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Turkish Cultural Season In France Viewed From Lyon

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  • Turkish Cultural Season In France Viewed From Lyon

    TURKISH CULTURAL SEASON IN FRANCE VIEWED FROM LYON
    By Andrea Giambartolomei

    cafebabel.com
    22/10/08
    France

    Fre d Bassier and Faik Sardag, bass player and singer of French-Turkish
    band, Fake Oddity (Image: AG)

    The cultural and political relationship between France and Turkey is
    ambivalent. Events such as France's recognition of Armenian genocide
    and Sarkozy's opposition to Ankara's entry into the EU make 2009 a
    pivotal year focus

    'Certain political choices have had very negative effects,' states
    Ugur Hukum, journalist for Radio France International and Paris
    correspondent for the centre-left daily Cumhuriyet. 'Sarkozy's
    stance and that of his colleagues and the National Assembly on the
    Armenian genocide have made Turks more suspicious towards Europe,
    and France especially,' he continues. Has Turkey become stigmatised
    in the opinion of the French public? The 'Year of Turkey' starts in
    July 2009 and ends in March 2010. Co-organised by the French culture
    ministry, it will justifiably be looking to restore the tarnished
    image of the Turkish people, with the help of a series of initiatives.

    In the Pentes de Croix Rousse Quarter On the premises of an association
    located near the Pentes de Crois Rousse district in Lyon, immigrants
    meet, sip the national drink cay and play okey, a Turkish tile
    game. They smoke, despite the ban imposed at the beginning of the
    year 'This event will promote good relations,' says Ilyas, 52. 'Our
    culture is vast. Its history is ancient: you have only to think of
    the Ottoman Empire.' 'The French know Turkey and the Turks well,'
    continues Mustapha, 28. 'Even Sarkozy knows it, but he doesn't want
    it in the EU. Turkey has 70 million Muslims: perhaps he is scared.'

    'Turkey has 70 million Muslims: perhaps Sarkozy is scared' The two
    men state that Turkey is already at the heart of several events. 'In
    Lyon, some cultural centres organise Whirling Dervish performances,
    oriental parties and debates,' says Ilyas. Mustapha asserts, without
    any pretensions, that he is unsure of whether 'Turkish singers coming
    here can really promote good relations and integration.' How many
    French people visit the Franco-Turkish association? 'Sometimes someone
    who has taken a trip to Turkey will come and have a cup of tea and
    chat for a bit,' says Ilyas. 'Then there are those ...' He repeats
    himself, as if to reassure himself that occasionally a visitor can
    shyly penetrate this little corner of Anatolia.

    Turkey: yes, no, don't care?

    The association in Lyon | (Image: Andrea Giambartolomei)If you look
    at the culture industry, the French are definitely attracted by and
    curious about Turkey. 'In the last five years, editors have translated
    and published many Turkish authors. In a well-stocked bookshop you can
    find works by thirty Turkish authors,' asserts Hukum. 'We can remember
    the success of Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and that of poets like
    YaÅ~_ar Kemal and Nazim Hikmet, and of romance novelists such as Nedim
    Gursel and Elif Å~^afak.' The list is long: 'In music, there is Fasil
    Say who, with his album and his Mozart pieces, has had great success in
    the last six years. In cinema, Nuri Bilge Ceylan took away two prizes
    at Cannes, and there is the young German-Turkish director, Fatih Akin.'

    Fake Oddity is a band in Lyon whose singer, Faik Sardag, is originally
    from Turkey. 'People could get along just fine, but the media blocks
    any possibility of making connections,' he says. With his band he
    recorded his latest album Runfast in Istanbul, where they also had
    several concerts. This experience enabled the French members of the
    group to learn a little bit about the country and its inhabitants.

    This project is directed at young rock enthusiasts An example of
    successful integration and the potential for cultural exchange, they
    have decided to get involved in the Turkish cultural season. 'We
    have suggested an exchange between Lyon and Istanbul, with some
    Turkish bands coming to play here, eventually accompanied by other
    artists,' explains drummer Fred Bassier, who is busy organising
    this project. 'This project is directed at young rock enthusiasts,
    but we would also like to organise events with Turkish story-tellers
    for children and parents.'

    --Boundary_(ID_cLgEFubgbCisZwlhDBoTzQ)- -
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