like the sunsetand the sunrise. Just as in New York – we lived in Brooklyn and not inManhattan – here in Istanbul we live in Kad›köy on theAsian side and not in Beyo¤lu as most foreigners do. Thereason is that I want to be among the Turks and feel thenon-touristic atmosphere of the city. I love history and exploring new places here. For instance I recently went toEyüp, and I walked eight kilometres from there to the Süleymaniye Mosque. That was the last phase of the “Sultan’s Trail’, an initiative of a Turkish man living in Holland to walk from Vienna to Istanbul following the route taken by Süleyman the Magnificent when he marched on the Austrian capital. In Istanbul there is always so much to discover, or rediscover because it is changing all the time like in New York. I actually call Istanbul “the New York of the Bosphorus”.

Marc GuilletFreelance journalist

On one of my several trips to Istanbul, as I came off theplane, an employee of Turkish Airlines waiting just outsidethe door spoke to me: “Welcome to Istanbul!” He had theface of a Sultan in an old Ottoman painting: arched blackeyebrows, a huge smile, dancing dark eyes, and skin thecolour of Turkish tea. I thought I had stepped back into thepages of history. Turkish tea, that pale orange/brown, atawny taffy colour, has the same vibrant hue of the sunsetsin the Orientalist paintings of the port at Eminönü. It’s thesame colour of the urban rooftops of the Old City seenfrom above. It’s a golden brown-red-yellow mélange thatpermeates the dusky horizon I witness every week from theBosphorus ferry, the embroidered threads in the Turkishcarpets on my floors, the ambiance of the Byzantine ChoraMuseum’s interior and of Aya Sofia’s extraordinary exterior.It’s the colour of the brick building in which I live. It’s thecolour of the melancholy sound of the oud. It’s the smell of the wood and sweat of millions of immigrants’ souls inthe history of Haydarpafla, It’s written on the wind on theGolden Horn.

“Istanbul is the

and the sound of oud...”

colour of ‘çay’,as the dusky horizon

Alexandra IvanoffTimeOut Istanbul,Today's Zaman

Having studied music in New Yorkand fashion design in Paris,

Alexandra moved to Istanbul in2007. Then, she learned that her

Bulgarian grandmother had gone toschool in Istanbul in 1905 – Alex’s

DNA had preceded her. She lives inFener near the marvellous

red-brick 1881 Greek school. Downthe street is Balat with the quaint

old shops and where everyoneknows her name. She loves the“vapur”. “I can’t live without my

magical and meditative crossingson the waters of Old Constantinople.

I especially like the older boats inwhich I can feel a physical

connection to the Bosphorus.”

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“Istanbul is

invisible to the Western media”

In 1973, David was 16 living in alittle town in California and madly

but unrequitedly in love with anexchange student from Sweden. Heapplied to AFS hoping to be sent to

her country, but he ended up inKad›köy Maarif Koleji. He lived witha Turkish family and came back for

another year to study at Bo¤aziçi.David and his Turkish wife now livein Niflantafl›. On the weekends they

go to Rumelihisar› for breakfast,and they both are “crazy for mant›”.

“I like going to Turkish movies,because that’s one way to see thespectrums of the city that are not

otherwise visible.”

Just as there is a spectrum of colour in nature as well ascolours and shades invisible to the human eye because wedon’t perceive them like the infrared, Istanbul also has coloursthat don’t show up on the normal spectrograph ofconventional English-language journalism. As the largest cityof Europe and the commercial and cultural capital not only ofTurkey but of the region, Istanbul is exploding with coloursinvisible to the Western media. Our job is to see and to reflectthese. The Western media only has five stories about Turkey:Allegations of Armenian genocide, Turkish-Kurdish conflict,honour killings/status of women, Islam versus secularism andfreedom of expression. What we have created here is anauthentically Turkish newspaper that goes deeper and beyondthose narratives. We cover the five colours that the Westernmedia is stuck with, but we also cover the complexity of thethirty-seven other major languages spoken in Turkey. Thereare fourteen languages spoken at the Daily News, other thanEnglish and Turkish –Kurdish, Armenian, Zaza, Pomak,Georgian, Arabic… We have spent an extraordinary amountof time covering the issues in the Armenian debate, includingthe Muslim Armenians of Turkey who live along the BlackSea in Hopa. They converted to Islam in the 16th century butstill speak Armenian in their villages. The New York Timeswould never do this.

David Dead Judson Editor-in-chief, The Hürriyet Daily News

Istanbul is blue, the deep rich sparkling blue of theBosphorus. The blue breathes life into the city and cleanses it.Where else in the world does the sea enter the heart of a citybringing with it depth, freshness and fish? Most sea townshave shores - in Istanbul the sea is part of the city. And italways makes me feel so alive! Rain or shine.The first time I came to Istanbul was 2006. I recall taking anevening stroll near my hotel in Sultanahmet. I climbed up thehill to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. It was March andthe streets were quite empty. Suddenly three calls to prayerrang out at the same time. It was as if time had stopped. Itwas a magical moment. I’ve now entered Istanbul, I thought. I sat down and watched seagulls flying over the minarets incouples - like tiny spirits… I remember visiting Eyüp SultanMosque during Ramadan last year. I was surprised how manyfamilies were picnicking in the square - children playing -after dusk. It was touching to see this large spiritual-socialspace where people came in large numbers, not only to praybut to just be. And there’s the Pierre Loti cemetery, full ofbenign ghosts. Another world unto itself. And last but notleast I love Istanbul’s street dogs... such polite and affectionatecreatures. Istanbul is noisy, busy but permeated with light. Itis full of smaller worlds – some open, others secret, and stillothers that you wouldn’t notice unless you were searching forthem. A city worth investigating.

“Istanbul is

Bosphorus blue”rich, sparkling

Julia RookeFreelance journalist

Julia has worked for the BBC for20 years and is currently making a

film for Al Jazeera International.She loves visiting Büyükada

Island, walking up to the Greekchapel and admiring the peaceful

and beautiful view. It took a fewvisits before she discovered the

delicious “midye tava”. Polonezköyis rather close to her heart

because she is of Polish origin.“Going there feels like arriving at

a 19th century Polish gentrifiedvillage. Each house has a big

garden full of roses, fruit treesand green grass where you can sit

and drink tea. Lovely!”

exploding with colours

Coming to Istanbul was a dream of mine. One of the best short novels I have ever read was bya Finnish writer, Mika Waltari, written in the 1920s. It is called “A Lonely Man’s Train” andtells the story of a young man who just finished his academic studies but longs to see theworld. This is 1920, so what you do is to take a ferry from Helsinki to Hamburg, and then takethe train through Vienna, Belgrade, and finally to Constantinople. Ever since I read that novel at a very young age, I was longing to come and get to knowIstanbul. And of course, Turkey is highly interesting for us Greens. I feel that the Greenswholeheartedly want Turkey to join the EU. Istanbul is already Europe, and we know there isalso the big Asian part of the country. However, Istanbul is a fascinating bridge between theEast and West. It is a beautiful, historic, very European city on the edge of Asia.

We asked the Greenswhat colour Istanbul is

“Coming to Istanbul was my dream”

Daniel Cohn-Bendit Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group in the EP

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The Greens in the EP defend Turkey’s integration into the EU.What do you think of the debate about whether Turkey isshifting its axis towards the East?

Our Group is strongly working on European integration.Because Europe also needs the partnership - and integration,if possible - with Turkey, we work on that as well. Turkeyhas a bridge role between the West and the East, if youwant, and it should fulfil this role. The opposition shouldtry to push the government in the direction of openingfreedoms; they should tackle the modernization,democratization and transformation issues in their politics.

Your colleague Rebecca Harms referred to a phrase you usedin the 2004 meeting of the Greens in ‹stanbul. What did youmean when you said that you want a ‘Wonder of Bosphorus’?

Europe was built on, what I call the “Wonder of the Rhine”.The Rhine was the frontier between France and Germany,

and now it has become a common river. Then you have the“Wonder of Oder”, as the Oder River between Poland andthe West has also become a common river. And my dreamis that the Bosphorus will also become a common river ofthe European Union. So the idea is a continuation of twoprevious wonders of Europe.

While you were a leader in the May ’68 student revolts inParis, you were called “Danny the Red”. Then you were called“Danny the Green” as you focused on environmental politics.What colour is Istanbul, do you think?

It is difficult to say. Istanbul is a moving city with a lot ofcolours. Sometimes you have a blue Istanbul, sometimesgreen… Istanbul has different faces, and not just one colour.I like this dynamism and diversity. Although a lot needs tobe done before Istanbul has a more sustainable life. It’s verydifficult, but also very exciting.

Heidi Hautala MEP

ISTANBUL 2010

Interviews and Photos BER‹VAN AYDIN

One of Turkey’s closest allies in the EU process, the Greens/EFA Group of theEuropean Parliament (EP) held their Enlarged Bureau Meeting in Istanbul onthe 1st and 2nd of November, 2010. The conference titled “Turkey in Europe” at the Istanbul Congress Centre attracted dozens of politicians, NGOrepresentatives, activists, academics, journalists and observers. A range of pressing issues on the political agenda including energy security,democratization, a new constitution and the question of “European culture”were discussed in detail and with enthusiasm. We took the chance tointerview some MEPs to learn their views on the discussions and on Istanbul.

Isabelle Durant Vice President of the European Parliament

I am French and Algerian, and here in Istanbul I see many links between the Turkish and theAlgerian cultures. The architecture, for instance, reminds me of the Casbah. Also the food isvery similar. We have the same sweets. And you know what? I know how to cook baklava!The way Turkey has developed in very interesting for two reasons. First, it shows othercountries with Muslim majorities that democratic and secular governance can coexist with theIslamic population. And secondly, the close links between Europe and Turkey, including theTurkish migrants in Europe, remind European people and governments that Islam is part ofthe European culture. It is there, and we have to build intercultural confidence. For that, weneed to build human contact and cultural relations in literature, cinema, architecture etc. Soour stake as the MEPs is to contribute to improve the politics of free movement to enable that.

“Istanbul’s architecture reminds me of the Casbah”

Is it just a coincidence that the Greens are having theirEnlarged Bureau Meeting in Istanbul only days before the2010 Progress Report is released?

No, it is not. It is important for us to have this meeting hereand to discuss the situation of Turkey, and the sensitiveissue regarding the accession of Turkey to the EU. We feelthat the process is so long and slow, and there are pointsthat remain misunderstood on both Turkish and Europeanlevels. So we wanted to give the floor to the NGOs andpolitical representatives etc., especially considering the hugedebate about the referendum. Having this discussion onIstanbul’s year as a European Capital of Culture is veryimportant as well, because today we have shown that the“cultural question” is not actually a problem. There is a realproximity between Turkey and Europe in that sense. Whenyou are working in Istanbul, you feel the European

influence – it is there, we are in Europe here! This is mycity, part of my story.

I know that the last time you stayed in Istanbul was 32 yearsago. What has changed?

It was a very different city back then. The renovation ofstreets and houses, animation, traffic… You feel theeconomic development, but you also feel the same feeling asthree decades ago when you stood on the bridge. There is avery nice mix of the past and the present, the tradition andthe modernity. And there are so many people everywhere, atany time…

Do you think Istanbul makes a good ECOC?Absolutely. I think that the patrimony in Istanbul needs tobe shown to the whole world.

Malika Benarab-Attou MEP

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With a shipload of arts and science

Yaz› BER‹VAN AYDIN

Master sculptor ‹lhan Koman’shome and workshop, the M/SHulda, completed her journey,which stretched from the NorthSea to the Mediterranean, andarrived at the Bosphorus. Innearly two years she has sailed6500 nautical miles (12,000kilometres) and unloaded someof her arts and science at everycountry on the route. Now theHulda Festival colours up the2010 European Capital of Culturewith the genius of Ilhan Koman.

the Hulda arrives in IstanbulText BER‹VAN AYDIN

VERY LIKELY the best known statue in Istanbul is theMediterranean, if not by name, then by shape. This is a womanembracing the city with open arms and like the waves, made ofmatter and space. Koman’s creativity entailed both a pure beautyand a striking depth. But the reason why the world calls him the‘Turkish da Vinci’ is the coalescence of arts and science in hisworks. Modernity has imprisoned these two in opposite poles, yetfor Koman they reinforced one another. His work which spans agreat variety of innovative materials and methodologies is presentlyfound in the collections of the modern arts museums in majorworld cities including Stockholm, Paris, New York, Brussels, Seattleand Istanbul. Born in 1921 in Edirne, ‹lhan Koman studied at the Department ofSculpture at the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts. After hisgraduation he went to Paris for further studies and opened his firstsolo exhibition. Returning to Istanbul, Koman worked as anassistant at the Academy and opened a workshop with his friends,where they produced Turkey’s first iron furniture pieces. This was

also the team that brought Turkey its first international designaward. In 1958 he moved to Stockholm where he taught at theSwedish School of Arts Crafts and Design, Konstfackskolan. Healso produced various artworks, ranging from the Royal Coat ofArms relief at the Swedish Parliament to statues exhibited in publicplaces. In 1964, he built himself a houseboat: He bought the M/SHulda, a Baltic trader and cargo ship built in 1905, and made itinto his home and workshop. Koman and his family lived onHulda, which was anchored at the Drottningholm Royal Port inStockholm, for twenty years until the master died in 1986.Hulda soon became a stamping ground for the artists whohappened to pass by Sweden. Her guests included Yaflar Kemal,Abidin Dino, Özdemir Asaf, Afl›k Nesimi, Tuncel Kurtiz and ZülfüLivaneli among many others. Bringing his boat to theMediterranean was Koman’s dream, yet he thought that it would bedifficult to find eight people for the journey that would takemonths. Moreover, restoring the Hulda to sail in the Mediterraneanwould be very costly, as the boat was built for cold waters.

Koman on the deckhouse of Hulda, named after a forest fairy inIcelandic mythology. For his friend Abidin Dino, Koman was likeNoah, wintering by the sea: “I always doubted: is he waiting forthe flood or what?”

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A gracious pirate was he

unfolding all his sails wouldweigh anchor to skim out to high-seasin his homely frigate every night

would give a foray of rose petals with his brazen cannons onto Swedish shores

a gallant captain was heno matter for him to die for the sake of hisbelovedbut when with his wind-borne statueshe landed on deathfrom his homely frigate one nighthe wasn’t yet sated with mud and marble

and his dreams keep on shrieking over him.

Oktay Rifat

Translation Oruç Aruoba

FOR ‹LHAN KOMAN

Koman’s best known statue,Mediterranean

Hulda Festival, a dream coming true Realizing his father’s dream was entrusted to Professor ‹lhanKoman, a lecturer of molecular biology at the BosphorusUniversity, and witnessing this dream come true was apparentlysaved for the 2010 European Capital of Culture. Having been renovated and restored, Hulda started her journeyfrom Sweden in 2009. She was welcomed at all nine Europeancities with great interest. There were ‹lhan Koman exhibitionsaboard Hulda and at the partner institutions at each city, andworkshops for the young public who brought artistic and scientificdisciplines together through topics like “Sculpture &Aerodynamics” or “Art and Alternative Energies”. A competitionamong the art students from the ten cities on Hulda’s route wasorganized to encourage them to create scientific artworks. Tenwinners got the chance to exhibit their creations in the “Artscist”exhibition at Tophane-i Amire in Istanbul. Reaching its final destination on the Tuesday afternoon, 21st ofSeptember, Hulda anchored at the port of the Mimar Sinan Fine

Arts University, where Koman studied and lectured. The openingattracted broad participation from the press, and guests includedBeyo¤lu Mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan, MSFAU Rector ProfessorRahmi Aksungur, Swedish Consul-General Torkel Stiernlöf andIstanbul 2010 ECOC Agency Assistant Secretary-General MehmetGürkan. Remarking that he was one of the students of ‹lhan Koman,Professor Aksungur said: “Koman has studied and worked in theworkshop here for many years, and now his travelling workshopanchors right in front of it. This has an emotional value for us.Every year the Academy opens with an exhibition by a famousalumni, this year’s exhibition is by Koman.” Consul-GeneralStiernlöf also noted that he was proud of welcoming Hulda, andthat Koman was strengthening the links between Turkey andSweden. “Actually, I am the one who is the happiest here, becausethis boat will remain anchored for two months at the Hasköyshore and it will primarily address our children,” Mayor Demircanadded.

Having transcended the oppositeness of arts and science, an idea imposed by modernity,‹lhan Koman registered eight of his inventions at the Swedish Patent Office.

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How was the journey?After three months of restoration, we set off in March last year. We hadofficial ports where we would open exhibitions, but we also touched atmany other ports. At the official ports we had partners such asmaritime museums, science and technical institutions. At every stage,very many people joined in and we met some very special people. Thetarget audience was 20,000 but I think we reached over 30,000. One ofthe things I liked the most was for instance the workshop in Barcelona,where we taught children how maps were made in the Middle Ages.Do you see the knowledge they received at that age? I am one of the few people who know the boat the best, because I hadbeen on it when I was a student in the 1970s. That is when I got to knowthe late Mr Koman and Ahmet Koman. I had a Jewish friend fromIstanbul, a wonderful man called Benjamin. He told me “There arethree kinds of people, a Belgian philosopher said: Those who are alive,those who are dead, and those who are at sea.” Indeed so. A day at thesea is worth a twenty on land. Sea is a different world, it is very tiring ifyou do not know it and like it. When we were in Naples, we got invited to the classic yacht festival inSete – I don’t know how they found us. We were the flagship of thefestival. So while we were returning to the south of France, we sawwhales. I was over there hanging around, with a paint brush in myhand. It appeared out of the sea, as if saying “Where the hell did youcome from”, a single glance makes you understand that it is a smartanimal. Then he dived back, I was paralyzed. Neither fear, norbreathing. Long afterwards I came to my senses and started to hit myfoot to the ground to call the others: “Look, whale, whale!”

What does arriving in Istanbul feel like?Amazing. I knew Uncle ‹lhan in person and I knew about his dream, weused to talk about it 30 years ago. Now that it comes true, it feels verydifferent. You dream of something, and 30 years later you actually liveit. This is inexpressible. I haven’t grasped it yet; we will probably getthe hang of it after tonight.

The Hulda attracted a great interest in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bordeaux, Lisbon, Barcelona,Naples, Malta and Thessaloniki. Most of the festival’s Istanbul events will continue until the end ofNovember – so it is not too late to be a fellow passenger of the “Journey into Arts and Science”!

• ‹lhan Koman Exhibition aboard M/S Hulda: If you want to see the Hulda boat anchored in front of theBeyo¤lu Municipality Sailing School in Hasköy, and also 20 of the latest Koman works, you have time untilNovember 23. The exhibition is open every day from 10.00 to 19.00.

• Workshops: Held daily at the Beyo¤lu Municipality Sailing School in Hasköy, the workshops teachchildren how to combine arts and science in an interesting and fun way, under headlines such as “Life inSeas”, “Energy Workshop” or “DNA Modeling”. They will also continue until November 23. For programand registration: hulda@koman.org

All activities are free of charge. For more information www.huldafestival.org

Hulda Festival will continue until the end of November

“We had a dream and it came true 30 years later”

Greeted with great interest from the press, the two-masted centennial schooner then took off to

the Esma Sultan Mansion in Ortaköy where acocktail dinner and concert would take place, givinga lift to the welcoming audience. Sailing with Hulda,which housed the genius of ‹lhan Koman for twentyyears, as the sun set on the Bosphorus was indeed

a great pleasure. On the deck, we had aconversation with Kaya Hofltafl, who has been a

crewmember since the beginning of the journey.

ISTANBUL has always been a vibrantcity, but its residents were never exposedto such high levels of culture and arts.On the first four days of July, Istanbulhosted an elite group of some of themost talented names of the internationalarts and fashion circles. Setting out withthe motto “Paying tribute to Istanbul’scultural heritage and celebrating itscreative future”, Istancool featured anambitious and original programmeaimed at raising the profile of Istanbul asa forward-thinking capital of culture.‘Amazed by young Turkish people andtheir drive and determination, theirpassion for life, culture and creativepursuits’, Liberatum’s young founderPablo Ganguli said ‘the festival wasprimarily held to further encourage themto push artistic boundaries’. The festival’screative director Demet Müftüo¤lu washappy that they realized a significantaddition to the European Capital ofCulture calendar with a projectresembling the mind-blowing creativeexhibitions and shows that she seesabroad. Even before it began, theTurkish press called Istancool the mostcolourful, exciting and striking event ofthe 2010 European Capital of Cultureactivities. A mere glance at the festival’sprogramme and guest list helped toexplain the “rather die than miss it”attitude of the press. The programme included exhibitions,performances, art installations, fashionshowcase, talks, discussions, Q&Asessions and film screenings, most ofwhich were open to all. Guests includedcelebrities from London, New York, Parisand Milan.

What happened?On Thursday, June 1 guests were invitedto dinner at the Sak›p Sabanc› Museum.

Before the dinner, organized in honourof Architect Zaha Hadid, the guests hadthe chance to see the Legendary Museumexhibition at the museum. On Fridaymorning, the group went to VakkoCultural Centre and listened to a specialpiano recital by Michael Nyman. Movingon to the Seed for the official openingceremony, the group then listened toNobel Laureate Sir VS Naipaul who readfrom A Writer’s People: Ways of Lookingand Feeling. Next was a Q&A sessionwith Franca Sozzani, editor of VogueItaly, and that was followed by a paneltitled “The Future of Digital Media”. The same night, the Istanbul 2010ECOC Agency and the Ministry ofCulture and Tourism held a gala dinnerthat hit the bull’s-eye, so to say. Guestsarrived at sunset in the garden of thishistorical seafront building located wherethe Bosphorus and the Golden Hornmeet. So they had no choice but to bemesmerized. As I interviewed Britishcomposer Michael Nyman, he said thathe would love to give a concert here inSeptember. Later on during his speech,Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency SecretaryGeneral Y›lmaz Kurt said: “Tonight, weconfirmed our motto ‘inspiring city’.Michael Nyman said he wants to playhere!” and the audience cheered for thegood news. The night concluded with aBosphorus cruise on a slick yacht.The second day’s events were held atIstanbul Modern. Turkish writer Eliffiafak, British novelist Hanif Kureishi andSir VS Naipaul’s wife Pakistani journalistLady Nadira Naipaul talked about howtheir childhood shaped their literacyjourneys as writers of Muslim origin.Then Michael Nyman discussed his filmand photographic work with HalukAkakçe. After lunch, the programmeincluded Kim Jones’ portfolio workshop

presented by Vogue, screening of“Precious” followed by a Q&A sessionwith the director Lee Daniels, PhilipTreacy on the art of millinery, and GoreVidal in conversation with Leyla Umar.Saturday’s after party featured theMisshapes and Gareth Pugh as DJs. The last day of the festival, July 4, washeld at the Pera Museum. After a privateview of the Botero exhibition, PeraMuseum Director Özalp Birol spokeabout the history of the museum andshared old Istanbul photographs fromthe Suna and ‹nan K›raç Foundation’sPhotography Archive. This was followedby Stephen Frears and Vecdi Sayar’sconversation on independent films.Taner Ceylan told what contemporaryTurkish culture means to him. Last butnot least, “My Beautiful Laundrette” wasscreened, a controversial movie whichbecame a turning point in the careers ofits director Stephen Frears and writerHarif Kureishi.

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The “coolest”festival of thesummer:

The festival featured an ambitious andoriginal program aimed at placingIstanbul at the centre of theinternational cultural scene.

Istanbul’s streets and venues have been pulsating with arts since the weather got warm, and the city hostedan unprecedented festival on the weekend of July 2-4. Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency, Istanbul 74 and theBritish cultural diplomacy brand, Liberatum, joined forces to bring some of the world’s leading fashion, arts,architecture, literature, music and film icons to Istanbul. Following a weekend filled with talks and shows,the people of Istanbul got to know them, and they got to know the “legendary connector of two continents”.

ISTANBUL 2010

When I was a child, I was taught history and Istanbul, orConstantinople as it was then known as, was clearly veryimportant, and I never understood why it was so until I camehere. When you see the geography of it, and the connectionbetween Europe and Asia and it all makes sense. The clash ofcultures is very interesting. The Asian side is less European, I

find that complexity rather interesting.

One of Britain’s most celebrated composers, Nyman has writtenoperas and string quartets, soundtracks and orchestralconcertos. As well as being a composer, he is also a conductor,pianist, author, photographer and filmmaker. Thrilled tointerview him, I approached Mr Nyman as he was having achat with Y›lmaz Kurt before the dinner at Sepetçiler Kasr›, andMr Kurt asked the first two questions for me!

Y›lmaz Kurt: What is your first impression of Istanbul?I was first here 44 years ago, in the summer of 1966. Myimpression is that is immensely sophisticated, and it hasnot lost its soul. You have actually managed to preserveeverything that I loved about Istanbul. There is a higherlevel of sophistication here, because you have more loveand passion for what surrounds you. We have Englishheritage, but it is a kind of formalized attitude…we donot love it nor cherish it.

Y›lmaz Kurt: Do you want to play in Istanbul?I would love to do a solo piano concert. I really wouldlike to work with local folk musicians. The music I writeis very personal and very out of my culture, but it seemsto communicate to musicians from other cultures.

Do you find Istanbul inspiring?I honestly do. The last time I came it was for only onenight, so there was no chance to see anything and moreimportantly, no chance to meet anybody. So now bybeing here for longer, I found an audience. You are partof it; all these wonderful, intelligent, elegant people arepart of it. If you are in a space that you are not reallyfamiliar with, with an audience who are sitting in the

dark, and you don’t know any of them personally, thenyou still perform pretty well, but to have the chance ofrenewing one’s love for a city like this, and to havepersonal friends in the audience is just a better thing. So Iam persuading them to give me a concert in September.

That’s great news!You are the first journalist to know.

I feel proud! By the way, our new issue’s theme is‘bridge’. You know how people refer to Istanbul as thebridge between Europe and Asia, would you agree that itis more than that?

This is a unique situation obviously, but it is also whatit is itself. It’s interesting that in England we never readabout Turkey, except to do with Islam, to do withpreparing yourself for the EU. And I’m glad that youfailed to get into the EU, because all this would bedestroyed and it would become uniform, unified, itwould lose its specialness. There were two things thatreally impressed me. The first time was when theTurkish government refused to allow American planesto overfly Turkey during the invasion of Iraq. And then,the position that Turkey took with the Israeli attack onthe ships that were taking benefits to Gaza was verydignified. So suddenly Turkey becomes a player. It isamazing that you rise out of being slightly unsure ofyourselves. I have this love of Turkey going back towhen I was 22; I feel very proud of and I really supportanything good that happens to Turkey or in Turkey.This is a new Istanbul for me. And the most valuablething is that I am meeting real people from Istanbul.

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I am very happy to be here. Istanbul is a very modern city....Everything is functioning well; there are modern buildingsand good transport. The traffic is terrible, but so is the trafficin London, Paris or Amsterdam. I thought Istanbul would becrazier and noisier, maybe more like India or Lahore inPakistan, but it is quite civilized. I’m very interested in

meeting writers and artists from this place so we can talk, have an exchange. I knowmany writers from here. One of the most important writers of the world, Orhan Pamukcomes from Istanbul. I’m very happy to be in his hometown. You must be very proud tohave a Nobel Prize winner coming from your country!

I was very glad to come here. I should have thought of it before onmy own. When I was a young man, it was not a place people cameto. It was very far away, very alien and people never thought of it. SoI suppose I fell into that way of thinking and travelled to thestandard places, travelled to Europe, Spain France and Italy and leftTurkey out. Then people’s attitude to the world changed. My attitudeto the world has changed. I don’t know how much Istanbul haschanged. I haven’t seen enough of it; I’ve only been here a few days.

Composer, Author, Director Michael Nyman:

“Istanbul preserves itssophistication”

British author Hanif Kureishi

Nobel Laureate Sir VS Naipaul

Director Stephen Frears

• Sir VS Naipaul, Nobel Laureate novelist• Hanif Kureishi, one of “the 50 greatest Britishwriters since 1945” according the Times• Stephen Frears, director of Dangerous Liaisonsand The Queen• Gareth Pugh, designer recognized for hisoutlandish club wear• Michael Nyman, British composer best known forthe Piano movie scores. • Kim Jones, fashion designer• The Misshapes (Leigh Lezark and GeordonNicol), New York-based DJ band. • Gore Vidal, famous American author and politicalactivist• Waris Ahluwalia, Indian jewellery designer andactor • Zaha Hadid, a star in architecture • Lee Daniels, actor and director of Precious• Terence Koh, Canadian artist• Philip Treacy, milliner who has designed hats forGivenchy and Chanel• Daphne Guinness, fashionista• Tony Elliott, founder of Time Out Group• Lily Cole, model • Jefferson Hack, editor in chief of Dazed &Confused and AnOther• Franca Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italy• Tony Chambers, editor in chief of Wallpaper*Foreign guests were accompanied by these peoplefrom Turkey: film critic and Istanbul 2010 ECOCExecutive Committee member Vecdi Sayar, one ofmost esteemed figures of Turkish media LeylaUmar, artist Haluk Akakçe, interior designerSerdar Gülgün, painter Taner Ceylan, PeraMuseum Director Özalp Birol, film critic MuammerBrav, co-founder of Istanbul 74 and directorAlphan Efleli, novelist Elif fiafak and chief curatorof Istanbul Modern Levent Çal›ko¤lu.

Who came?

Organizors of Istancool: Pablo Ganguli, Demet Müftüo¤lu andAlphan Efleli.

ISTANBUL 2010

Europa Nostra represents some 250 non-governmentalorganisations (NGOs), 150 associate organisations (such asmunicipalities) and 1,500 individual members from more than50 countries that are fully committed to safeguarding Europe’scultural heritage and landscapes. It tries to secure the priority ofthe protection of cultural heritage and to raise social awarenessin that matter. As the closest partner of the European Commission, EuropeanCouncil and UNESCO in the field of cultural heritage, EuropaNostra has been organizing congresses in a different city everyyear since 1963. These meetings are held at a city’s mostprestigious historical buildings and halls, and of course with theparticipation of Europe’s most influential administrators andintellectuals. This conference, or the European Cultural Heritage Summit, wasthis year held in Istanbul on June 8 to 12. In accordance withthe organization’s name and purpose, the meetings took place inspecial venues such as Hagia Irene, Tophane-i Amire, SirkeciTrain Station, Alay Mansion, Istanbul Archaeology Museum,Y›ld›z Palace, Istanbul Library, Kadir Has University and DutchPalace. Nearly 300 guests from Europe, including the EuropeanCommissioner for Education and Culture Androulla Vassiliou

and many other representatives of important institutions, had thechance to learn about these exceptional places in Istanbul, andthey attended the meetings as speakers. One of the discussiontopics of the summit was “Cities and City Walls”. Europa Nostra Istanbul 2010 Coordination Team answered ourquestions on the organization and the summit:

Can you tell us about the impacts of the summit?The most concrete measure of the summit’s impact is theincrease in the number of institutional and individualmembership applications from Turkey to Europa Nostra.In the last year, Europa Nostra’s corporate members inTurkey doubled by increasing from six to 14, andindividual members increased from six to 46, seven toeight times higher. The events we organized especiallyhelped to strengthen the communication between theexperts working in the cultural heritage field in Turkeyand their colleagues in Europe, and to enhancepartnerships in future projects. We aimed to spread theimpact of our work on a long term with print publications.European Manifesto for Multiple Cultural Affiliation wastranslated into Turkish and Europa Nostra Review

Maybe you have heard its name this year for the first time, and that was probably because of theEuropean Cultural Heritage Summit sponsored by the Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency. “Europa Nostra”, orthe Pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is an organization committed to safeguardingEurope’s cultural heritage.

Protector of the European cultural heritage

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Since 1978, Europa Nostra has beenawarding Europe’s best cultural heritageapplications with the aim to bring themforward. Since 2002, the awards havebeen given under the name ‘theEuropean Union Prize for CulturalHeritage - Europa Nostra Award’ underthe direction of Europa Nostra and onbehalf of the European UnionCommission. This year, 29 projects wereawarded in four categories at theceremony in St. Irene on the evening ofJune 10, attended by Turkish Cultureand Tourism Minister Ertu¤rul Günayand the Istanbul 2010 European Capitalof Culture Agency Executive CommitteePresident fiekib Avdagiç. The “YeniMosque Sultan’s Pavilion Restoration”project from Turkey was awarded in thecategory of “Conservation”. Sponsoredby Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, therestoration took four years and 9 millionTurkish liras to complete. The awardwas presented by Minister Ertu¤rulGünay and EU Commissioner forEducation and Culture CommissionerAndroulla Vassiliou to the president ofthe restoration project, Architect HaticeKarakaya European Union Prize forCultural Heritage was also given toprojects from cities such as Berlin,Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen andCartagena in the fields of Conservation,Research, Dedicated Service byIndividuals or Organizations, andEducation/Training/Awareness-raising.

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Cultural Heritage

magazine published a special Istanbul issue. The preparations for Forum 2010 bookcontinue. If we can find the funds we will also collect the Cultural Heritage and NGOs inEurope preparation panels into a book. Also we inaugurated the “Power of Example”exhibition in the Sirkeci Train Station. Curated by Yonca Kösebay Erkan, the exhibitioncovers a selection of 108 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage – Europa NostraAward winning individuals, institutions and projects. We have very positive feedbackfrom both the congress participants and the exhibition visitors.

What was the contribution of the Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency to the summit?Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency is the main sponsor of the Europa Nostra Istanbul 2010events. The agency provided a lot of support for communication issues as well asfinancial support. By using its own communication network for the press relations andannouncements, it contributed to raise our visibility and increase participation in events.

How many of your member institutions and individuals are from Turkey and what is thesignificance of the establishment of the Turkey branch of Europa Nostra?

We have nine NGO, five associate and 46 individual members. As part of the Istanbul2010 preparations and activities, Europa Nostra acquired a much greater number ofcorporate and individual members, and a founding group with a strong solidarityemerged. So the necessary conditions for the establishment of Europa Nostra – Turkeywere created. The success of Istanbul 2010 programme and especially the youngprotectors’ recognition of and adaptation to Europa Nostra will yield long-term results.The institutionalization which will serve the whole cultural heritage conservation sector,particularly to the members in Turkey, when a strong ownership is established, andcooperate closely with the existing foundations, associations, centres and institutes, andprovide efficient communication with Europe, began to be formed at the June 23Initiative Board meeting where a founding Board of Directors was set up.

Can the summit and the Istanbul 2010 events speed up the foundation of EuropaNostra’s Turkey branch?

With the Istanbul 2010 ECOC activities, culture and arts events were brought up in thepublic agenda. This situation increased the awareness about the importance of preservingcultural heritage. Naturally, the European Cultural Heritage Summit and the Istanbul2010 events have contributed to the establishment of Europa Nostra – Turkey and theywill continue to do so.

ISTANBUL 2010

As you presented the Europa Nostra Awards of 2010, you praisedthe Istanbul 2010 project for "opening up culture to people".Nurturing cultural integration is one of your priorities as EUCommissioner. In what ways do you think that being a EuropeanCapital of Culture will affect the integration of Istanbul, and ofTurkey for the matter, with the EU in the long-term?

The European Capital of Culture has always been anopportunity for Europeans to meet, to share experiences, tolearn about what they have in common and to celebrate theirdiversity. In setting up the European Capitals of Cultureinitiative, one of our main aims was to promote and celebratethis cultural diversity, as well as to encourage interculturaldialogue and mutual understanding. The program for Istanbul2010 highlights the links between Istanbul and Europeancultures.However, it is important to stress that Istanbul European Capitalof Culture is above all a cultural event. The title was awardedfollowing a selection process established by an EU Decision(1622/2006/EC). The proposal was assessed by a panel ofindependent experts according to the criteria laid down in therules. There were no political considerations in the designationof Istanbul as European Capital of Culture 2010. In terms ofTurkey's long-term integration with the European Union,Turkey is a candidate country which started accessionnegotiations with the EU in 2005. The shared objective of thisprocess is EU membership, even if its outcome of the accessionprocess cannot be guaranteed in advance. Turkey will be able tojoin the EU once it has met all the relevant conditions.

Your first initiative in the cultural field was to develop the"European Heritage Label". You wish to highlight the sites whichcelebrate European integration, history and ideals. What are thecriteria you apply for the selection? On a rather jealous note, whyis the Label exclusive to EU members only?

As you correctly state, the proposal to establish the EuropeanHeritage Label as an EU-wide initiative was my first initiative

(announced 9 March 2010). There are three aspects the criteriafor selection. Firstly, sites put forward for the award must have asymbolic European value and must have played a significant rolein the history and building of the European Union. Secondly,they must have a strong educational dimension, reaching out tocitizens, especially young people. For me, this is the main addedvalue of the label compared to existing cultural heritageschemes, which put more emphasis on the conservation of sites.The European Heritage Label will also encourage networkingbetween sites to share experiences and best practice. Finally,candidates will have to submit a plan to ensure soundmanagement of the site, the quality of the reception facilities,and its promotion as a sustainable tourist destination.The European Heritage Label is very closely linked to the historyand development of the European Union, and one of its mainaims is to bring citizens, especially young people, closer to theEuropean Union. Given the nature of the initiative, I believe thatit is wiser to launch the label with the Member States of theEuropean Union only. However, we will evaluate and monitorhow it works in future. As part of that process, we will examinewhether it should be extended at a later date to non-EUcountries, including Turkey, which participate in the CultureProgram.

As a lawyer, politician and even First Lady of Cyprus, it seemsthat you have always been a powerful woman working to improvepeople's lives. Leaving aside your Commissioner identity, how doIstanbul's colours, flavours and spirit appear to you as a woman?

Nobody visiting Istanbul can fail to be seduced by the colours,flavours and spirit of this city of amazing contrasts. On my mostrecent visit, for the European Union Prize for CulturalHeritage/Europa Nostra Awards, I was once against struck by thewonderful energy of the city. It's a very special place, where oldand the new, traditional and modern, co-exist in harmony. Iadore the sounds and scents of the market places, the dazzlingarchitecture and the spirit of the people.

"Istanbul is a very special city where the old and the new, traditional and modern, co-exist in harmony. I adore the sounds and scents of the market places, the dazzling architecture and the spirit of thepeople" says Androulla Vassiliou, the EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism andYouth. We asked Ms Vassiliou, who praised the Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency for "opening up culture topeople", what value the title of European Capital of Culture will add to Istanbul, how it will affect ourintegration with the European Union, about her first initiative “The European Heritage Label”, and whatIstanbul means to her.

European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth

Androulla Vassiliou:

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two high schools

There are two famous schools on eitherside of the Galata Bridge. Onerepresents the German ecole, and theother the French. With regard to theirhistories, buildings, facilities andachievements most people think ofthem as private, yet they are stateschools. Istanbul and Galatasaray HighSchools are two bridges of education,introducing Turkey’s finest students toEurope and vice versa.Text BER‹VAN AYDIN

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LEGEND HAS IT that Sultan Bayezid II enjoyed roamingIstanbul, disguised as an ordinary citizen. One day hediscovered a marvellous garden near Galata filled with beautifulroses in different colours. He asked the keeper of the garden,Father Rose, how he should arrange Istanbul as it filled withmany immigrants. Father Rose suggested him to establish aschool. It is not clear whether Bayezid II followed his advice,but Galata Saray Imperial School was founded in 1481. Theschool was meant to prepare students to take up administrativeand diplomatic roles. The school is now called GalatasarayLisesi, yet its mission remains the same. Amidst the uproar of‹stiklal Avenue traversed by millions every day, this high schoolremains an oasis. As soon as you enter the garden, you feel thecenturies that have come and gone, and the almost-materializeddignity. Galatasaray graduates are not exactly modest, as theirmotto shows: “J'aime la qualité, j'aime la superiorité, alorsj'aime mon Lycée”, French for “I like quality, I like superiority,thus I love my high school”. This is for good reason, though.From the outset, Galatasaray has been the “Window to theWest” of Turkey. As part of the Westernization movement inthe late Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdülaziz reorganized theschool according to the French lycée system. The new “LycéeImpérial Ottoman de Galata-Sérai” aim to raise the intellectualstaff who would realize the reform in the legal, political andsocial fields. It was reopened in 1923 under the nameGalatasaray Lisesi and adopted to the Republican revolution.The obligation to speak in French during breaks was cancelled,however many other traditions remained the same. The most

incomprehensible for those outside of the Galatasaraycommunity is the fraternal hierarchy. For instance, youngerstudents must address their elders as ‘A¤abey’ (older brother)or ‘Abla’ (older sister), and the elders must protect the youngerbrothers and sisters. Nonetheless, the commitment and supportthat Galatasaray graduates have for one another cannot befound in any other institution. Another tradition of the schoolgoing on since 1934 is the ‘Rice Day’. The education here lastsfive years, and it is primarily in Turkish and French, whereasEnglish and Italian are taught as foreign languages. Graduatescan take the French Baccalaureate diploma, and they have nodifficulty in enrolling in any university in Turkey and abroad.Galatasaray has produced two prime ministers, eight foreignministers, several ministers and over a hundred ambassadors.Famous graduates include Tevfik Fikret who was also a schoolprincipal, Naz›m Hikmet, Sedat Simavi, Çetin Altan, MehmetAli Birand, Ara Güler, Bar›fl Manço, Fikret Muâllâ, Ahmet ‹nsel,Cengiz Aktar, Nedim Gürsel, Candan Erçetin, Ferhan fiensoy,Okan Bayülgen and many others.

IF YOU CLIMB the Bab›ali Slope and turn to the street of theIranian Consulate-General, you will come across a historicalbuilding that somehow manages to hide within the silhouetteof the Historical Peninsula despite its glory and grandeur. Theyellow-black emblem at the entrance belongs to Istanbul Lisesi,one of the oldest and most successful high schools in Turkey.The first owner of this building was the Council of OttomanRevenues and Debts Administrations. Judging by the locationof the building, it seems that the European states wanted toremind Topkap› Palace of its increasing debt. The building witha view of Sarayburnu, Galata, Golden Horn, Üsküdar and theBosphorus has been hosting the Istanbul Lisesi since 1933. It isa school with marble staircases and high ceilings illuminated bystreams of light filtered through the coloured-glass dome; andits students graduate dreaming of the day on which they canskip school by discovering the tunnels from the Byzantinecistern in the basement, leading to Hagia Sophia and Eminönü. Founded in 1884 under the name ‘The Example of Progress’,Istanbul Lisesi is still mostly known as ‘Istanbul Boys’ High

School’ (‹EL), even though it has been also taking girls since1964. The students who perform best at the secondary schoolleaving examinations across the country can enter IstanbulLisesi, where they receive a challenging five-year educationcombining Turkish and German curriculums. After the Germanpreparatory class, German teachers instruct the science, mathsand foreign language classes. Final year students can take theexaminations in these fields to get the Abitur, or German highschool diploma, and it is also natural for the same students torank at the top in the university entrance exams. Graduates aremainly disperse amongst Bosphorus University, ITU, METUand medical schools, but they might also be found abroad in arange of universities from Heidelberg to Massachusetts Instituteof Technology. What makes Istanbul Lisesi exceptional is theWeltanschauung, or worldview, it gives to its students, who areonly teenagers as they argue in three different languages,calculate how to launch a rocket into space in a physics exam,and make fun of everyone and everything, but mostly, of oneanother. The most famous victim of the school’s infamoustradition of jokes and tricks that zealously resists the Germandiscipline must be the short story writer Sait Faik Abas›yan›k,who was expelled with his 40 classmates for putting a needle inthe seat of Arabic teacher Salih Efendi and not confessingwhich one of them did it. Other famous graduates includeForeign Minister Ahmet Davuto¤lu, two Turkish primeministers, fierif Gören, Professor-in-ordinary Ekrem Akurgal,Erol Evgin, Sadri Al›fl›k, Münir Özkul, As›m Kocab›y›k, AliSaydam, Ümit K›vanç, Banu Güven and several others.

Istanbul Lisesi was built in 1897 by Alexandre Vallaury, the Levantinearchitect of French origin who blended Ottoman and Westernarchitectural styles and presented Istanbul with unique buildings suchas the Pera Palas Hotel and the Archaeological Museums.

Dating back to 1481, Galatasaray Lisesi has the first conference hall of Turkey. It was built at the request of Tevfik Fikret, well-known author andthe school principal. Both the entrance gate on ‹stiklal Avenue and the garden with centuries-old trees represent the school’s deep-rooted history.

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ONCE UPON A TIME, the laterna wasthe backbone of outdoor festivals inIstanbul. It sounded like a live orchestraand could easily be taken to the tavern,countryside or fairground. When thecrank was turned, seven thousand pinsstudded carefully on a wooden barrelcould play nine different songs. As Greekmusicians migrated away during theyears of population exchange, the laternaalso faded away. Almost a hundred yearshave passed. Z Müzik’s founder andproducer Nilüfer Salt›k chased theinstrument she saw in old Istanbulmovies, and heard about in stories of theKa¤›thane Festivals. Sponsored by theIstanbul 2010 ECOC Agency, the laternahas entertained the people on Istanbul’sstreets for two months, together with itsauthentic dancers, photographer takingsouvenir photos, and ‘flerbetçi’ servingcool lemonades to the audience. NilüferSalt›k told us of the Laterna of Istanbul.

Can you tell me why you found the last laterna maker in the world and madehim construct the Laterna of Istanbul?

The laterna was already there, it was Istanbul’s. In the early 1900s, peopledanced with it, they enjoyed themselves, felt sad, had drinks and sang…What we do is a sort of reestablishment, actually. It is a turn to basics, and alove of Istanbul. I think this is the world’s most beautiful city. Holding thetitle of Capital of Culture is good obviously, but with the culture it hosts,Istanbul is an undisputable capital. Show me another city that is asmulticultural, as passionate and still as beautiful as Istanbul. Back in time, thelaterna has brought the Greeks, Turks and Armenians of this city together,and it expresses Istanbul’s identity very well. When I first heard the sound ofthe laterna, I knew that it should be in Istanbul.

Z Müzik’s founder and producerNilüfer Salt›k chased aninstrument called laterna she sawin old Istanbul movies and heardabout in stories. She found the lastlaterna maker, Panos Ioannidis, inThessaloniki and convinced themaster, of Istanbul origin, to makethe Laterna of Istanbul. Sponsoredby the Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency,the laterna is nowadays cheeringIstanbul’s streets together with its dancers, photographer and“flerbetçi” serving cool lemonades.

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How did you choose the repertoire of the Laterna of Istanbul? Panos helped us with the Greek songs. We added pieces that the youngpeople are familiar with. Then we blended these with Turkish-Greek commonsongs. Within the scope of the project, we are preparing a CD and adocumentary movie. I did not want this adventure going on for two years,and these sorrows and joys happening on the streets to disappear into thinair. Also, it is very hard to find laterna recordings except in the movies.

You brought the laterna back to Istanbul. Your husband Hasan Salt›k, thefounder of Kalan Music, is a “music archaeologist” saving Anatolian melodiesfrom vanishing. How will we ever pay our debts to the Salt›k Family?

The laterna’s return to Istanbul is an indicator that the city’s history isprotected. I cannot understand when people say “This city is over…it is notworth doing anything.” Then we should not live, there should be no hope.

Your image looks very well on the laterna you have worked so hard for… Panos is a tactful artist; he sympathized with my enthusiasm and made anunforgettable gesture. I thank him once more. Laterna is a female instrument,so it is ornamented, a woman’s figure is placed in its middle, and theaccompanying tambourine is decorated with ribbons. There are idioms suchas “you are a woman like a laterna”. They call the laterna “Lady of the Streets”,and I call it “Miss Pera”.

Dancers dressed in period costumes, flerbetçi, photographer… They takepeople to a hundred years ago in the past. What are your plans for the future?

We wanted to animate the era, and we added some visuality of course. Withthis event, I thought that we should conduct a documentation of remaininglaternas in Istanbul. Why should we not make an exhibition with the laternaswe will find in the attics, church stores and private collections?

What is the feedback you get from the audience?The new generation does not really recognize the laterna, which is onlynatural. But the elderly people do. A Greek from Istanbul cried when he sawthe laterna. Aside from its female identity, the laterna also has a torn-betweenidentity. After the population exchange, it was not very popular here becauseit reminded people of the Greeks, and it was not liked in Greece because itreminded people of Anatolia. It is sad that an instrument is seen that way.Sometimes there are no words to say, just like now.

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We shared a destiny with Kiev, you were also a candidatefor 2010 ECOC. It is very important and special that youare here…

The first time I came to Istanbul was only last year; but Ihad many dreams about that trip. In the 10th century,Princess Olga of Kiev came to Constantinople. Sheconverted from Paganism to Christianity, and she is thefirst Russian female saint of the Orthodox Church. Whenshe went back, she brought along the culture of thisbeautiful town. Olga’s grandson Vladimir ordered achurch inspired by Hagia Sophia to be built in Kiev. Soboth you and we have a Hagia Sophia today.

So our partnership dates way back before 2010.Considering all these links, do you feel part of our ECOCjoy?

In the Middle Ages, when Russia didn’t exist yet, theKievan Rus’ was ruling the region. Then the Black Seabecame a maritime territory for the Turks andUkranians. Lady Roxelana of the Harem was fromUkraine. We see many things in common, looking at the17th and 18th centuries. Turkish and Ukrainian havemany words in common. In the show tonight, we sawtraditional clothes which are similar to ours… Ourancestors did not only battled, but also taught eachother. Unfortunately Kiev is not a ECOC this year, Ihope that she will become one in the upcoming years.As the Minister of Culture, I am mostly interested inattending many cultural events and observing the

organizations. We have many things in common,especially in the cultural field. When I go back I will askmy colleagues to work on how the two countries cancollaborate more. For example, a year after Sertab Erenerwon the Eurovision, Ruslana won the contest, and thetwo artists gave a concert last year in Ukrain. So asUkraine and Turkey, we have such potential.

Did your dreams about Istanbul come true when you camehere?

I was particularly impressed by the city’s look; it is asglorious as an opera stage… I am impressed by thepeople. Ukrainians and Turks are both open and good-hearted. The architecture is really interesting, leavingaside the obvious symbols such as the mosques andHagia Sophia...the way houses mingle surprises me.

Did it fit in your dreams that Istanbul became a culturalcapital?

I congratulate Istanbul wholeheartedly for receiving thiswell-deserved tenure. I have had a chance to meet MrErtu¤rul Günay tonight, he told me about the activitieswhich will take place this year. I will write him anofficial letter about the issue. I will try to find ways tocollaborate with the Istanbul 2010 ECOC programme.

Celebrating itsnew title withthe world’sprominentpersonalitiesin politics,culture, artsand media,Istanbul isbeingrediscoveredin 2010.

Welcome to Istanbul, how has your trip been so far?As Minister of Culture for Portugal, my aim is tounderstand the cultural organizations of other countries,especially of those which we want to consider as part ofthe European community. I am visiting museums andmosques. The directors of these institutions explained tome how financial support is organized, and how thepartnership between state and private founders is used forcultural purposes. I find it very interesting that in Istanbuland Turkey, culture is understood as a public right aswell as a public obligation.

What impressed you most so far?What impressed me most is the way this culture is a mixof so many cultures. It is really amazing… the way thisbeautiful country is able to combine cultures from allparts of the world that are together here in Turkey. Aunique country, unique people, and unique way of living.I am sure that I will also be impressed by the palaces andmuseums I have yet to visit.

Being Portuguese, how do you see Istanbul from there?Portugal is at the one edge of Europe and Turkey is at the

other. So I see our two countries as the boundaries ofEurope. We feel, as you do, that we are on the peripheryof the big decisions and strategies. Countries like oursshould stand together. This way, the peripheral countriescan have the same weight as the central countries.

How did you like the opening show?I was not expecting that kind of concert. A potpourri oflittle pieces would be difficult in the centre of Europewhere people are stricter. If they listen to Verdi they listento all of it, for one hour, non-stop. I was also surprisedwith the amount of pop music, which is, in traditionalcountries, considered not to be first class music. But thegood thing is that the Turkish pop music is directly rootedin your traditional music, which makes it more authentic.

We have many things in common. Are we also going torealize common events?

I have met your Minister of Culture. We decided toorganize a cultural event together at the end of this yearin Portugal, and then we aim to repeat it in Turkey.It might be an exhibition or a traditional music festival. Iinvited him to Portugal to inaugurate it.

Minister of Culture of PORTUGAL Maria Gabriela da Silveira Ferreira Canavilhas

Minister of Culture of UKRAINE*Vasyl Volodymyrovych Vovkun

While it became a European Capital of Culture, Istanbul hosted Ministers of Culture from several European countries. We asked them about our common heritage and Istanbul.

* Having attended the Istanbul 2010 ECOC opening ceremonies as theUkranian Minister of Culture, Mr Vovkun later resigned.

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What impresses you most in this city, Istanbul?Culture. All the cultural diversity, and the level of culturethat reaches from the ground to the sky. And thepeople...Here you feel the civilizations gathered together,and how they have been replaced by others over time. Asa person from Serbia, I always feel that a part of ourhistory, tradition and culture is connected toConstantinople, and after that to Istanbul.

We found out that right after your plane landed in Istanbul,you wanted to go and see a play by a Serbian author. Howdid you find it?

It was the ‘General Rehearsal for a Suicide’. Serbianauthor Dusan Kovacevic is one of our most famous, andhis plays are represented all over the world. I have beento other performances of the play, but this was a uniqueopportunity as it was also the reopening ceremony of theMuhsin Ertu¤rul Theatre. I have a very good collaborationwith people from Turkish theatre – some are my friends.Last year I attended a performance of Dervish and Deathin Kocaeli. This was a play that I adapted from MesaSelimovic’s novel. It was the first time that a Serbianauthor was presented in Turkey.

You were the head director of the Serbian NationalTheatre…

I have a long history in theatre. I started as a director andthen became a general director. I directed more than 80performances. For me, international cooperation is veryimportant, as is communication between the state andcultural organizations. I am truly happy that Serbianartists and projects will play a role in Istanbul’s ECOCprogram.

Is the Serbian Ministry of Culture preparing any officialrequests to better facilitate cooperation from Turkey?

Last year we signed a bilateral cultural cooperation

agreement. Last month in Konya we had a meeting withculture ministers on intangible cultural heritage. There wediscussed theatre, music and literature projects. One veryspecific project that we would like to support is EmirKusturica’s. He wants to shoot a movie based on NobelPrize winner Ivo Andric’s novel titled ‘Bridge on theDrina’. The bridge over the Drina River was built bySokullu Mehmet Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Kanuni SultanSuleyman and a Serb by origin. Thus it belongs to bothcultures, connects our histories and our nations.

Do you have a personal symbol of Istanbul? What will firstcome to your mind when you go back home?

My first visit to Istanbul was as a theatre professional,during the summer festival. We were going to perform onthe Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn in the open air. Itwas an interesting experience, and we had a rehearsalduring the day. I had one very specific feeling when thesunset came. The lights were going down, and I heardthousands of voices, from the mosques and the noise ofthe city. That moment made me feel enlightened.Thinking of Istanbul always takes me back to that time,those lights and shadows, the water, and the bridge.

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Welcome to Istanbul. What do you think of our city?I think that Istanbul is a very attractive city, and you producedsome excellent celebrations for the ECOC Year. However, it doesnot really matter whether Istanbul is officially declared a capitalof culture. I think that Istanbul has been and will be a culturalcapital forever. To me, regardless of where you come from, be itthe Balkans, Asia or the US, everyone can feel a piece of theirown here. This makes Istanbul the cultural capital of the wholeworld, not only of Europe.

I am glad that you enjoyed it. Do you have a personal symbol ofthe city, what impresses you most?

I think it would be the sea, the way it fits together with the city’sessence. There are many centres in the world declaring that theyare the bridge between the East and the West. Yet in fact, onlyIstanbul can make such a statement. What fascinates me most isthe way Istanbul brings so many things together. Coming back tomy previous idea, whether you come from the Western Europe,from Asia or Africa, you can find a piece of your own in Istanbul.

Our countries share a common history, are we having any commonprojects this year?

I had a wonderful meeting with Mr Günay, the Turkish Ministerof Culture. Our political and economic relations are excellent. Soas culture ministers it is our responsibility to move further in thecultural field with our projects. We have an excellentcooperation. I invited Mr Günay to visit Albania in the spring. Itis a good thing that the Turkish ministry of culture coverstourism, too. As I see it, we have a common objective on how toimprove and have a better presentation of our cultural heritage toserve tourism.

As an Albanian, how do you see Istanbul from there?Based on our past and common roots, we have a very goodrelationship with many cities and countries. When it comes toTurkey though, the term we use is brotherhood – beyondfriendship. This is the way Istanbul appeals us.

Minister of Cultureof SERBIANebojsa Bradic

Minister of Cultureof ALBANIAFerdinand Xhaferri

Mayor of PÉCSZsolt Pava

Welcome to Istanbul. Is this your first time here?My one and only visit to your city was in 1990.The infrastructure has changed.Traffic wasworse back then, now it seems better. I amenjoying my trip.

We share the same title, joy and energy with Pécsthis year. Are we collaborating in any projects?

Pécs has a population of only 150,000 - it is notreally comparable to Istanbul. Yet we have thesame title now. It is a good opportunity to thinkover the links between Pécs and Istanbul,Hungary and Turkey. We can cooperate on newprojects, and that is what I and your mayor, MrTopbafl, talked about. I invited him to Pécs. InMay, Pécs will host a project called the ‘Journeyaround the Turkish Crescent’. Pécs has anotherTurkish sister city, Kütahya…

Due to the porcelains, right?Exactly. Both cities are very famous for theirporcelains. Kütahya has been Pécs’ sister citysince 1975. I think that kind of link should alsobe built with Istanbul.

How does Istanbul make you feel?Istanbul has a fantastic atmosphere. No one canremain unimpressed by her strong and definiteattraction.Istanbul combines the Roman,Byzantine, Ottoman and other eras. Istanbul isa very enjoyable destination, despite theneglected parts. Yet I am sure that this problemwill be solved over time. I found out that thereis a restoration project for the old timberhouses; these are very attractive aspects of theurban heritage, and I hope that the projectsucceeds.

Minister of Cultureof SLOVENIAMajda Sirca

Thank you for coming to our city to join in our joy. BeingSlovenian Minister of Culture, what do you think ofIstanbul?

Istanbul is very rich, especially in the sense of culturalheritage. I read about Istanbul and the ECOC program, itis wonderful. Congratulations. The Slovenian city,Maribor, will be 2012 ECOC. So I am here to see whathappens. Slovenia’s population is 2 million, yet manymore millions live in Istanbul. That is a big difference. Weare rather small but also have a very good heritage whichwe need to preserve, and we are preparing a big program.

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Your responsibilities focus on local and regional constituencies as opposed to centralauthorities. Cultural themes and works are prominent among these. Do you thinkthat in present day Europe, cultural and artistic activities can be freed of centralinterference?

Anywhere in the world, you cannot build up a community without values, includingcultural heritage and cultural identity. In Europe, we emphasize the so-called‘subsidiarity’ principle, namely that the decisions have to be taken at the right place.It would be an illusion to think that only institutions can give direction to oursociety. The state, along with financial entrepreneurs, should not interfere withpeople’s creativity. It is not the task of the politicians or institutions to tell creativepeople what to do.

Many observers think that Istanbul’s tenure as the cultural capital will have apositive impact on Turkey's European Union (EU) bid. How you assess this

observation?I think that being a cultural capital is very important initself. It is not about awarding cities, but about findingthe potential for change. I think that Istanbul has lots ofcapacities and a real cosmopolitan society. I am sure thatfor too long too many European people have had just apartial idea and image of Istanbul and of Turkey. This isthe opportunity to show that you are part of ourcommon heritage. I think that it could, can and will helpto know each other better. This is about building apartnership, and you need to know your partner. Beingthe cultural capital will provide a better insight to thiswonderful society. It is leverage.

Turkey's EU prospects are often rejected on culturalground. Do Europe and Turkey have more incommon than some seem to think?The accession to the Union is not and cannot be a

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European Union Committee of Regions President Luc Van den Brande:

“This is an opportunity”, says Mr Van den Brande, President of the EU’sCommittee of Regions, regarding the ECOC Year of Istanbul – a ‘world withinthe world’ in his words. He adds: “Istanbul’s becoming a cultural capital can help us to get to know one another.”

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unilateral process. A partnership requires that both sidesevolve. For many years, one of our main questions hasbeen about the limits of Europe. My answer to that is tonot just look at the geographical frontiers of the Union.The essential question is whether we can together buildup the community of values... where we keep ourdifferent values but the basics remain the same. Is Turkey,and will Turkey be a part of our European community?That is the question. I have come to Turkey so manytimes, not just to Istanbul or Ankara, but also toPergamon, Ephesus, Selçuk, Gaziantep, Diyarbak›r. Ithink that I might have a feeling for the country. We learnabout these places – the ‘Asia Minor’ as Europeans call it– at school. This is part of our common history. Myconviction is that it is in the hands of the Turkish peoplethemselves to become real partners one day, and part ofour European community. But also in Europe, we have tooversee the situation, see the opportunities for otherEuropean countries, and accept cultural differentiation.

With the Lisbon Treaty coming into force the Committee ofRegions will have more initiative. How will you organise soas to fully benefit from these new responsibilities?

Europe is built step by step. The Committee of Regions isthe youngest institution of all. We are only 15 years old. Ialways say that Europe cannot face challenges and reachits objectives when we are not all working together. Nowthat we have the Lisbon Treaty setting the newenvironment to go further, we have to think about how todeliver more. That is the democratic and normalaspiration of our people. That is why we cooperate withthe European Parliament, Commission and Council. Wehave to make clear that the Union gives value to localcommunities, as small as a village. Each village,

community and urban society has its own diamond. I canonly urge the Turkish authorities to not only accept, butto promote regional and local autonomy. It is not anantagonism to build up the state and also giveresponsibility to local and regional communities. There isno conflict between these. But people have to understandthat only when everybody is on board, we can makeprogress.

In what ways do you think Istanbul is different from theother cities in the world?

Istanbul is a unique city in terms of cosmopolitanism.You have the interaction, confrontation, all kinds ofdoctrines of so many communities living here. It is notonly a mixture of communities, but such a energizingcity… from the moment you step in; you feel thatsomething is behind. When you see the Marmara,Bosphorus, Golden Horn… one day in Istanbul and youfeel attracted, teased, captured. There are other

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wonderful cities in the world – the nicest are the citiesof my region. But the unique situation here is that it is aworld inside the world. And then, speaking in terms ofhistory, Constantinople is part of our mental harddisk...

When you are back in your country, what will be the thingyou remember first of this city?

When I was here for the first time, I took with me theunique combination. When I close my eyes I see not onlythe Hagia Sophia, but also the small streets, the oldstation there - Haydarpafla, and one of the Roman baths...This is such a disturbing architecture, a kind of chaos.Part of the feeling I have of Istanbul is ‘chaotic’. But inthe good sense of the word.

Do you have favourite tastes from Turkey? Such as thecoffee or simit...

Food matters and we have a long gourmet tradition from

Burgundy. Some of my favourites are the vegetables. Thebest artichokes I ever ate were in this country. Creatingwonderful dishes with basic ingredients is part of theheritage of a culture. And ‘rak›’…

In 2008 you made a speech for the opening of an Istanbulexhibition in Brussels. And you said Istanbul ECOC will bethe showcase for the world. What have you seen displayedso far, what would you rather see in it?

I think you have to show yourself as you are. You do notneed anything that is artificial or not linked to youressence. The program shall obviously include manycultural and interactive activities representing your pastand your future. This is an opportunity to present who you are. The worstis to make an artificial image. You have a lot ofdiamonds, not just one. The natural Istanbul… that iswhat you have to show. This will open a lot of windows,I am sure.

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Brande says, “I think youhave to show yourself asyou are. You do not needanything artificial. Theprogram shall obviouslyinclude many culturaland interactive activitiesdepicting your past andyour future. This is anopportunity to presentwho you really are.”

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AGENDA10 Cultural and art events calendar

14 Private museums

20 InterviewHAYAT‹ YAZICI, Minister of State:“2010 is the year in which change begins”

HERITAGE28 Yenikap›: Istanbul 8,500 years ago

Discovering the future in the trails of the pastTsunami and pickle effect

36 An ArcheoPark in Küçükyal›

40 Sur-i Sultani will be protectedThe Story of the Strategic Plan for Sur-i Sultani

44 First city museum to be founded on the Islands

46 Interview ‹LBER ORTAYLI, President of Topkap› Palace Museum“2,000 Years of Common Heritage”

CITY'S ENERGY50 Interview

OYA ECZACIBAfiI:"Istanbul will be a stage for arts and life to act upon"

54 Interview PAUL MCMILLEN and HAKKI MISIRLIO⁄LU, creative directors of Istanbul 2010 ECOC Agency's domestic and international promotional campaings

60 Literature40 books, 40 authors, 40 districts: “‹stanbulum”

64 Art is Everywhere!Works and Lives in IstanbulPortable ArtsPhotography ParadeKad›rga Art Production Centre

70 Cinema 1001 Istanbuls in My BinocularCinema Lies as the Heart of IstanbulAt›f Y›lmaz Studio

74 European Culture Award goes to “41º-29º ‹stanbul Network”

75 Istanbul’s Century-Long Transformation: 1910-2010 exhibition

76 Istanbul on the stage!First Istanbul International Opera FestivalSeond Istanbul International Ballet CompetitionDance, theatre, music: Barbarossa

80 Classical Turkish Music is being archived

82 Inspired

84 Symbols of the City

90 Books and CDs on Istanbul

92 Leaving trails behind

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Published on behalf of Istanbul 2010 EuropeanCapital of Culture Agency

Chairman of the Executive Board fiekib AVDAG‹Ç

Editor-in-ChiefY›lmaz KURT

Managing DirectorOsman ‹NCE

Editorial Board ChairProf. Dr. Ahmet Emre B‹LG‹L‹

Managing EditorMehmet GÜRKAN

Editorial BoardFiliz BABALIK, Mehmet GÜRKAN, ‹lhan O⁄UZ,

Nilgün ÖREN, Taha ÖZALP, Olcay YAZICI

Place of Management‹stiklal Caddesi, Atlas Pasaj›, No.131 Beyo¤lu 344435

‹stanbul / TÜRK‹YETel: 0212 377 02 00

www.istanbul2010.org

PRODUCTION

Kasap Sokak, Hilmi Hak Han No.22 Kat:6 80280Esentepe / ‹stanbul

Tel: 0212 337 51 99 (pbx) – Faks: 0212 288 62 36

General CoordinatorCengiz CEMR‹

Publishing ConsultantsDr. Cengiz AKTAR, Ülkü KARAOSMANO⁄LU,

Prof. Önder KÜÇÜKERMAN

Creative Director and Editor-in-ChiefLalehan UYSAL

Redactor-in-ChiefSüleyman KARAN

Art DirectorsAhmet AKGÜL, Metin ÖZKAN

EditorMine ERO⁄LU

Assistant EditorLeyla BEKTAfi

PhotographersCoflkun AYDIN, Eren AYTU⁄, Yal›n KARADEM‹R,

Caner KASAPO⁄LU

English EditorBerivan AYDIN

ProofreaderMichael WYATT

Printing - BindingMatsis Matbaa Hizmetleri A.fi.

Tel: 0212 624 21 11

Type of PublicationPeriodical

Istanbul 2010 is a quarterly magazine published by theIstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency,

and is free of charge.

Texts and photos published in the magazine may bereproduced by the third parties on the conditions thatprior permission of the publisher is obtained and the

sourse is openly acknowledged.