Anatolian Voice Issue 29

10

anatolian voice

years

in this issue

i sta n b u l’ da ESs ¸ i z eserl er a n ot to m a n i n m i c h i gan 1 0 yea r s o f t he AV ˘i k ü lt ü r O c ag spring 2008

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Tab l e of Contents spring · 2008 · issue 29 vol 10

feature articles

18 İstanbul’da Bilinmeyen Eşsiz Eserler

12 10 Years of the AV

30 An Ottoman in Michigan

President’s Letter 3 Schedule of Events 4 Open Book 5

tacam at Automotive Seminar 2008-2009 General Assembly Döner Night Welcoming the New Board

Community News Turkish Delight on wcbn 19 Mayıs Celebration “Armenian Revolt” Father’s Day Picnic

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Turkish Kitchen 34

Kültür Ocağı

Editor’s Letter 35

President’s Letter

dİdem şeyhoğlu 2007-2009 term

C

Can you believe how quickly time goes by? The first year of my presidency is over and I’m already four months into the second year as I’m writing this message for the newsletter… Majority of our Board members from last year elected to continue this year as well and we filled up the open positions with new members. I believe our team is stronger than ever and it’s our pledge to work very hard to ensure proper representation of Turkey in public affairs arena and to fulfill our responsibilities to the membership to meet tacam’s historical, cultural and financial goals in the best possible way during the current term.

This issue of the Anatolian Voice newsletter also signifies another milestone for us — our newsletter is now in production for a decade and we are celebrating the tenth year anniversary with this issue. I do want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of this initiative, specifically to our editor-inchief, Erol Ahmed, for contributing his time and effort to create this wonderful publication for our members in the recent years. I’m looking forward to many years with the Anatolian Voice as the bridge between our organization and its members to enlighten our community on the on-going activities.

In the earlier issues of the Anatolian Voice, I always tried to share a message with our community through “President’s Message” corner in our newsletter — whether it was the topic that occupied my mind or the hot topic in the media — this time my message is a result of some disappointments I lived in the last couple months… My own observation is that this organization is forced to maintain its presence through personal relationships and opinions, not actions taken for a cause. It seems like if anyone has a personal disagreement with one of the Board members, their support diminishes. I get very uncomfortable with this idea — this organization belongs to all of us and its sole purpose is to promote Turkey’s presence and our culture abroad.

Leaving aside our own personal connections, it’s one area where we need to unite as the community and be one voice as the Turkish-Americans in the State of Michigan. My work as the president is not a result of personal ambition: it rather is out of motivation and inspiration — motivation to be a good citizen following our leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s fundamental principles and inspiration to even make the slightest influence on how Turkey is viewed in the eyes of Michigan public resources. And I ask every one of you to leave your personal reasons aside so we can focus on creating a positive image for Turkey. We watched the dvd, “The Armenian Revolt” last weekend — it was an objectively compiled documentary through the eyes of an American publisher. In that documentary, there was one sentence that caught my attention. It said, “Turks will take action and act together when their backs are against the wall.” My call to all of you is let’s change that stereotype at least in our small group to make a difference — I personally do not want to wait for another Independence War to see all Turks marching for the same reason, do you?

As we strive to bring our community only the best, we hope that you will give us the opportunity to serve you as Turkish-American citizens of Michigan. As a group, we can make a difference for our country!

I wish all of you a warm and pleasant summer.

a n at o l i a n voice

Schedule of Events

Events, locations and dates will change, please visit tacam.org for the most correct, up-to-date information

2008 May

18 Sunday Atatürk and Youth Commemoration

8 Sunday “Armenian Revolt” Documentary Screening 15 Sunday Father’s Day Picnic

June

July

tacam holiday

August

2009

January

1-2 Fri-Sat Booth at LebFest 30 Saturday Victory Day Picnic

20 Saturday İftar Dinner

Music Night Leadership and Career Panel

February

October

Teacher’s Workshop

Grassroots Panel Discussion 5 Sunday Ramadan Bayramı

March

Spring Ball

April

19 Sunday General Assembly

Schedule of Events

September

November

1 Saturday Republic Day Ball 10-26 Monday Alp Alper Exhibition Reception

December

Kurban Bayramı 31 Thursday New Year’s Event

visit

Open book tacam.org

Community News

“Turkish Delight” on wcbn

W r i t t en by D İ d e m Ş e y h o ğ l u & C İ h a n g İ r T a ş d e m İ r

W r i t t en by m u r a t u l a ş i r

Evran Aksoy, son of Mehtap and Zeynel Aksoy has been selected to attend the Junior Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference in Washington, D.C. Evran will be taking part in the one of the most historic and celebrated events in our nation, the inauguration of the president of the United States in January 2009. Evran will attend the event live and meet with officials and important persons.

Congratulations Evran! Enjoy the event and we’re glad to see a part of tacam in the District.

Did you know Michigan has a non-profit Turkish radio station? It is the only Turkish radio station in Michigan where you can listen to an hour of Turkish music ranging from arabesque, pop, rap, metal, classical, spiritual and much more. Specialty programs are held on Turkish poetry, cultural experiences, guest-talks and announcements to the Turkish community. All you need to do is to tune in to wcbn, Ann Arbor at 88.3 fm every Sunday from 10 to 11 am. We also have live streaming over the internet at www.wcbn.org.

On April 19, Melodi Sarıoğlu participated in a series of dance competitions in Battle Creek, Michigan, and her group won first prize in both jazz and tap dance categories. Congratulations Melodi — we are proud of you!

Cihangir Taşdemir and Dr. Kimberlyn Kucharczyk would love to announce the latest addition to their family, Evan Jack Fengzhi Taşdemir. Evan was born on June 1, 2006 in Guangxi Province, China, and adopted on October 8, 2007.

Melodi Sarıoğlu

Evren Aksoy

Evan Jack Fengzhi Taşdemir

Elizabeth Naz Persinger

Elif and Michael Persinger’s daugheter Elizabeth Naz was born on May 30, 2008, at 9:03 am. She was 6 lb 11 oz (3,054 g) and 19 inches (48 cm).

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19 Mayıs Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports day — Atatürk’ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı W r i t t en by t û b a S ü z e r- G ü r t e k İ n

Best spring time in Michigan! Atatürk, who is an inspiration for world peace, commanded his people to seek democracy and landed in Samsun on May 19, 1919, to coordinate efforts for an independent Turkey. After 89 years, his democracatic principles are still valid for the whole of humanity.

Turkish-Americans from every age gathered to honor the commencement of the Turkish Independence War and Atatürk’s faith in youth at tacam grounds on Sunday, May 18. Our festive gathering was all engineered by team efforts. Our amazing chefs prepared a delicious a plate of pilav üstü döner to be served. We can’t miss to mention appetizers and desserts that were brought by our guests to be shared. tacam boys set the soccer field, and before we knew it, everybody was out in the field to practice their soccer talents.

Best of all was the May 19 presentation that took us for a journey in history and brought Turkish traditions of celebrating May 19 to our presence. Kids loved the games and were more attentive than the adults when it came to answering the fun quiz questions. Curious? How about the name of the boat that Atatürk boarded to go to Samsun? If you can’t recall the answer, ask our little ones when you meet them, they all knew it at the end of the day.

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“Armenian Revolt” Documentary Screening W r i t t en by D İ dem Şey h o ğ l u

tacam invited everyone to view the documentary “Armenian Revolt,” at the tacam grounds on Sunday, June 8, at 2 pm. This documentary presents a balanced view of the 26-year political struggle between the Ottoman Empire and the Christians of the Armenian region during the late nineteenth century. Despite the low attendance, we all enjoyed this objective documentary and the discussion amongst ourselves afterwards. We also thank the Turkish Coalition of America for sending us the complimentary copy of the dvd.

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2008-2009 Elections, General Assembly & Döner Night W r i t t en by D İ dem Şey h o ğ l u

tacam annual General Assembly meeting and board elections were held on Saturday, April 26, at the tacam grounds. The meeting started with a presentation of the 2007 - 2008 tacam activities, followed by a review of that term’s finances. Upon approval of the team reports, elections were held for the new board for the 2008 - 2009 term.

We would like to thank everyone who participated at this meeting and cast their votes. The list of new tacam officers and their biographies can be found on our Web site, www.tacam.org/board.

As members of the new Board, we are looking forward to serving the Turkish-American community in Michigan and to promote Turkey in the best possible way throughout the upcoming year.

After the general assembly voting, all those in attendance and many more came fore some delicious döner, yummy desserts and Efes beer donated generously by Ersan Arin of Arins Enterprises.

Annual Father’s Day Picnic

W r i t t en by D İ dem Şey h o ğ l u

tacam Father’s Day Picnic was held on June 15 at Kensington Park — we all enjoyed our time and thanks to everyone for their attendance. Şiş köfte and games were definitely highlights of the day!

There were games set up for families and the winners got a t-shirt with “Best Baba 2008” written on the back. Volleyball and badminton games were also enjoyed by the participants. We once again wish a “Happy Father’s Day” to all the fathers of our community.

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tacam Support at Automotive Seminar W r i t t en by D İ d e m Ş e y h o ğ l u

tacam helped organize the subject seminar “Turkey — Strongest Link in Your Supply Chain” in Dearborn on February 26, 2008. This automotive seminar was organized by the Turkish Consulate General in Chicago and Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ispat) and it was geared toward the executives of automotive firms, who were interested in obtaining information for investment opportunities in Turkey. Our visitors were Hon. U. Kenan İpek, Consul General of Turkey and Mr. Süleyman Sözeri, Commercial Attaché of the Consulate General of Turkey in Chicago. We also hosted three very distinguished guest speakers at this event: Mr. Alpaslan Korkmaz, President of ispat, Prof. Dr. Ercan Tezer, General Secretary of Automotive Manufacturers Association of Turkey and Mr. Ufuk Güçlü, Deputy General Manager of Ford-Otosan. We had about twenty company representatives present for this event.

The seminar started with opening remarks of Hon. U. Kenan İpek, followed by a presentation by

Mr. Alpaslan Korkmaz. Mr. Korkmaz’s presentation was focused on Turkey’s role in the supply chain for global business as well as top reasons to invest in Turkey. Then, Mr. Ufuk Güçlü gave an overview of Ford-Otosan and described its competitive advantages in Turkey. Lastly, Prof. Dr. Ercan Tezer concentrated on describing the automotive industry in Turkey in context with global delocalization.

This was a very exciting event for tacam — we were able to support a seminar that promoted our country as a global business location and aimed to attract many investors. We also were able to get the word out about tacam, as the local contact organization. We hope to host many more events like this in Michigan to help promote Turkey and its economic and cultural welfare.

tacam Executive Board Results W r i t t en by e r o l a h m e d

The tacam annual General Assembly meeting and board elections were held on Saturday, April 26 at the tacam building. We would like to thank everyone who participated at this meetings. On the next page are the biographies of our new board. To read the full biographies, visit our Web site, www.tacam. org/board. As members of the new Board, we are looking forward to serving the Turkish-American community in Michigan and to promote Turkey in the best possible way throughout the upcoming year!

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president Didem Şeyhoğlu Didem Şeyhoğlu was born in İstanbul. She graduated from İstanbul Technical University in 1997, with a degree in mechanical engineering. She recently received her mba degree from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Didem came to the United States in 1999 from Ford-Otosan in İstanbul. Her assignment only lasted a year, but she accepted a job offer at Ford at the end of her assignment and has been living here since then. She’s still employed at Ford as a lead product design engineer working on safety and restraint systems in trucks.

Didem has been on the executive board of many non-profit organizations. She has been an active member of tacam since 2004 — serving as treasurer from 2006 - 2007 and as president from 2007 - 2008. She was reelected for another term from 2008 - 2009. She takes it very seriously to volunteer to promote Turkish culture and tradition. She believes that it’s extremely important to ensure that the Turkish community remains intact through its own customs. She believes that Turkish-Americans should advance the image of our country among other nations. She has worked hard during her presidency to ensure proper representation of Turkey in public affairs and has kept close ties with Turkish and American media.

Didem will work hard during her presidency to ensure tacam meets its historical, cultural and financial goals in the best possible way.

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2008 - 2009 Executive Board

vice president Serkan Özdemir Serkan Özdemir was born in Witten, Germany, in 1977. He graduated from İstanbul Technical University in 2000, with a degree in mechanical engineering. Serkan was involved in several student organizations during his university education.

He was a member of the Engineering Orientation Club in which he organized numerous activities such as career days, concerts and student festivals. He played a major role in establishing the American Society of Mechanical Engineers student chapter and the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats.

After graduation, he started work as a project engineer at trw Automotive in Germany, where he specialized in noise, vibration and harshness (nvh). In 2005, he was transferred to trw Livonia, Michigan. His current position is lead product engineer, responsible for nvh research and development of vehicle brake systems. He is fluent in Turkish, German and English.

Serkan has been an active member of tacam since 2006. He was elected to the board of directors for the 2006 - 2007 term and served as the vice president from 2007 - 2008. He recently was reelected for vice president for 2008 – 2009 term.

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secretary

treasurer

Leylâ Ahmed

Ferid Ahmed

Leylâ Ahmed has been living in Michigan for 25 years. For over 20 years, she has worked for tacam as a volunteer, board director, treasurer, secretary, and president from 2005 - 2006.

She has a civil engineering degree from Turkey and a land surveying degree from Michigan Technological University. She has been a licensed surveyor since 2002. She currently works at a civil engineering firm as a project manager and senior surveyor. She is married to Ferid Ahmed.

She says working with tacam as a volunteer gives her the opportunity to spend time with her Turkish friends and preserve the ties we have to our culture and country.

board member

board member

Beste Windes

Murat Ulaşır

Born and raised in İstanbul, Beste earned a degree in public relations from the University of İstanbul in 2002. She worked in export marketing for several years.

In 2003 she met her husband Jason, a Michigan native, while he was working in İstanbul.

Three years later, they decided to move to Michigan and attend graduate school. Beste is currently a full-time honor student at emu in the mba program with a concentration in international business.

She is also actively involved in several university associations and fund-raising for social causes. It is Beste’s desire to actively contribute to the cultural, social and economic prospects of Turkish-American society.

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Ferid Ahmed is recently retired from the convenience store business after nearly 25 years. He is currently employed part-time as a substitute teacher in the Anchor Bay school district in New Baltimore.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, he graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1964 and later from Eastern Michigan University.

He is a veteran of United States Army having served two years from 1967 - 1969. He is married to Leylâ Ural and has two sons: Murat and Erol.

Born in the perl of Turkey, İzmir, of course.

Doctors were playing the dümbelek, so the story goes Winds of change take him to Germany Then back to Turkey To İTÜ, you see…

Only to be thrust back out again, Across the Atlantic… To Michigan / First comes a Master’s, then a Ph.D., This follows a house, a dog, a job and wild adventures, rated pg… Şimdilik, Gemi dayandı tacam limanına Bakalım pusula iğnesi nereyi gösterecek Bundan sonra…

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board member Feridun Bek Feridun Bek is a Turkish-German born in Munich, Germany. He came to the United States in October 2007 with his family because of a job transfer.

He studied business administration in different universities in Germany, the United Kingdom and Turkey. He has a master’s degree from the Henley Management College and is currently at the end of his executive mba program.

Feridun worked for the business management and strategy division of the Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg, Germany. Since 2001, he has been working for an American management consulting group on business management and strategy.

Feridun has a dedicated background with

Turkish-German and Turkish-European associations. In the last six years, he was in the executive board of the German Atatürk Association (Atatürk’çü Düsünce Derneği). Furthermore, he was the Public Relations manager of the Turkish Theater Group, “Umran Ertok Frankfurt Oyuncuları,” for three years. He was one of the founders of the Turkish-German Student Organization itea at Frankfurt University.

Feridun has a special interest in Anatolian history, archeology and art. Iin 1997 he joined a fulltime cultural tourist guide program at Antalya University and traveled with an archeology group to the main historical places in Turkey.

board member Güner Sarıoğlu Long before becoming a Turkish-American, Güner was born in Munich spending his early years in Germany. Not knowing he himself would become a gurbetçi, one day like his parents, Güner started his education in Eskişehir, Turkey, where his family settled after kesin dönüş. Graduating from Anadolu University with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, he started his career as a research assistant at the same university.

Güner moved to the United States in 1996.

Shortly after, Güner graduated from Ohio State University with a master of science degree in electrical engineering in 1998 from where he

moved to beautiful Michigan for a career in the automotive industry. Güner is currently heading the exterior electronics systems department at Magna International developing new camera vision technologies for automotive safety applications.

Married to Beyza for 13 years, Güner is the proud father of his daughter Melodi. An active member of the Turkish-American community in the greater Detroit area, Güner most enjoys the outdoors, biking and jogging.

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It was quite a simple action: I began preparing the latest issue of the Anatolian Voice a few months ago. As I replaced “volume 9” with “volume 10,” it struck me that not only were we announcing a new board, but we were in the midst of a ten year anniversary of this essential publication for tacam. Since the first issue in 1999, the Anatolian Voice has carried on the tradition of all the previous newsletters of this organization in promoting, safeguarding and discovering the voice of the Turkish-American community in Michigan.

That is no simple task. Each issue, we receive submissions from all over the Turkish community announcing birthdays, celebrating awards, spreading the word on current events and enlightening our readers to the joys of travel or the ancient art of the Byzantine Empire. And just as Turkey represents the eclectic mix of the civilizations and people that have communicated and communed with one another, so too does the Anatolian Voice offer a mix of topics suited for our broad audience.

Over 30 years ago, the founders of TACAM — building off of the foundation of the older Turkish Orphanage Society — envisioned a goal of creating a physical and mental space for the Turkish people in Michigan. The newsletter is just one piece between language classes for the youth, holiday celebrations and more. When I was looking back at old issues from 1972 or 1984, the articles and announcements sparked a life within the pages. Wedding announcements, Cold War politics and exhibition reviews made me realize the long history and tradition of involvement and concern previous members of the community have shown in keeping our presence alive in a different land. Even the smallest news is one stone in a magnificent edifice. But now we look to expanding our foundations, with new initiatives, grassroots activities and a global presence brought by our engaging new board.

What do we have planned for the wonderful new growth of the Anatolian Voice? Firstly, I and all those involved with the newsletter are pleased at the joy each issue brings our members. But it is everyone’s newsletter,

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10

of t anato voi

rol ahmed

the olian ice

13

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years

0

and voices can never be heard in silence. So please contribute with your pieces and news to create engaging experiences that both those in Michigan and those elsewhere can enjoy. With the increased interest in the Anatolian Voice comes new opportunities at providing more content that fits our readers needs.

Recently, we have begun planning a section on new media in Turkey. One of the most isolating experiences is leaving one’s homeland and severing the ties with the everyday activities that made one feel at home. Newspapers, movies, songs, gossip and food are all important day-to-day experiences that rarely make the trip across the ocean. With that in mind, we hope to keep our readers up-to-date with current events and culture in Turkey with ˘ section. Each time, we hope to have book a “Kültür Ocagı” reviews, movie information from award-winning directors, liners for the latest Turkish music and of course politics and debate affecting Turkey today. We hope this will continue in the tradition of previous newsletters that clipped and pasted small news articles into each issue. This effort will close the gap on providing news for our community on Turkish cultural and social currents.

In another vein, we are in the midsts of expanding our online presence. Even though we withhold the most current issue on the Web site to honor our dedicated members, we are beginning to provide more recent issues online. Into my initial research into the history of the older newsletters, I have often found absences in my sources.

If any of you have older issues from the past decades, please let us know, so that we can provide archival versions online for everyone to enjoy. I remember finding the newsletter that announced my birth in 1986. Perhaps you have an issue tucked away that was an important part of your life?

Forging new memories while preserving those we have brought from all over the world — that is the essence of the Anatolian Voice’s mission, and I hope we continue in trying to achieve this by promoting and preserving Turkish and American culture, people and history.

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tacam’nin yeni

˘ Kültür OcaGı

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top

1 Allah ile Aldatmak

kitaplar

yaşar nurİ güntekİn

2 Siz Kimi Kandırıyorsunuz

soner yalçin

3 Olasılıksız

adam faver

4 Kadından Kentler

murathan mungan

5 Empati

adam faver

6 Siz Genç Kalın

mehmet öz

7 Diriliş

turgut özakman

8 Ağrının Derinliği

ece temelkuran

9 Ölmeden Önce Keşfetmeniz Gereken 5 Şey

john izzo

10 Kadın Doğmak Kadın Olmak

esİn aciman ¸ radyo’ da ne caliniyor?

Nefes

Çok Sevdim İkimizi Bize Aşk Lazım Hipnoz Deniz Yıldızı

serdar ortaç ferhat göçer gökhan özen hande yener sezen aksu

sinemalarda ney i seyretiyorlar? sinema

kültür ocağı

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Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi “Aşkın Dansı”

Yaşamın Kıyısında (on the other side)

DVD

serkan’dan secenekler $

$17.99 tulumba.com’da - 10.95 ytl D&R’de - 15 ytl Remzi Kitabevi’da

Esin Acıman 1959’da İstanbul’da doğdu. Robert College’den Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı ve Halide Edip Adıvar ödülüyle mezun oldu. Yüksek öğrenimine Boğaziçi Üniversite’sinde devam etti. Psikoloji Lisans, Eğitim Lisans ve Klinik Psikoloji Yüksek Lisans derecelerini aldıktan sonra yurt dışında eğitim konulu mesleki workshop’lara katıldı. Çeşitli hastanelerde ve kendi kliniğinde psikolog ve terapist ola­rak çalıştı; okullarda rehber danışman ve müdür olarak görev yaptı. ‘Kişilik tanıma ve geliştirme’ konulu seminerlerle çalışma­larını sürdürüyor. Halen İstanbul’da yaşıyor ve sürekli yazıyor.

Doğayı, Boğaz’ı, müziği, şiiri, aşkı, analitik düşünceyi, yaşa­mın kendisini, eğrisiyle ve doğrusuyla insanları, ama en çok da çocukları seviyor.

$15.99 tulumba.com’da - 10.40 ytl D&R’de

$

Ferhat Göçer’den yeni albüm. Müzik dünyasının aşk, hüzün ve romantik şarkılarının yorumcusu Ferhat Göçer, yeni albümünde Sezen Aksu imzalı üç şarkı var. Ozan Doğulu’nun düzenlemelerini yaptığı albümde Sinan Akçıl, Aslı Zen Yentur, Bülent Özdemir ve Ferhat Göçer imzalı şarkılar da var.

“Doymadım Sana” adlı şarkıda Türk Sanat Müziği’nin dev ismi Emel Sayın ile yaptığı düet ile karşımıza çıkacak olan Göçer, Sabahattin Ali’nin “Aldırma Gönül”ünü de remix düzenlemesiyle albümüne taşıdı. İnternet üzerinde yedi milyonun kişi tarafından tıklanan ve defalarca dinlenen, Tugay Ören’in “Bizim Şarkımız” adlı eseri de Göçer’in yeni albümünün sürprizlerinden.

$

$29.99 tulumba.com’da - 8.91 ytl D&R’de

Yapımcı: Fatih Akın, Klaus Maeck, Erhan Özoğul, Andreas Thiel, Ali Akdeniz; Senaryo: Fatih Akın; Müzik: Shantel; Görüntü Yönetmeni: Zekeriya Kurtuluş, Rainer Klausmann, Gökhan Atılmış, Eyüp Boz; Kurgu: Andrew Bird; Sanat Yönetmeni: Sırma Bradley; Kostüm Tasarımı: Katrin Aschendorf. Starring: Tuncel Kurtiz, Baki Davrak, Hanna Schygulla, Patrycia Ziolkowska, Öznur Kula, Nejat isler, Nursel Köse, sevval sam, Yelda Reynaud, Andreas Thiel Nurgül Yesilçay Director: Fatih Akin Emekli dul Ali, fahişe Yeter’le karşılaştığında yalnızlığına bir çözüm bulduğunu düşünür. Ali Türkiye doğumlu Yeter’e aylık belli

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bir ücret karşılığında kendisiyle kalmasını teklif eder. Ali’nin oğlu Nejat, babasının bu seçimini onaylamamaktadır. Fakat genç bir Alman Dili Ve Edebiyatı profesörü olan Nejat, Yeter’in zorluklarla kazandığı paraları Türkiye’de üniversite okuyan kızına gönderdiğini öğrenince ona karşı sıcak duygular beslemeye başlar.

Yeter’in ani ölümü baba ve oğulu hem duygusal hem de fiziksel olarak birbirinden daha da uzaklaştırır. Nejat, Yeter’in kızı Ayten’i bulmak üzere İstanbul’a doğru yola çıkar. Türkiye’de kalmaya karar verir ve ülkesine dönmek isteyen, Alman bir kitabevi sahibi ile evleri değiş tokuş ederler. Fakat Nejat, 20’li yaşlarında olan siyasi eylemci Ayten’in Türk polisinden kaçarak Almanya’ya gitmiş olduğunu bilmemektedir.

Yalnız ve beş kuruşsuz olan Ayten, Alman öğrenci Lotte ile arkadaşlık kurar. Lotte tutucu annesi Susanne’nın pek hoşnut olmamasına karşın, asi Ayten’i evlerinde kalmaya davet eder. Ayten tutuklanır ve aylarca politik sığınma talebinin sonucunu bekler. Talebi reddedildiğinde sınırdışı edilir ve Türkiye’de hapse girer. Lotte tüm tutkusuyla herşeyi bırakıp Ayten’e yardım etmek için Türkiye’ye gitmeye karar verir.

Lotte, Ayten’i kurtarmanın düşündüğü kolay olmadığının farkına vardığında, otel masrafından kurtulmak için kiralık oda arayışına başlar. Kitabevindeki karşılaşmaları Nejat’la ev arkadaşı olmalarıyla sonuçlanır. Trajik bir olay Susanne’ı kızının üstlendiği görevi tamamlamak üzere İstanbul’a getirecektir. Susanne ile geçireceği duygusal anlar Nejat’ı, herşeyden elini eteğini çekmiş, Karadeniz’de bir kıyı kasabasında yaşayan babasını aramaya sürükleyecektir.

i

Rated 7.9 over 10 at sinema.com

Kürşat Kızbaz’ın yönettiği: “Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi: Aşkın Dansı”’nda Sinan Tuzcu, Burak Sergen, Özcan Deniz ve Müşfik Kenter başrollerde yer alıyor.

Yüzyılları aşan evrensel barış, kardeşlik ve aşk düşünceleriyle tüm dünyada geniş kitleler tarafından sevilen ve saygı duyulan, büyük felsefi düşünür, Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi filmin ana konusunu oluşturuyor. Filmin temel amacını, düşünceleriyle insanlığa yön veren Mevlana’nın sevgi ve barış öğretilerinin, sinemanın etkisi ve gücüyle yorumlanması ve geniş bir izleyici kitlesine sunulması oluşturuyor.

kültür ocağı

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t he

A rt icl e s spr ing 2008

e nl a r g e me n t of t he 1513 pir i r e i s m a p pr e se n t e d to se l İm I

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İstanbul’da Roma-Bİzans Devrİne Aıt Bİlİnmeyen Eşsİz Eserler

Written by Garo Laçin

İstanbul’dakİ sutunlar

Bir zamanlar, guzelligi, zenginligi ve sanat eserleriyle butun batinin gozlerini kamastiran ve tum gozleri uzerine ceken Istanbul’un baslica eserlerinin arasinda, o devrin modasi olan dikilmis sutunlardi. Uzerinde altin kaplama veya som gumusten heykeller olan bu sutunlar son derece guzel olup, askeri zaferlerden dolayi devrin imparatoru tarafindan konmuslardi. Aralarinda bazilari bakir kaplamalarla kaplanmislaridi.

Gunluk hayatimizda onunden defalarca gectigimizde her zaman gozumuze carpan, Roma-Bizans devrinden kalma bu sutunlar, ne zaman ve ne sebeple dikilmis olduguna dair uzerlerinde hic bir aciklama olmadigi icin daima merak konusu olmustur.

Sutunlardan bazilari bugun mevcut degildir.

Bunlar, 1.ci Theodosiusun Forum Tauri’deki sutunu (bugun Hurriyet meydani), Forum Bovis’deki Boga heykeli (Aksaray meydani), 1.ci Constantin’in bugun Koca Mustafa Pasa’daki (eski Samatya semti) meshur Exokionion denen sutunudur. Sehrin disinda yasayan Gotlarin bu sutundan ileriye gitmeleri yasaklanmisti. O zaman, daha 2ci Theodosius surlari insa edilmis olmadigi icin surlar Koca Mustafa Pasa’da sona ererdi ve burada iskan edenlere Exokionist denirdi.

Bugun mevcut olan sutunlar:

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claudius ii, gothicus sutunu “Gotlar Sutunu”

Sirkeci’de, Gulhane Parkinda tepededir. Sutunun yuksekligi 15 metre olup uzerinde Korint tarzinda basligi vardir. Roma imparatoru II. Claudius Gothicus’un (268-270) Gotlara karsi kazandigi zaferin hatirasi icin M.S. 269 yilinda dikilmistir. Uzerinde erozyondan hemen hemen tamamen silinmis, guclukle farkedilen Latince bir kitabe mevcuttur.

Fortvnae Redvciob Devictosgothos “Kader’in [Kader Tanricasi Fortuna’nin] maglup ettigi Gotlar icin dikildi.”

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marcianus sutunu “Kız Taşı”

Sutun eskiden Marcianus meydanindaydi, bugun Fatih Kiztasi semtinde, Fatih vergi dairesinin bulundugu sokaktadir. Yekpare granitten yapilmis olan bu sutun 10 metre olup, Korint tarzinda basliginin herbir kosesinde Roma kartali kabartmasi vardir.

Kaidesinin her uc kosesinde celenk kabartmasi olup, on yuzunde ise zamanla tahrip olmus, zafer celengi tutan iki Victoria (Zafer Tanricasi) bulunmaktadir. Sutunun ustunde imparator Marcianus’un tahtinda oturur vaziyette bir heykeli mevcuttu.

Kaidenin on yuzunde erozyondan asinmis ve kismen de tahrip olmus Latince kitabeden anlasildigina gore bu sutun, sehrin Valisi tarafindan imparator Marcianusun serefine konmustur. Arkeoloji meraklilari icin sutunlardaki tum kitabeleri ve tercumelerini eklemeyi gerekli buldum.

Principishancstatvammarciani Cernetorvmqve Pr aefectvsvovitqvodtatianvs Opvs “Hukumdar Marcianus’un bu heykeline ve tahtina bak!

Bu eseri Vali Tatianus sundu.”

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buyuk I. constantinus sutunu “Çemberlitaş”

Eskiden Buyuk Constantinus meydanindaydi. Buyuk I. Constantinus (313-337), Istanbul’u kurdugunda sehri suslemek gayesiyle butun sutunu, uzerindeki Apolon heykeliyle birlikte Romadaki Apolon tapinagindan getirterek, meydanin tam ortasina diktirdi. Elli metre yuksekligi olan bu sutun, pembe granitten 9 adet silindir tasin ust uste konmasiyla yapilmis ve ek yerleri belli olmasin diye celenklerle kaplanmistir.

Sehrin acilis toreninde uzerine I. Constantinin heykeli konmus, daha sonra II Julianus (361-363) ve I. Theodosius’un heykelleri (378-395) konmustur. 1180 yilindaki depremden heykel dusmus, imparator I. Manuel Komnenus (1143-1180) tarafindan onarilarak ustune altin yaldizli bir hac konmus ve imparator serefineYunanca bir kitabe eklenmistir.

“Saygideger imparator Manuel, zamanla hasara ugrayan bu fevkalade eseri onardi.”

Depremde silindirler kaydigi icin en alttaki iki silindir tas bir duvarla orulmus ve sutunun yikilmasini onlemek icin demir cemberlerle cevrildigi icin Osmanli devrinde Cenberlitas olarak anilmistir.

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justinianus sutunu

Yuksekligi 41 metre olan bu sutun evvelce Ayasofyanin onunde olan Augusteum meydanindaydi. Sutunun Kaidesinin altinda yedi kat mermer basamaklar mevcuttu.

Sutun ve kaidesi, uzerinde askeri zaferleri anlatan bronz kabartmalarla kaplanmisti.

Butun bunlar 4.cu hacli seferi yagmasinda para bastirilmak maksadiyla sokulup eritilmistir. Sutunun uzerinde, evvelce imparator I. Theodosius’un bronz bir at ustunde gumusten bir heykeli vardi, sonradan atin ustune I. Justinianus’un heykeli kondu.

Bunlari, en son olarak, 1544-1547 yillari arasinda arkeolojik ve botanik arastirmalar yapmak icin Istanbul’a gonderilen Petrus Gyllius (Pierre Gilles), eritilmek icin Tophanedeki dokumhanede gormustur.

1453 de sehrin dusmesinden birkac gun sonra, hayatta kalmis olan butun Bizans asilzadeleri Lukas Notaras ve kucuk oglu ve damadi Kantakuzinus, Nikeforos Paleologos ve damadi Dimitrios Kantakuzinus, Catalan Bailosu Don Pedro Juliano, Theofilus Paleologos, Yoanis Vlastos, Theodoros Paleologos ve Catarin Contarini bu sutun onunde kafalari kesilerek idam edilmislerdir.

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arcadius sutunu “Avrat Taşı”

Imparator Arcadius (395-408) tarafindan babasi I. Theodosius’un Gotlara karsi kazandigi zaferin hatirasi olarak, 403 yilinda Forum Arcadius meydaninda (bugun Cerrahpasa) dikilmistir. Uzerinde Arcadius’un bir heykeli vardi. Heykel, 740 yilinda depremden devrilmistir. Sutun bronz kaplamalarla kapli olup uzerinde Arcadius’un ve Theodosius’un zaferlerini gosteren kabartmalar vardi. Bu kabartmalar da diger eserlerle birlikte 4cu Hacli seferi esnasinda 1204-1261 para bastirilmak icin sokulmustur.

Sutunun boyu 40 metre olup, ust uste konmus 32 mermer parcalardan meydana gelmistir. Bugun sadece bir parcasi mevcut olup, Istanbul arkeoloji muzesindedir. Sutunun 9 metrelik kaidesi bugun Cerrahpasa’da, Cerrahpasa camisinin bulundugu yerden 50 metre ilerde, sagdaki ikinci sokakda (Kadin Sokagi), firin ile bir ev arasindadir.

1453 de sehir dustukten sonra, Bizans saraylar mintikasiyla tekfur sarayi civarini mudafa eden, Venedik Cumhuriyetinin Bailosu Jeruolemo Minotto, bu sutunun onunde kafasi kesilerek idam edilmistir.

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burmali sutun

Bu bronz sutun bugun Sultanahmet meydanindadir. Eskiden Hipodromda spina uzerindeydi. Birbirine sarilmis 3 yilan seklinde olup Pers savaslarinda Yunanlilara yenilen Iranlilarin silahlarinin eritilmesiyle yapilmistir. Yilanlarin baslarinin uzerinde M.O. 478 de Perslere karsi kazanilan Plate ve Salamen zaferlerinin hatirasi olarak Delfi’deki Apolon tapinagina hediye edilen altin kase vardi.

Buraya imparator I. Constantinus tarafindan getirilmistir. Sutunun orijinal boyu 8 metreydi. Bugun 5 metredir. Yilanlarin baslari, seytani temsil ettigi sebebiyle, 9cu yuzyilda Istanbul Patrigi tarafindan kopartilmistir.

Baslardan biri Istanbul Arkeoloji muzesinde, ust katta camekan icinde, ikincisi Britis Muzesinde, ucuncu bas ve altin kase bugun mevcut degildir.

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7.ci constantinus porfirogenitus sutunu “Örme Sutun”

Sultanahmet meydanindadir. Bu sutun da eskiden Hipodromda spina uzerindeydi.

Sutun 25 metre yukseklikte olup imparator 7ci Constantinus (911-959) tarafindan 944 de dikilmistir.Kaidesindeki erozyondan silinmis guclukle okunan Yunanca kitabeden 7ci Constantin’in Rodos’daki Apolon aniti (Colossis) ile rekabet etmek dusuncesiyle yaptirdigi anlasilmaktadir. Eskiden sutunun ustu bronz levhalarla kapli olup uzerinde bu hukumdarin dedesi 1ci Basilius’un zaferlerini anlatan kabartmalar vardi. Ayrica tepesinde tunc bir kure mevcuttu. Butun bunlar 4cu hacli seferi yagmasinda para bastirilmak icin eritilmistir.

kaidesindeki yunanca kitabe “Devletin serefi hukumdar Konstantin [7.ci] ve oglu Romanos [II], bu sasirtici ve yuksek, dort kose asinip eskimis olan sutunu eskisinden daha iyi bir sekle soktu. Goz kamastirici olan heykel Rodos’daydi ve bu goz kamastirici bakir da buradadir.”

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1.ci theodosius sutunu “Dikilitaş”

Bu tas da Sultanahmettedir. Eskiden hipodromda spina uzerindeydi. Istanbul’daki en eski eserdir. M.O. 1500 de yapilmis olan bu eser, pembe granitten yapilmis bir misir obeliskidir. Bunu ilk olarak II. Julien (361-363) deniz yoluyla Istanbula getirtti, fakat vefat edince tas 30 yil Marmara kiyisinda yerde kaldi. 1ci Theodosius’un, isyan eden Romali general Magnus Maximus’u yenmesinin hatirasi olarak dikilmis olan bu tas, demirden raylar uzerinde hipodroma nakledildi. O devirde vali olan Proclos’un yardimi ile 30-32 gunde M.S.390 da dikildi. Kaidesindeki Latince kitabede tas 30 gunde, Yunanca kitabede ise 32 gunde dikilmis oldugu yazilidir. Soylenenlere gore bu vazife Proclos’dan evvel daha baska birine verilmistir, onun isi yarim birakmasindan sonra (idam edilmis olmasi mumkun) vazife Proclos’a verilmistir. Sayet bir gun yolunuz Sultanahmet meydanina duserse, bu her iki kitabedeki Proklos adini incelediginizde yazinin, digerlerine nazaran daha cukurda oldugu gorulur.

Tasin uzunlugu 30 metre, genisligi ise 2 metredir. M.O.1500 de Firavun 3.cu Tutmosis tarafindan Misirda, Heliopolis sehrindeki Karnak tapinaginda dikilmis ve Roma devrinde aslinda daha uzun olan bu sutun kesilip kisaltilarak Istanbul’a getirilmistir.

Tasi seyredenler, kaidesindeki heykellere ve yazilara bakip merak ettikleri sey sudur: “acaba ne yazili?”

Latince kitabenin tek ozelligi, tasin dile gelip konusmasidir. Onun icin bu tercumeyi ve digerini, hiyerogliflerle birlikte eklemeyi gerekli buldum.

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latinca kitabe

yunanca kitabe

“Bir zamanlar keyfe duskun hukumdarlarin emirlerine zorla itaat ettigim icin beni, maglup edilmis (yokedilmis) Tiranlar (isyan eden Generaller) merasimine memur ettiler. Theodosius’un ve ebedi neslinin onunde hersey boyun eger. Bu suretle, ben de Proclos’un emri altinda, 30 gun icinde havaya dikilmege mecbur edildim.”

“Daima yerde uzanan bu agir, dort kose sutunu yalniz imparator Theodosius yukseltmege cesaret etti. Proklos ile karar vererek, bu sutunu 32 gunde dikti.”

hiyeroglifler, dogu yuzu

kuzey yuzu

“Horus, (Gok Tanrisi, Misir Firavunlarinin koruyucusu) gercegin icinde dogan kuvvetli boganin mutluluk verici lutuflarina nail olan, Ra’nin (Gunes Tanrisi) oglu Men-Heper-Ra (3cu Tutmosisin Lakabi), yukari ve asagi Misir’in Hukumdari Ra tarafindan yaratilan Men-Heper-Ra, kuvvet ve adaletle ufuklara parlaklik sacarak ordusunun basinda zaferle Neharim’e (nehirlerMezopotamya) kadar kararli olarak ve kudretle giderek buyuk savaslarda bulundu....” (alt kismi kesik).

“Horus, boga gibi kuvvetli, Ra’nin sevgilisi, yukari ve asagi misir kirali Men-Heper-Ra, Tanri Amon’a adagini sunmak suretiyle ilk gorevini yerine getirdikten sonra, iktidar ve kuvvette Horus’un yardim ve destegine nail olan, dindar ve yukari Misir’in sahibi Ra’nin manevi sulalesinden olup Tanri Atum’un (YaraticiTanri) terbiyesi ve beslemesiyle kutsal Tanrica Neit’in (Zeka Tanricasi) nazli kucaginda buyuyen Men-Heper-Ra, alemde butun denizleri ve nehirleri hukmu altina alarak saltanatinin 30 yili bayraminda bu sutunu daha nice zamanlarin getirecegi bayramlar icin yapti ve dikti..........” (alt kismi kesik).

bati yuzu “Gizli isim lutuflarina nail olan ve Tanri Amon’a (Yaratici en buyuk Tanri) adagini ona karsi gucsuz olarak takdim ve dileyici olarak ve yukari Misir’in tacina sahip Horus’un kuvvet ve kudretinde yukari ve asagi Misir kirali ve her iki tacin sahibi, Ra’nin sevgilisi, Tanrica Maat’tan (adalet Tanricasi) tac giyen, Ra’nin ta kendisiolan Men-Heper-Ra (Tutmosis), iki ulkeyi de itaat altina alan zafer sahibi. O, memleketinin sinirlarini dunyanin boynuzuna dogru, en uc yeri olan Neharim’e kadar uzatti....” (alt kismi kesik)

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guney yuzu “Boga gibi kuvvetli, gokteki Ra gibi hakimiyeti sonsuz, yukari ve asagi misir’in taclarinin sahibi, Teb’li Horus, sanli altin Horus; Ra tarafindan secilmis Men-HeperRa, Amon’a adagini sunmakla ona karsi gucsuzlugunu ve bagliligini anlatiktan sonra, dogus zamani guneste meydana gelen altin renkleri aleme yayarak lutfeden Horus’un verdigi kuvvet ve servetle siddet ve heybeti kendisinde toplayan Men-Heper-Ra, alemde Ra gibi ufuklara parlaklik sacarak, Ra gibi ebedi hayata kavussun diye bu eseri her iki dunyanin tahtlarinin sahibi olan babasi Amun-Ra icin dikti.”

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Male line of the Ypsilantis family. Pictured below is the Ottoman bureaucrat Alexander Ypsilantis. His two grandsons Alexander (top) and Demetrius (bottom) were raised in Fener, İstanbul, before becoming ardent supporters for Greek independence.

Written by Jason Windes

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S

S

An Ottoman in Michigan Since this article is my first for the Anatolian Voice, I thought carefully about what would be a notable contribution to this publication. I decided to follow the spirit of the magazine as well as that of tacam; to write about something connecting the many peoples and cultural traditions born of Anatolia that have found themselves in this new country we call the United States.

As I began to browse a map of Michigan looking for names with Anatolian connections, I came across the small city of Ionia in west Michigan, near my hometown of Hastings. There is also a small village north of Ionia named Smyrna.

Names aside, there isn’t much connection between the lands that inspired those names and the locations today. In fact, finding the best candidate turned out to be quite easy. All I had to do was to look out the window of my house and at the city of Ypsilanti, near Ann Arbor.

I know what you’re thinking. “Ypsilanti? That’s a Greek name!” Very true. When one reads the short history of who this man was, you may be even more confused. The city was named after General Demetrius Ypsilantis, a hero in the Greek war of independence. He won the final military conflict which ended the fighting between the Greeks and Ottomans. On its surface this story doesn’t appear relevant for the av, but like many examples found in history, exploring the details reveal a more interesting story about an important family with deep Anatolian roots.

Demetrius was but one member of a prominent family who originally hailed from the Black

Sea coast of Anatolia. The Greeks living along the coast were descendants of the Empire of Trabizond (Trabzon), the final Byzantine territory to fall to the Ottomans and an independent territory for nearly 200 years. These Pontic Greeks spoke a dialect quite different from that of what we today call Greece, and once under Ottoman control many families benefitted from the stability brought by Ottoman rule, engaging in trade along the Black Sea, mining, and agriculture.

The Ypsilantis family eventually moved from this area to the Ottoman capital of İstanbul, residing in Fener, the Greek section of the ancient city. They became important administrators for the Sublime Porte, as were other prominent Greek families. Demetrius’ grandfather, Alexander Ypsilantis, was appointed by Sultan Selim iii in 1775 to administer Wallachia, in present-day Romania.

In 1786 he was again appointed to administer another Ottoman territory, Moldavia. The Ottoman administrators appointed to these territories were called Voivodes, and were in fact princes who nearly had total control over the territories, although always seceding ultimate sovereignty to the Sultan.

Alexander Ypsilantis was also known for his attempts at reforming several aspects of territorial administration. Many Voivodes were appointed to their positions with bribery to top Ottoman officials, and so they entered their positions of power with a need to pay off their massive debts. Ypsilantis established set salaries as one of his reforms in an attempt to weed out corrup-

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Bust of Alexander Ypsilantis in Ypsilanti, Michigan. First educated in Fener, İstanbul, Alexander become the leader that revived the Greek independence movement in the most crucial years.

tion and over-taxation, which quite understandably, often led to anger and resistance by the local populations. Ypsilantis’ reforms were in line with the larger reforms attempted by Sultan Selim iii, which may be the reason why he was appointed as Voivode twice. Selim’s reforms were so progressive they encountered a massive backlash by conservative forces in the empire, ultimately leading to his dethronement and murder at the hands of the janissaries. Alexander himself was imprisoned by the Austro-Hungarian Empire until a treaty between them and the Ottomans was signed in 1791.

Alexander had a son, Constantine, who was also appointed as an Ottoman administrator early in his career. However in 1805 he defected and joined his fellow Orthodox Christians in Russia, where he would work for Greek independence until he died in Kiev in 1816.

Alexander’s son Constantine had three sons: Demetrius, Alexander and Nicholas; all born and educated in the Fener district of Istanbul. The younger Alexander would later become head of Filiki Eteria in 1820. Filiki Eteria was a secret organization begun in 1814 with Greek independence as its ultimate goal. Their headquarters was based in İstanbul beginning in 1818.

The Greek war of independence would not begin until 1821, but when it did the Ypsilantis family fought against the Ottomans with Russian support. The Russians saw the instability of such a war as an opportunity to gain control of Moldavia and the Balkans away from the Ottomans.

Indeed the younger Alexander had served in the Russian army before the Greek independence war.

It was during this time that he became involved

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in Filiki Eteria.

After the military campaign ended and the Greeks were in control of their own land, life did not change much for the average Greek. Instead of owing allegiance to the Ottoman Sultan, they instead owed allegiance to a Greek King. The Bavarian ruler was chosen by Great Britain, France, and Russia and the Greeks themselves had no say in who their new ruler would be. The Greek people would not see a democratic state until 1974.

So how did the city on the Huron river in the territory of Michigan end up being named after a Greek general? According to various sources, including the history of Greek settlement in the Ann Arbor area by the local Greek church, the city was named by General A.B. Woodward in 1825, who respected the accomplishments of the man. Woodward was responsible for the city design we see today in downtown Detroit, and was one of the founders of the University of Michigan. And yes, that road is named after him.

It should be noted that the Greek war for independence was still going on during the time the city was named after him.

The story of the family of Ypsilantis, like most stories coming from Anatolia and İstanbul, can be told from various viewpoints. It not only reflects our modern biases and generalizations about previous points in time, but also reflects the dynamism and ambiguity of ethnicity in the late 18th

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and early 19th centuries. These are the years that serve as the boundary between the way different peoples existed in the Ottoman Empire in relative peace, expansion and prosperity; and where the then-525 year old Empire began being carved up by the recently developed Great Powers.

The Ottoman Sultans considered themselves the rightful heirs to the Roman Empire.

Indeed many Orthodox Christian peoples welcomed early Ottoman armies from unstable Byzantine frontiers or domineering Crusaders — like the Fourth Crusade led by the Venetians who got lost on the way to Jerusalem and decided to sack the overwhelmingly Christian Constantinople, stay, and while leaving 50 years later completely loot all of the treasures and Christian relics. Greece, Bulgaria, and the Romanian provinces were seen in the same light by the Great Powers as the Horses of Saint Mark, the bronze horse statues that are now displayed proudly in Venice, but which originally stood in the Hippodrome of today’s İstanbul. The conflicts between Venice and the Ottomans later would predominantly be on control of the trade within and among the Greek Islands. Cyprus became independent of the British Empire only in 1960, who had controlled it since capturing it from the Ottomans in 1878, fifty years after Greek independence.

These conflicts continued with Italian terri-

torial pursuits of the Aegean and the land from Izmir to Adana, until the founding of the Turkish Republic dismissed their Anatolian aspirations.

The Second World War brought ethnic cleansing to many parts of the Balkans that had heterogeneous populations living as they had during much of Ottoman suzerainty. Only in the last decades have many of the nations who made up the Ottoman Empire begin to look past their nationalistic histories and appreciate the common cultural bonds living today.

I think the Ypsilantis family would have applauded the progress both an eu-member Greece and 84 year old secular Turkish Republic. Both countries have inherited unresolved issues, which will make the progress within both countries exciting as they develop an even closer relationship as proud people with a shared history and common future. Peace at home, peace in the world brings prosperity between neighbors who were once enemies.

So it seems that we have another example of the exciting surprises emanating from Anatolia.

When my wife Beste and I moved to Ypsilanti, we joked about “Turks” living in a “Greek” city. After further research I feel the real lesson is that no matter how far away we travel from Beste’s native İstanbul, the city seems to never leave us. We find ourselves living in a city named after a man who was born and grew into adulthood walking the streets of İstanbul. Something that appeared on the surface to be a polar opposite turned out to have a more meaningful connection than we could have imagined.

I can’t wait for the next surprise Istanbul has in store for me.

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the Turkish Kitchen Hams İ l İ P İ lav anchovies on rice

Ingredients (8 servings) for the anchovy top

Filleted anchovies Olive oil

1 kg 2 tbsp

for the rice filling

Rice Medium onion Water

2 cups 1 ¼ cup

Olive oil

½ cup

250 g

Pine nuts

50 g

Currants

50 g

Sugar Cinnamon Thyme Mint Salt and pepper

1 tsbp 1 tbsp 1 tsp 1 tbsp to taste

Pour sufficient scalding water over the rice to just cover it, stir in a about a tablespoon of salt and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile put the chopped onions and ¼ cup of water into a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add the olive oil and continue to cook for a few minutes. Drain the rice, add and cook for 5-6 minutes. Mix in the currants, pine nuts then add 1½ cups of nearly boiling water. Add the sugar, stir and cover. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the other spices, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile grease an earthenware casserole and line the base and sides with just over half the anchovy-fillet skin side outwards. Pour the rice mixture into the centre and cover the surface with the remainder of the anchovies. Sprinkle a little olive oil over and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Afiyet olsun! sourced by LEYLâ AHMED

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Editor’s Letter

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A natol i a n Voic e

I

It is quite amazing to think that through ten years the Anatolian Voice has been able to continue the work of tacam in so many regards, even with all the other expenses of the organization. And I realize that it is because of the participation and donations of our members that this newsletter has remained an important part of the Turkish community in Michigan.

Not only that, but every piece and section in the newsletter is put together by our community and anyone can participate in this publication. I’ve found that recently, with the growth and involvement of tacam, that the content of this newsletter has increased dramatically. As more of us use this newsletter, its potential will only grow. The new Turkish culture (Kültür Ocağı, page 14) section is a particularly excellent suggestion that we first talked about at a döner night.

The two articles in this issue are also both interesting takes on the latent, dormant voices within both Michigan and Turkey. In such an old city as İstanbul, walking down the street past unmarked stones, whose stories remain hidden; or driving through a neighborhood without knowing the people who once lived there prevents us from enjoying the variety of voices that are important to a community fabric. But the Anatolian Voice delves into these stories (pages 18, 30) and reveals the words and stories of Anatolia.

After four years, then, I am quite pleased with the work everyone has contributed to this newsletter and all the possibilities it still holds. And the best suggestions and ideas have all come from the members of tacam that have engaged with this publication.

m ich ig a n t ü rk - a m e r İ k a n k ü lt ü r de rn e ğ İ volu m e 10 i s s u e 2 9

e di t or - i n - ch i e f Erol Ahmed con t ri b u t or s Garo Laçin, Serkan Özdemir, Tûba Süzer-Gürtekin, Didem Şeyhoğlu, Cihangir Taşdemir, Murat Ulaşır, Jason Windes, Erol Ahmed p ub l i s h e d b y The Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan P.O. Box 3445, Farmington Hills, MI 48333-3445 p 248.438.8580 f 248.626.8279 e anatolianvoice@tacam.org www.anatolianvoice.org please inquire about purchasing back issues at $7 each a d v e rt i s i n g r at e s pe r i s s u e Back cover page 175 usd Full page 125 usd Half page 50 usd Quarter page 25 usd contact tacam for advertising details

TAC A M Gov e r ning B oa r d 2 0 0 8-2 0 0 9

e x e c u t i v e b oa rd of di re c t or s p re s i de n t Didem Şeyhoğlu v ice - p re s i de n t Serkan Özdemir s e cre ta ry Leylâ Ahmed t re a s u re r Ferid Ahmed pa s t - p re s i de n t Didem Şeyhoğlu b oa rd of di re c t or s 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9 Feridun Bek Ramazan Kizak Güner Sarıoğlu Murat Ulaşır Beste Windes b oa rd of t r u s t e e s Ali Kayaalp 2010 Aslı Yaşhin 2010 İlhan Berberoğlu 2009 Verda Gürol 2009 Mine Özalp 2009 Beyza Sarıoğlu 2009 au di t com m i t t e e Yesim Kayaalp 2010 Halide Koçak 2010 Mehpare Gençyüz 2009 Cihangir Taşdemir 2009

erol ahmed 2005 - 2009 editor-in-chief

All statements or comments in the newsletter are the statements or opinions of the writers and are not necessarily the opinion of the Turkish-American Cultural Association of Michigan

35

a n at o l i a n voice

spring 路 2008 路 issue 29 vol 10

TACAM

Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan

10 the

is a

Anatolian Voice

quarterly publication

of the

Turkish American Cultural Association

of

Michigan

on the cover following on the nearly 30 years of tacam newsletters, the Anatolian Voice provides a boundless array of pieces for the Turkish community, hopefully growing with tacam for another 10 years.