The TCF-DATU scientific team provided pro-bono analytical services to the Ministry of Culture’s Istanbul Central Laboratory for Restoration and Conservation to guide the restoration of a historical sanjak-flag. In addition to analytical services, DATU helped the restoration process with dyeing and other technical assistance. Reportedly, the sanjak was woven by girls of the Sahnali village in the Afyon province 135 years ago and given to 21 young men who enlisted in the Ottoman army prior to the 1877-1878 wars with Russia. Only two soldiers survived the war, Sergeant Mustafa and Private Suleyman. When Sergeant Mustafa fell ill and died on their return journey, he entrusted the flag to Suleyman with orders to return it to the village. It had been safeguarded in the village mosque ever since until the grandchildren of Sergeant Mustafa and other locals applied to the Ministry of Culture for its restoration and proper preservation. The restored sanjak was ceremonially presented to the Governor of Aydin province  and will be on display there until its transfer to a museum.

For the second year, TCF is providing support to promote Turkish Rock in the U.S. by sponsoring Gripin, a leading Turkish rock band and Los Angeles-based Turkish American rock band Twenty7. The tour will include concerts in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Dallas, as well as a performance by Gripin at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas. For dates and venues, please visit the TCF calendar.

TCF awarded a grant to NY2Dance, a non-profit arts organization led by Turkish American choreographer and dancer Nejla Yatkin. Receiving TCF funding for the third year, this year’s support will assist the creation of a coreography inspired that will accompany Anatolian Inspirations, a concert by Modern Works Ensemble on March 6 at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The concert will feature works by Turkish composers and is organzied on the occasion of the exhibition by Turkish photographer Ara Guler at the Freer Gallery, In Focus: Ara Guler's Anatolia. Nejla Yatkin’s solo performance is also scheduled to be performed at the International Contemporary Dance Festival in Siberia later in April.

Restructured under a new format, TCF is now accepting applications for its Fellowship in Turkish Culture and Art. The Fellowship will be awarded for outstanding papers published in the area of Turkish cultural and social studies, as well as to support participation of scholars in leading conferences in this subject area. For detailed eligibility and application information, please visit the TCF website.

On February 11, the TCF Lecture Series in Turkish Culture and Art held at the TCF Istanbul offices featured Prof.Dr.Nurhan Atasoy, who gave a lecture on Ottoman Imperial Garments. On March 11, Dr.Atasoy will open a window into late period Ottoman living traditions with her lecture on “Turkish Lifestyle at the Dolmabahce Palace.”

All TCF lectures are recorded and periodically uploaded on the TCF Video Gallery for online viewing. The latest additions to the Gallery are Surname-i Humayun by Dr.Atasoy and The Gun of Sultan Mahmut I in Baltimore by Dr.Tim Stanley.

Tayfun Serttas (TCF Cultural Exchange Fellow-2014) will present his solo exhibition "Mimarlar Mezarligi / Cemetery of Architects" at the Studio-X Istanbul in January 31-March 28, 2014. He will also participate in the art residency program at Cité International des Arts in Paris between January and March, 2014.

Ali Dolanbay (TCF Cultural Exchange Fellow-2013) will present a live performative installation "Untitled Singular Act" at the Kulturhuset within the Supermarket 2014-Stockholm Independent Art Fair on February 16, 2013.

The Intensive Ottoman and Turkish Summer School, supported by a multi-year grant from the Turkish Cultural Foundation, announced its 2014 session, which will take on July 7-August 15. The school takes place in Cunda, Turkey and  is open to everyone interested in continuing their study of Ottoman and Turkish for the purpose of academic research with priority given to qualified doctoral students.  Please visit here for more information on how to apply.

The TCF Culinary Art Center-YESAM hosted a lecture by Ibrahim Canbulat on “Paphlagonia Feast: The Tastes of Western Black Sea Region,” on January 23 and a lecture on “Boza: A culture inherited from Ottoman times” by Sadik Vefa, 4th generation owner of the famous Vefa Bozacisi on February 12. Past YESAM lectures are periodically uploaded and are available for viewing on the TCF Video Gallery.

YESAM also hosted 31 graduate students from twelve different countries who are studying international tourism at the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland.  During their visit to YESAM, the students attended a seminar on Turkish cuisine given by Banu Ozden, YESAM coordinator, and enjoyed a demonstration on how Turkish traditional akide candy is made.

Meanwhile, Turkish cooking traditions are highlighted every month with the YESAM Recipe of the Month, which features a recipe for Stuffed Mackerel for February.