The "Spotlight on Turkey" 2015 was launched this month with the selection of the 12 local chapters of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) from among 23 councils who applied. The 2015 councils are: Santa Fe Council on International Relations, World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C., Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (Hawaii), Northern Nevada International Center, Montana World Affairs Council, World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, Dayton Council on World Affairs, World Affairs Council of Las Vegas, World Affairs Council of Seattle, World Affairs Council of Houston, World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, World Affairs Council of Inland Southern California. The 2015 Spotlight on Turkey program will begin with Teacher Workshops on Turkey, followed by two TCF Teacher Study Tours in the summer of 2015 and "Portrait of Turkey" cultural programs in the fall. For more information on upcoming Spotlight on Turkey events, visit the TCF Education Portal.

On December 12, TCF and Armaggan Art and Design Gallery partnered in the opening of a group exhibition of works by Turkish contemporary artists at Bene Rialto in New York. The exhibition features Aslı Kutluay, Nadia Arditi, Camekan, Meral Değer, Derya Özparlak, Dinçer Güngörür, Ayşegül Kırmızı, Dilek Aydıncıoğlu, Pembe Hilal Tüzüner, Semra Özümerzifon and will remain open until January 15, 2015. The opening of the show was widely covered in the media and also featured on Voice of America.

On December 23, YESAM hosted Tuba Şatana for a seminar on "Artisan Foodshopkeepers of Istanbul." Ms. Şatana is a culinary culture resarcher and food photographer, who also writes for Radikal daily newspaper. In January, YESAM will host Ayfer Yavi, culinary expert, who will talk about the history of open market bazaars of Turkey. Past YESAM lectures are periodically uploaded for online viewing on the TCF Video Portal. The latest video additions are the lectures by Aylin Öney Tan on the use of dried vegetables in Turkish cuisine and on "Bread and Civilization" by Dr. Ahmet Uhri.

Meanwhile, Turkish cooking traditions are highlighted every month with the YESAM Recipe of the Month, which features a recipe for Kale Stew with Cracked Corn for December.

This month, the TCF Istanbul office hosted a lecture by Dr. Savaş Arslan, Chair of the Department of Cinema and Television at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, who gave a talk on "Cinema in Turkey: A Multiple History" on December 16. Dr. Recep Karadağ of the TCF Cultural Heritage Preservation and Natural Dyes Laboratory-DATU spoke on the topic of "Understanding and Conserving the Past and Recreating Natural Dyes for Today" on December 23. All TCF Istanbul lectures are recorded and may be watched online on the TCF Video Gallery. The lectures by Prof. Ayla Ersoy of Yeditepe University, who spoke on the history and art of Turkish painting in the 18th and 19th centuries, and by Dr. Yonca Kösebay Erkan on the UNESCO World Heritage Convention are the latest additions. For more information on upcoming TCF Lecture Series in Turkish Culture and Art, visit here.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sumiyo Okumura, TCF Art Historian, gave two lectures on "The Art of Turkish Carpets" in Japan, at Konan University on December 6 and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies on December 12.

Dr. Mehmet Ali Sanlikol (TCF Academic Fellow-2013), a faculty member in Performing Arts at Emerson College and musician has been nominated for a Grammy Award for his composition "Vecd" which was included in the album "Dreams & Prayers" by "A Far Cry," a Boston based string orchestra. The composition has been nominated in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category.

Hüseyin Eryurt (TCF Academic Fellow-2014) and Kate Clow (TCF Academic Fellow-2014) participated in a conference on cultural tourism, titled "European Pilgrimage Routes for Promoting Sustainable and Quality Tourism in Rural Areas," organized by Universita degli studi Firenze on December 4-6. Mr. Eryurt spoke about "The Evliya Çelebi Way," while Ms. Clow presented her paper on the "St. Paul Trail."