The Ayasli Research Center (ARC) was inaugurated at a ceremony on March 5 at the Middle East Technical University (METU-ODTU).  The ARC was donated to the METU Electrical Engineering Department by TCF as part of its founding mission to advance cultural, educational and scientific projects and exchanges.

TCF and ARMAGGAN Publications released Impressions of Ottoman Culture in Europe: 1453-1699 by Nurhan Atasoy, TCF Senior Scholar in Residence, and her co-author Lale Uluc with a reception on March 13. This ground-breaking new book is the culmination of a six-year research project by the authors conducted in 14 countries under the sponsorship of TCF. The book is available at ARMAGGAN and book stores in Turkey and may be ordered at Turkish Culture Shop and on Amazon.

TCF has awarded 14 scholars with its Fellowship in Turkish Culture and Art for 2012. The TCF Fellowship Program was launched in 2007 and has since been awarded to 52 scholars. It is designed to support scholarship and publications on Turkish culture and art with the goal to increase knowledge on Turkey's cultural heritage.

The TCF Culinary Arts Institute - YESAM at ARMAGGAN Nuruosmaniye will host two seminars in March. On March 21, Nedim Atilla will speak on Bosniak Cuisine. On March 29, Deniz Gursoy will present on "A Historical Perspective on Turkish Cuisine." Both lectures are presented in Turkish. For more information on Turkish culinary heritage, please visit the TCF Turkish Cuisine Portal.

The March TCF Lectures at the Istanbul office feature Prof.Dr. Haluk Dursun, President of the Hagia Sophia Museum, who will speak on "Cultural Values of Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia Museum" on March 15 (Lecture is in Turkish). Stefano Ionescu, a carpet scholar, will present a lecture on "Tracing the Ottoman Rugs in Transylvania" on March 16.

The TCF Istanbul Lectures are periodically added to the TCF website for online viewing. For upcoming TCF lectures, please visit here.

Dr. Recep Karadag, Head of the TCF Natural Dyes Research and Development Laboratory - DATU presented a paper at an international conference at Kocaeli University on March 1-3, 2012, titled "Restoration Project of Silk Brocades in the Topkapi Palace Museum" which focused on the work of DATU at the Topkapi Palace Museum to help restore textiles at the Museum.

TCF Senior Scholar in Residence, Prof. Dr. Nurhan Atasoy, gave several lectures in March to the Istanbul Tourist Guides Guild. Her lectures focused on "Ottoman Silk", "Turkish Carpets in Europe" and "Imperial Ottoman Tents." Dr. Atasoy was also featured on several Turkish television channels about her newly published book, Impressions of Ottoman Culture in Europe: 1453-1699.

A TCF grant will enable the display of Turkish modern art on the summit of the Everest. A project by Turkish artist Taylan Akdag, the summit exhibition will feature reproductions of the works of young Turkish artists in the "One" exhibition at the ARMAGGAN Art and Design Gallery.

TCF awarded a major grant to the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England to support the 11th Boston Turkish Film and Music Festival. The festival will run from March 22 through April 22.

TCF will sponsor an exhibition by Turkish ceramic artists organized by Istanbul Concept at the 46th Annual Conference of the National Council of Education for the Ceramic Arts-NCECA in Seattle on March 28-31. The Turkish exhibition is organized under the theme "Tolerance."

TCF awarded a grant to the Turkish Cultural Club at UCLA to support the annual Turkish Culture Night at the University on April 6.

TCF has awarded its Turkish American School Grant to the Turkish American Society of Northeast Ohio (TASNO) to support the TASNO School. Turkish American community schools can also receive free educational material from TCF. To request a package for your school, please contact washington@turkishculture.org.