Family of Barış Manço hopes to regain Turkish pop star's house
Monday, June 28, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Although he was a beloved Turkish rock music icon, a state artist and the recipient of foreign honors, Barış Manço's house was repossessed following his death, allegedly for unpaid debts. The artist's son Doğukan Manço says the state has not protected the memory of his father. 'We need support to protect my father's memory and to get this house back'
Despite being the family of a rock musician loved by Turks from all generations and all walks of life, the sons of the legendary Barış Manço were evicted from their home soon after the singer’s death over a decade ago. Now, however, one of the artist’s sons hopes to repurchase the house within the next five years.
Manço, who held the title of state artist and was also awarded honors by France and Belgium, died in 1999. After his death, his house and personal belongings were confiscated. Remembering those days with a deep sorrow, Manço’s elder son, musician Doğukan Manço, spoke about the events after his father’s death.
Answering questions in his father’s private room, the “Chivalry Room,” Manço, 29, said he would try to find a way to buy the house within five years and do his best to preserve the house his father loved so much.
“We need support so that our family can own the house again,” he said.
Along with his 123-year-old house and personal belongings, Barış Manço’s copyrights were also confiscated.
“The debt was not my father’s. He was the guarantor of one of his friends but he did not pay his debts and everything we have was seized. The state did not protect us,” the son said. “I saved the guitar, on which my father composed his last work, by throwing it into the garden. We were dismissed from this house in tears. My family was offended and I was 17 at that time.”
The house, in which the singer lived most of his life, became property of the state-owned Halkbank after it was repossessed. Kadıköy Municipality later rented the house and converted it into a museum.
‘This house was my castle’
Noting that the house had remained closed for five years, Manço said it caused him great pain.
“I grew up in this house, I played with my friends in its garden, it was a castle to me. Later, they suddenly took my castle from me after my father died,” he said. “Even though I was not able to come to the house for five years, I cried in front of this door everyday.”
Speaking about his feelings when he entered the house for the first time after the municipality converted it into a museum, Manço said: “I found myself in the stairs of the house just like in my childhood. I climbed up the stairs and understood that my body grew up but my soul remained hidden in this building like a child who doesn’t want to go outside.”
Manço said he spent most of his time in the mansion, and that he would still be there if the building had not become a museum.
“Sometimes I forget that this house is a museum and take shelter here. It is very hard to share this house with others but it was my father’s biggest wish,” he said. “Still I am not strong enough to enter my father’s bedroom on the middle floor. It gives me pain.”
Style icon Barış Manço
Barış Manço found a place in the hearts of many Turks, and was known for his eccentric fashion sense as much as his music. He is remembered for his big rings, the clothing he designed himself, long hair, moustache and beard.
Manço said he and his brother had bought some of their father’s costumes and accessories after they were repossessed.
“We are thinking of putting these belongings in the museum but it is very hard for us. I hope you understand my feelings. While sharing these things with his fans, I feel like I am abandoning private things between my father and me, one by one,” Manço said.
Nonetheless, the brothers had put some things in the museum on display, said Manço, adding that he had overcome a big inner struggle before doing so.
When asked if it was difficult to be the child of a famous father, he said: “It is an honor to be Barış’ son. I have never been overwhelmed by my father’s name. I have never seen him as a rival – he was my role model. I am only jealous of sharing him, I wanted him to be mine only.”
Manço said he and his brother had compiled a number of their father’s previously unreleased songs and added that they would soon share these tracks with fans.
“His body died but my father is still alive,” he said. “When I am very angry or tense, his songs show the way to me. I must admit that my longing for him grows every other day.”
The museum displays Manço’s personal belongings, costumes, accessories and awards, while the entrance fee is
28 Haziran 2010 Pazartesi
23 Haziran 2010 Çarşamba
Van Times - Armenian
DIPLOMACY
TURKEY • NATIONAL Wednesday, June 23 2010 19:39 GMT+2
Your time is 19:40:54
Newspaper in Turkey's Van to have Armenian
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News
A multilingual newspaper in the eastern city of Van is preparing to add stories in Armenian to its Turkish, Kurdish, Persian and English-language content to mark the reinstating of religious services at a local Armenian church.
The editorial addition is just part of a larger effort to welcome visiting Armenians from Istanbul, Armenia and the broader diaspora to Van for the Sept. 19 religious service at the Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island, Van Times owner and Editor-in-Chief Aziz Aykaç told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
“We published a notification asking our readers to open their doors to our guests from Armenia and we received 1,700 applications in a week. The figure is increasing every day,” said Aykaç, 54, who is of Kurdish origin and also owns and edits the Van Times’ sister newspaper, Şehri Van.
The Armenian page will be prepared by a crew of journalists from the Armenian diaspora in the United States, the editorial team of the Istanbul-based bilingual weekly Agos and the original crew of the Van Times. The Surp Haç Church will be allowed to open once a year to religious services under a special permit granted by the governor’s office.
Aykaç started out in journalism in 1972 with no prior schooling and learned the business as he worked in the industry, during what he said were difficult times for Turkey in political terms. “Journalism has been my obsession; I could never give up on it,” he said.
He did, however, take a break, at one point deciding to quit journalism and move to Antalya. “I could only stay away for six years,” Aykaç said. “When I got back to Van, I saw a couple of newspapers produced with old-fashioned technology and that motivated me to publish a real newspaper.”
Soon after he made this decision, Aykaç started publishing Şehri Van. “[Newspapers] used to publish any story, just to be able to get advertisements,” he said. “They were critical about no one and no institution. We have subverted this tradition altogether.”
The changes he brought to the local newspaper business drew a strong reaction, according to Aykaç. “The more we wrote the truth, the more they threatened us. Our office has been raided many times,” he said. “If I did not come from a powerful tribe, they would probably have already killed me. But given that, they abstained from harming me.”
New journalists emerged in the town, encouraged by what Şehri Van was doing, Aykaç said, adding that there are now 13 different newspapers on sale in Van. After he achieved his goals with Şehri Van, Aykaç said, he became intrigued by the idea of publishing a multilingual newspaper – a goal he achieved three months ago with the daily Van Times, which he said is inspired by the New York Times.
“My aim is to make it like a Western paper. It is published in black and white. What we focus on is the stories, not the package,” he said. “We are trying to avoid copy-paste news and trying to produce our own stories.”
The paper is currently supported by the advertisements published in Şehri Van. “If a piece particularly interests the Kurdish [community], we publish it in Kurdish. If it interests the Iranians, we publish it in Persian,” Aykaç added. “If the story interests all these parties, we publish it in all four languages.”
Aykaç has not shied away from controversy either with his papers or in his personal life. He said he wrote stories about the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, when the group became a top issue on the Turkish political agenda in the 1990s. “My chief principle was being objective and impartial,” he said. “Yes, I was Kurdish, but I also was a journalist. I was at an equal distance to both sides.”
The journalist said he went to great lengths to get access to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. “Because I am from a well-known tribe, it was easy for me to get in contact with them,” he said, adding that he went up to the mountains many time to interview PKK members. “They would tie a band around my head to cover my eyes. You had to agree to their preconditions. There were strict rules even for taking pictures.”
Aykaç is also a center of attention in Van due to his two wives, one whom he married legally and the other he joined with in a religious ceremony. His first wife, Kahire Aykaç, is a human-resources manager and his second wife, Muhbet Altınal, is the concessionaire at both of his newspapers. Aykaç said his two wives sometimes have arguments about which stories should be published and which should not.
Asked why he had two wives, Aykaç said: “I am a member of the Şemsikli tribe, the most powerful Kurdish tribe of this region. Because my first wife could not have a child, I had to get married again, due to our traditions.”
TURKEY • NATIONAL Wednesday, June 23 2010 19:39 GMT+2
Your time is 19:40:54
Newspaper in Turkey's Van to have Armenian
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News
A multilingual newspaper in the eastern city of Van is preparing to add stories in Armenian to its Turkish, Kurdish, Persian and English-language content to mark the reinstating of religious services at a local Armenian church.
The editorial addition is just part of a larger effort to welcome visiting Armenians from Istanbul, Armenia and the broader diaspora to Van for the Sept. 19 religious service at the Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island, Van Times owner and Editor-in-Chief Aziz Aykaç told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
“We published a notification asking our readers to open their doors to our guests from Armenia and we received 1,700 applications in a week. The figure is increasing every day,” said Aykaç, 54, who is of Kurdish origin and also owns and edits the Van Times’ sister newspaper, Şehri Van.
The Armenian page will be prepared by a crew of journalists from the Armenian diaspora in the United States, the editorial team of the Istanbul-based bilingual weekly Agos and the original crew of the Van Times. The Surp Haç Church will be allowed to open once a year to religious services under a special permit granted by the governor’s office.
Aykaç started out in journalism in 1972 with no prior schooling and learned the business as he worked in the industry, during what he said were difficult times for Turkey in political terms. “Journalism has been my obsession; I could never give up on it,” he said.
He did, however, take a break, at one point deciding to quit journalism and move to Antalya. “I could only stay away for six years,” Aykaç said. “When I got back to Van, I saw a couple of newspapers produced with old-fashioned technology and that motivated me to publish a real newspaper.”
Soon after he made this decision, Aykaç started publishing Şehri Van. “[Newspapers] used to publish any story, just to be able to get advertisements,” he said. “They were critical about no one and no institution. We have subverted this tradition altogether.”
The changes he brought to the local newspaper business drew a strong reaction, according to Aykaç. “The more we wrote the truth, the more they threatened us. Our office has been raided many times,” he said. “If I did not come from a powerful tribe, they would probably have already killed me. But given that, they abstained from harming me.”
New journalists emerged in the town, encouraged by what Şehri Van was doing, Aykaç said, adding that there are now 13 different newspapers on sale in Van. After he achieved his goals with Şehri Van, Aykaç said, he became intrigued by the idea of publishing a multilingual newspaper – a goal he achieved three months ago with the daily Van Times, which he said is inspired by the New York Times.
“My aim is to make it like a Western paper. It is published in black and white. What we focus on is the stories, not the package,” he said. “We are trying to avoid copy-paste news and trying to produce our own stories.”
The paper is currently supported by the advertisements published in Şehri Van. “If a piece particularly interests the Kurdish [community], we publish it in Kurdish. If it interests the Iranians, we publish it in Persian,” Aykaç added. “If the story interests all these parties, we publish it in all four languages.”
Aykaç has not shied away from controversy either with his papers or in his personal life. He said he wrote stories about the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, when the group became a top issue on the Turkish political agenda in the 1990s. “My chief principle was being objective and impartial,” he said. “Yes, I was Kurdish, but I also was a journalist. I was at an equal distance to both sides.”
The journalist said he went to great lengths to get access to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. “Because I am from a well-known tribe, it was easy for me to get in contact with them,” he said, adding that he went up to the mountains many time to interview PKK members. “They would tie a band around my head to cover my eyes. You had to agree to their preconditions. There were strict rules even for taking pictures.”
Aykaç is also a center of attention in Van due to his two wives, one whom he married legally and the other he joined with in a religious ceremony. His first wife, Kahire Aykaç, is a human-resources manager and his second wife, Muhbet Altınal, is the concessionaire at both of his newspapers. Aykaç said his two wives sometimes have arguments about which stories should be published and which should not.
Asked why he had two wives, Aykaç said: “I am a member of the Şemsikli tribe, the most powerful Kurdish tribe of this region. Because my first wife could not have a child, I had to get married again, due to our traditions.”
21 Haziran 2010 Pazartesi
Artist from Armenian diaspora invites Turkish viewers 'to talk openly'
Artist from Armenian diaspora invites Turkish viewers 'to talk openly
Monday June 21, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
In her exhibition showing at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul's Tophane neighborhood, an artist from the Armenian diaspora addresses identity, gender and existential aspects of life. The show includes previously unseen video footage of Hrant Dink that artist Helin Anahit filmed in 2005
The halting of diplomatic protocols between Turkey and Armenia has not ended the cross-cultural dialogue between Turkish and Armenian artists, with Istanbul welcoming many artists from the Armenian diaspora within the last year.
One of these artists is Helin Anahit, who migrated to England 20 years ago and now lives in London. Anahit recently opened a project that she began in 2006 at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul’s Tophane neighborhood. The name of the exhibition, “Açık Açık Konuşmak,” invites viewers “Talking Openly.”
The show includes a previously unseen video, a kind of historical documentary in which Agos editor-in-chief Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in 2007, talks sincerely about Turkish-Armenian relations.
Even though she is from the Armenian diaspora, Anahit said she never cut her ties with Turkey. “I belong to both London and Istanbul,” she said. “It is impossible for me to cut ties with either side.”
While the exhibition highlights Armenian life in Istanbul, Anahit said it is not exclusively about being an Armenian but also addresses existential aspects of life. “I am a minority in Turkey and a Turk in the Armenian diaspora. This is why there is exclusion on both sides, but it is not important because I do not define myself through political identity,” she said. “I am a human first.”
Anahit said she had installed the exhibition in a shape reflecting the design of an Armenian cathedral in the eastern province of Kars. “The Kars cathedral has eight columns, unlike other Armenian cathedrals,” she said. “I wanted to interpret this special structure through the eye of an artist and include it in the exhibition.”
Viewers in the middle of a circle
The exhibition, which runs until the end of June, surrounds visitors in a circular shape right from the moment they enter. Male and female voices meld together and become meaningless. Where screens have been placed in the octagonal area on the first floor, viewers pass from the middle of the circle in order to become a part of the exhibition.
Even though the concept and subject matter of this exhibition had not been established when the exhibited video footage began to be shot in 2006, the speeches in the videos complement each other well. Explaining that participants were not asked any questions, Anahit said, “To question means to ask for a reply and I did not want to orient them.”
The artist said she had spoken with 48 people for the project, and explained how she connected the speeches to each other as if they were natural conversations. “I watched each of the speeches and reduced them to eight people,” she said. “I found the connections between speeches and brought them together.”
Heart between bloody fingers
Anahit said she paid attention to having equal numbers of men and women. “One day I was reading an ancient book at a library. Primitive drawings drew my attention. Some of them were more feminine and some were more masculine,” she added. “Actually, these drawings became the main idea of this exhibition.”
In a video installation on the second floor, viewers see a living heart beating between bloody fingers. There are two more video installations on the same floor. The one named “Hareket” (Action) evokes emotional feelings. Shot in Balat, the video features a long cloth hanging out to dry. While the cloth moves randomly with the wind, the sounds of a bell are heard. “I wanted visitors to arbitrarily infer when watching this video,” Anahit said, explaining her own feelings about the work: “I feel the purification of soul.”
After its Istanbul run, the exhibition will travel to many cities in Anatolia, first to Diyarbakır and later to Antakya, both in the country’s southeast. A Turkish/English book accompanying the exhibition has also been released.
Monday June 21, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
In her exhibition showing at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul's Tophane neighborhood, an artist from the Armenian diaspora addresses identity, gender and existential aspects of life. The show includes previously unseen video footage of Hrant Dink that artist Helin Anahit filmed in 2005
The halting of diplomatic protocols between Turkey and Armenia has not ended the cross-cultural dialogue between Turkish and Armenian artists, with Istanbul welcoming many artists from the Armenian diaspora within the last year.
One of these artists is Helin Anahit, who migrated to England 20 years ago and now lives in London. Anahit recently opened a project that she began in 2006 at the Tütün Deposu in Istanbul’s Tophane neighborhood. The name of the exhibition, “Açık Açık Konuşmak,” invites viewers “Talking Openly.”
The show includes a previously unseen video, a kind of historical documentary in which Agos editor-in-chief Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in 2007, talks sincerely about Turkish-Armenian relations.
Even though she is from the Armenian diaspora, Anahit said she never cut her ties with Turkey. “I belong to both London and Istanbul,” she said. “It is impossible for me to cut ties with either side.”
While the exhibition highlights Armenian life in Istanbul, Anahit said it is not exclusively about being an Armenian but also addresses existential aspects of life. “I am a minority in Turkey and a Turk in the Armenian diaspora. This is why there is exclusion on both sides, but it is not important because I do not define myself through political identity,” she said. “I am a human first.”
Anahit said she had installed the exhibition in a shape reflecting the design of an Armenian cathedral in the eastern province of Kars. “The Kars cathedral has eight columns, unlike other Armenian cathedrals,” she said. “I wanted to interpret this special structure through the eye of an artist and include it in the exhibition.”
Viewers in the middle of a circle
The exhibition, which runs until the end of June, surrounds visitors in a circular shape right from the moment they enter. Male and female voices meld together and become meaningless. Where screens have been placed in the octagonal area on the first floor, viewers pass from the middle of the circle in order to become a part of the exhibition.
Even though the concept and subject matter of this exhibition had not been established when the exhibited video footage began to be shot in 2006, the speeches in the videos complement each other well. Explaining that participants were not asked any questions, Anahit said, “To question means to ask for a reply and I did not want to orient them.”
The artist said she had spoken with 48 people for the project, and explained how she connected the speeches to each other as if they were natural conversations. “I watched each of the speeches and reduced them to eight people,” she said. “I found the connections between speeches and brought them together.”
Heart between bloody fingers
Anahit said she paid attention to having equal numbers of men and women. “One day I was reading an ancient book at a library. Primitive drawings drew my attention. Some of them were more feminine and some were more masculine,” she added. “Actually, these drawings became the main idea of this exhibition.”
In a video installation on the second floor, viewers see a living heart beating between bloody fingers. There are two more video installations on the same floor. The one named “Hareket” (Action) evokes emotional feelings. Shot in Balat, the video features a long cloth hanging out to dry. While the cloth moves randomly with the wind, the sounds of a bell are heard. “I wanted visitors to arbitrarily infer when watching this video,” Anahit said, explaining her own feelings about the work: “I feel the purification of soul.”
After its Istanbul run, the exhibition will travel to many cities in Anatolia, first to Diyarbakır and later to Antakya, both in the country’s southeast. A Turkish/English book accompanying the exhibition has also been released.
20 Haziran 2010 Pazar
Akdamar Surp Haç Church in Turkey to host service, but remain
Akdamar Surp Haç Church in Turkey to host service, but remain
Saturday, June 19, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News
The Surp Haç Church in Akdamar island near the Eastern citys of Van is getting ready for the readying for the first religious service in many decades. The preparations for the service are conducted in collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey, says Van Gov. Münir Karaoğlu. The church's opening for the religious service will be temporary, he says.
Van province in eastern Turkey is ready for the first religious service in many decades at the Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island on Sept. 19.
Security measures have been implemented and the church is awaiting sanctification by the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey. Before the service a cross will be mounted on the dome, but the bell tower will remain empty.
The centuries-old church was renovated in 2007 and re-opened as a memorial-museum. As part of the project, solar-powered lighting was installed and starting the night of the service the whole island will be illuminated.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Van Gov. Münir Karaloğlu said the church’s opening for a religious service was temporary. “The fact that it is open to a religious service once a year will not change its quality as a memorial-museum.” The governor added that the idea showed respect and was introduced by the Patriarch Mesrop II.
“No museum is allowed to be open for religious service for a whole year, and nobody could expect us to do that. The Ministry of Culture made a great gesture.”
Karaoğlu said the preparations for the service were conducted in collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey. Answering a question about whether they had contacts with Armenia about the preparations, Karaoğlu said: “We had no contacts with Armenia. This is the Foreign Ministry’s business.” Hoping Sept. 19 can be a turning point between the two countries, Karaloğlu said: "Something happened in the past. It is no use to keep on scratching the crust of the wound. Now it is time to build a new future between the two countries.”
Some 5,000 people are expected in Van on the service day. The island has limited space, but LED screens and a sound system will be installed around the island for everyone to witness every minute of the service. There will be a private pressroom for members of the press from Turkey and abroad. To prevent any problems with the live broadcast, 3G technology will be used.
According to figures stated by the governor, hotels in the city are already fully booked. To overcome accommodation difficulties, the governor said, they decided to open all the guesthouses owned by public offices and even university dormitories. Karaoğlu said the number of those willing to open their houses to Armenian visitors has already reached 1,500. "We are meticulously conducting security investigations on these families. There will be no problem with respect to security.”
Karaoğlu said there would not only be a religious service on Sept. 19, but also Turkish-Armenian Culture Day celebrations would be held, and these would continue for 10 days after the service in the indoor stadium in the city center.
“Our greatest ambition is to turn Van into a center of religion tourism. The historical Armenian Church on Çarpanak Island, and the Varakavank Armenian abbey in Bakraçlı will both be renovated in the near future.” Answering the question of whether the abbey complex around the church on Akdamar Island will also be renovated, Karaloğlu said there were no plans for the time being. “We will preserve it as it is for now.”
Saturday, June 19, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News
The Surp Haç Church in Akdamar island near the Eastern citys of Van is getting ready for the readying for the first religious service in many decades. The preparations for the service are conducted in collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey, says Van Gov. Münir Karaoğlu. The church's opening for the religious service will be temporary, he says.
Van province in eastern Turkey is ready for the first religious service in many decades at the Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island on Sept. 19.
Security measures have been implemented and the church is awaiting sanctification by the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey. Before the service a cross will be mounted on the dome, but the bell tower will remain empty.
The centuries-old church was renovated in 2007 and re-opened as a memorial-museum. As part of the project, solar-powered lighting was installed and starting the night of the service the whole island will be illuminated.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Van Gov. Münir Karaloğlu said the church’s opening for a religious service was temporary. “The fact that it is open to a religious service once a year will not change its quality as a memorial-museum.” The governor added that the idea showed respect and was introduced by the Patriarch Mesrop II.
“No museum is allowed to be open for religious service for a whole year, and nobody could expect us to do that. The Ministry of Culture made a great gesture.”
Karaoğlu said the preparations for the service were conducted in collaboration and peace with Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the chief of the spiritual committee of the Armenian Church in Turkey. Answering a question about whether they had contacts with Armenia about the preparations, Karaoğlu said: “We had no contacts with Armenia. This is the Foreign Ministry’s business.” Hoping Sept. 19 can be a turning point between the two countries, Karaloğlu said: "Something happened in the past. It is no use to keep on scratching the crust of the wound. Now it is time to build a new future between the two countries.”
Some 5,000 people are expected in Van on the service day. The island has limited space, but LED screens and a sound system will be installed around the island for everyone to witness every minute of the service. There will be a private pressroom for members of the press from Turkey and abroad. To prevent any problems with the live broadcast, 3G technology will be used.
According to figures stated by the governor, hotels in the city are already fully booked. To overcome accommodation difficulties, the governor said, they decided to open all the guesthouses owned by public offices and even university dormitories. Karaoğlu said the number of those willing to open their houses to Armenian visitors has already reached 1,500. "We are meticulously conducting security investigations on these families. There will be no problem with respect to security.”
Karaoğlu said there would not only be a religious service on Sept. 19, but also Turkish-Armenian Culture Day celebrations would be held, and these would continue for 10 days after the service in the indoor stadium in the city center.
“Our greatest ambition is to turn Van into a center of religion tourism. The historical Armenian Church on Çarpanak Island, and the Varakavank Armenian abbey in Bakraçlı will both be renovated in the near future.” Answering the question of whether the abbey complex around the church on Akdamar Island will also be renovated, Karaloğlu said there were no plans for the time being. “We will preserve it as it is for now.”
17 Haziran 2010 Perşembe
Young editor to take helm of Turkish-Armenian weekly
Thursday, June 17, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The Turkish- and Armenian-language newspaper previously helmed by assassinated journalist Hrant Dink has been assigned a new editor in chief, young journalist Rober Koptaş.
Koptaş, 32, was previously a columnist at weekly Agos and will take over the top editorial spot as former Editor-in-Chief Etyen Mahçupyan moves into a new role as publishing consultant. The change, Mahçupyan said, will start with this week’s issue of the paper.
“We will hold a press conference together with Koptaş next week and make a joint statement. It would be inappropriate for me to speak prior to the press conference without his presence,” Mahçupyan said, refusing to answer further questions.
Longtime journalist Mahçupyan took the job with the Dink family’s consent after his predecessor was assassinated in 2007 and kept a lower profile than the slain editor.
Mahçupyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that he will honor Dink’s legacy and the founding principles of the newspaper in his new role while allowing a young editorial team to bring Agos into the future.
According to sources close to the Dink family, the paper may hire additional new staff in the near future.
Agos is an Armenian weekly newspaper published in Istanbul. It was established on April 5, 1996. The paper has pages both in Armenian and Turkish as well as an online English edition.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The Turkish- and Armenian-language newspaper previously helmed by assassinated journalist Hrant Dink has been assigned a new editor in chief, young journalist Rober Koptaş.
Koptaş, 32, was previously a columnist at weekly Agos and will take over the top editorial spot as former Editor-in-Chief Etyen Mahçupyan moves into a new role as publishing consultant. The change, Mahçupyan said, will start with this week’s issue of the paper.
“We will hold a press conference together with Koptaş next week and make a joint statement. It would be inappropriate for me to speak prior to the press conference without his presence,” Mahçupyan said, refusing to answer further questions.
Longtime journalist Mahçupyan took the job with the Dink family’s consent after his predecessor was assassinated in 2007 and kept a lower profile than the slain editor.
Mahçupyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that he will honor Dink’s legacy and the founding principles of the newspaper in his new role while allowing a young editorial team to bring Agos into the future.
According to sources close to the Dink family, the paper may hire additional new staff in the near future.
Agos is an Armenian weekly newspaper published in Istanbul. It was established on April 5, 1996. The paper has pages both in Armenian and Turkish as well as an online English edition.
5 Haziran 2010 Cumartesi
Halide Edip Adıvar - Cemal Pasha
New book sheds light on political side of female
Friday, June 4, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - HURRIYET DAILY NEWS
Secrets about Halide Edip Adıvar, the renowned author of the late-Ottoman and early-Republican eras, have been revealed in a new book.
As famous for her engagement in politics as she was for her literary works, Adıvar’s prolific life has been illustrated by İpek Çalışlar, who, after many years of research, sheds light on many dark parts in the author’s biography.
Published by Everest Books, "Halide Edip – Larger than Her Biography” (Halide Edip: Biyografisine Sığmayan Kadın) has a few chapters examining certain events of 1915 and Adıvar’s alleged role in them via the letters she wrote to Cemal Pasha, one of the founders of the Committee of Union and Progress.
The other striking chapters of the book are about Adıvar’s devoted relationship with Atatürk, her role in the national liberation movement, and her escape to the United Kingdom.
Speaking to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Çalışlar said this book is an alternative to official history. “Until now Adıvar’s literary life has been in the forefront. But there has been very little emphasis on her politics. Adıvar is an object of interest in the Western world,” she said.
One of the most widely known arguments of the Armenian diaspora is that Adıvar had an active role in the events of 1915, and that she helped the conversion of orphaned Armenian kids to Islam in the Ayin Toura camp in Lebanon, following Cemal Pashas’s orders.
"Unlike what has been claimed Adıvar clearly states in her letters that she does not approve of the 1915 events. They ordered her to perform the tasks at Ayin Tura but she argued heatedly with Cemal Pasha about the children’s conversion and their being given Turkish names,” Çalışlar said.
“During the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the establishment of the Armenian nation-state further effected Adıvar’s inclination toward nationalism,” she said. “Although she first referred to the events as ‘massacre,’ she later said, ‘We have slaughtered each other, but we still cannot deny the pain and suffering everybody has gone through,’” Çalışlar said.
Çalışlar said the reason she focused on Adıvar’s politics was because she was the “only woman around [in the political circles] in those times. She is a historical personality, and last but not least she was a dissenter.”
Saying that Adıvar was also famous in the international arena, Çalışlar added: "Adıvar ranked high in the list published during the First World War about prominent women in the Ottoman Empire. Of course this is not the only reason she was so prominent - while she lived in England she had close contacts in the Western world."
Çalışlar said her relationship with Atatürk was not a love affair, adding that she based her research on the letters she found in the Columbia University library. “This book will lead the way for further research,” she said.
Friday, June 4, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - HURRIYET DAILY NEWS
Secrets about Halide Edip Adıvar, the renowned author of the late-Ottoman and early-Republican eras, have been revealed in a new book.
As famous for her engagement in politics as she was for her literary works, Adıvar’s prolific life has been illustrated by İpek Çalışlar, who, after many years of research, sheds light on many dark parts in the author’s biography.
Published by Everest Books, "Halide Edip – Larger than Her Biography” (Halide Edip: Biyografisine Sığmayan Kadın) has a few chapters examining certain events of 1915 and Adıvar’s alleged role in them via the letters she wrote to Cemal Pasha, one of the founders of the Committee of Union and Progress.
The other striking chapters of the book are about Adıvar’s devoted relationship with Atatürk, her role in the national liberation movement, and her escape to the United Kingdom.
Speaking to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Çalışlar said this book is an alternative to official history. “Until now Adıvar’s literary life has been in the forefront. But there has been very little emphasis on her politics. Adıvar is an object of interest in the Western world,” she said.
One of the most widely known arguments of the Armenian diaspora is that Adıvar had an active role in the events of 1915, and that she helped the conversion of orphaned Armenian kids to Islam in the Ayin Toura camp in Lebanon, following Cemal Pashas’s orders.
"Unlike what has been claimed Adıvar clearly states in her letters that she does not approve of the 1915 events. They ordered her to perform the tasks at Ayin Tura but she argued heatedly with Cemal Pasha about the children’s conversion and their being given Turkish names,” Çalışlar said.
“During the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the establishment of the Armenian nation-state further effected Adıvar’s inclination toward nationalism,” she said. “Although she first referred to the events as ‘massacre,’ she later said, ‘We have slaughtered each other, but we still cannot deny the pain and suffering everybody has gone through,’” Çalışlar said.
Çalışlar said the reason she focused on Adıvar’s politics was because she was the “only woman around [in the political circles] in those times. She is a historical personality, and last but not least she was a dissenter.”
Saying that Adıvar was also famous in the international arena, Çalışlar added: "Adıvar ranked high in the list published during the First World War about prominent women in the Ottoman Empire. Of course this is not the only reason she was so prominent - while she lived in England she had close contacts in the Western world."
Çalışlar said her relationship with Atatürk was not a love affair, adding that she based her research on the letters she found in the Columbia University library. “This book will lead the way for further research,” she said.
2 Haziran 2010 Çarşamba
New guidebook for Armenian tourists to Van
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The recent increase in the number of visitors from Armenia and its diaspora to the eastern Turkish city of Van prompts the publishing of an Armenian-language tourism guide to the region, where the renovation and reopening as a museum of the Surp Haç church on Akdamar Island has drawn much attention
The reopening as a museum of the renovated Surp Haç church on Lake Van’s Akdamar Island in eastern Turkey has drawn crowds of tourists despite earlier arguments about the placement of the historical building’s cross.
In response to the demand, a tourist guidebook has been prepared for the Istanbul Armenians, Armenian tourists and members of the Armenian diaspora who have been flocking to the site.
According to Hüsamettin Öztürk, the culture and art administrator for the Van municipality, the guidebook was printed not only in Armenian but in Kurdish, Arabic and Persian as well.
“When it comes to the Armenian version, our ancestors lived together in Van and shared the same culture,” Öztürk told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. “There is a lot of that heritage in this city in the form of historical relics, which encouraged us to prepare this tourist handbook.”
The translations were done by the employees of the weekly newspaper Agos, which is printed both in Turkish and Armenian. The guidebook, Öztürk said, has the exactly the same content as the Turkish original
“Van’s history dates back to B.C. times. The city has hosted many civilizations such as the Urartus, Medes, Persians and Seljuks,” he added.
The content of the book, rather than the language in which it was printed, is what matters, said Gagik Gyurjian, the former deputy head of the Armenian culture ministry. “I do not know about its contents, but I would like to look through it,” he said. “But if the handbook still ignores traces of Armenian civilization and its cultural wealth in line with Turkey’s official ideology, it does not matter at all in what language it was published in. Respect for history comes first.”
The Turkish cultural ministry has approved the opening of the historical church for religious services once a year, with the first service to be held Sept. 19. The governor’s office and the municipality are working together on the preparations for the event.
“There already is a noticeable rise in the number of tourists in the city, and many of them are Armenian,” Öztürk said, adding that officials had attended the International Tourism Fair in Yerevan from May 13 to 16 and held meetings with nongovernmental organizations and artists in the country.
The municipal official also said Armenian artists and institutions had been invited to the Lake Van Culture, Arts and Nature Festival, which will be held for first time between June 30 and July 4. “Our fair in Yerevan attracted interest,” he said. “The participation of Armenia in the festival will contribute greatly to Van’s tourism.”
Öztürk said Van’s advertising activities were not limited to Armenia and aim to make the eastern Turkish city known all around the world. “After the renovation of the Akdamar church, we had many visitors from Armenia. But we have further goals,” he said. “Van could be a new center in dialogue between civilizations and religions.”
Responding to Öztürk’s remarks, Gyurjian said: “Cultural heritages are shared by all humanity, therefore so is Surp Haç. We should not deny their identities and forget their real names.”
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The recent increase in the number of visitors from Armenia and its diaspora to the eastern Turkish city of Van prompts the publishing of an Armenian-language tourism guide to the region, where the renovation and reopening as a museum of the Surp Haç church on Akdamar Island has drawn much attention
The reopening as a museum of the renovated Surp Haç church on Lake Van’s Akdamar Island in eastern Turkey has drawn crowds of tourists despite earlier arguments about the placement of the historical building’s cross.
In response to the demand, a tourist guidebook has been prepared for the Istanbul Armenians, Armenian tourists and members of the Armenian diaspora who have been flocking to the site.
According to Hüsamettin Öztürk, the culture and art administrator for the Van municipality, the guidebook was printed not only in Armenian but in Kurdish, Arabic and Persian as well.
“When it comes to the Armenian version, our ancestors lived together in Van and shared the same culture,” Öztürk told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. “There is a lot of that heritage in this city in the form of historical relics, which encouraged us to prepare this tourist handbook.”
The translations were done by the employees of the weekly newspaper Agos, which is printed both in Turkish and Armenian. The guidebook, Öztürk said, has the exactly the same content as the Turkish original
“Van’s history dates back to B.C. times. The city has hosted many civilizations such as the Urartus, Medes, Persians and Seljuks,” he added.
The content of the book, rather than the language in which it was printed, is what matters, said Gagik Gyurjian, the former deputy head of the Armenian culture ministry. “I do not know about its contents, but I would like to look through it,” he said. “But if the handbook still ignores traces of Armenian civilization and its cultural wealth in line with Turkey’s official ideology, it does not matter at all in what language it was published in. Respect for history comes first.”
The Turkish cultural ministry has approved the opening of the historical church for religious services once a year, with the first service to be held Sept. 19. The governor’s office and the municipality are working together on the preparations for the event.
“There already is a noticeable rise in the number of tourists in the city, and many of them are Armenian,” Öztürk said, adding that officials had attended the International Tourism Fair in Yerevan from May 13 to 16 and held meetings with nongovernmental organizations and artists in the country.
The municipal official also said Armenian artists and institutions had been invited to the Lake Van Culture, Arts and Nature Festival, which will be held for first time between June 30 and July 4. “Our fair in Yerevan attracted interest,” he said. “The participation of Armenia in the festival will contribute greatly to Van’s tourism.”
Öztürk said Van’s advertising activities were not limited to Armenia and aim to make the eastern Turkish city known all around the world. “After the renovation of the Akdamar church, we had many visitors from Armenia. But we have further goals,” he said. “Van could be a new center in dialogue between civilizations and religions.”
Responding to Öztürk’s remarks, Gyurjian said: “Cultural heritages are shared by all humanity, therefore so is Surp Haç. We should not deny their identities and forget their real names.”
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