As part of the Turkish Cultural Foundation's Teacher Study Tours, the first group of  American middle and high school teachers visited Turkey in early July 2015. The teachers began their 14-day journey in İstanbul and traveled to Gelibolu (Gallipoli) and Troy, Çanakkale, Bursa, Kuşadası, Pamukkale, Konya and Çatalhöyük, Cappadocia and Ankara. The second group of teachers arrived in İstanbul on July 22 to experience the same tour. A total of 48 teachers have participated in the TCF Teacher Study Tours this summer. You can read more about the teachers’ journey on the TCF Study Tour Blog and on Facebook and Twitter. 

TCF awarded eight fellowships to artists and other culture professionals under the TCF Cultural Exchange Fellowship. The Fellowship has been awarded to 85 individuals to date.

For more information on the 2015 TCF Cultural Exchange Fellows and their events, please visit the TCF website and TCF Culture Calendar.

TCF awarded a major grant to support the Houston Turkish Festival, organized by the American Turkish Association of Houston. The festival will take place on November 14-15, 2015.

TCF has provided a major grant to underwrite the 2015 session of the Intensive Ottoman and Turkish Summer School (IOTSS) conducted every year since 1997 by the Ottoman Studies Foundation in Cunda (Ayvalık), Turkey. The school provides proficiency-based instruction in reading and translating Ottoman Turkish texts in both manuscript and printed forms.

The IOTSS is the only study abroad program that offers training in advanced level Ottoman Turkish paleography and language. TCF has provided major funding to the program since 2010.

A TCF research grant underwrote a project by Turkish American music Ebru Yıldız, who specializes in music photography.

Ms.Yıldız interviewed leading and upcoming independent (do-it-yourself-DIY) Turkish musicians who draw inspiration from traditional Turkish music, including music icons like Erkin Koray and Selda Bağcan. The resulting photo essay, titled "New Traditions and Old Ways: A Visual Guide to Turkey’s Thriving DIY Scene" was published on the online music portal, Pitchfork.com. The article also includes a playlist of musicians covered in the story and can be accessed here.

Banu Özden of the Culinary Arts Center gave two presentations on "The Culinary Heritage of Turkey" to the TCF Teacher Study Tour participants.

Turkish cooking traditions are highlighted every month with the YESAM Recipe of the Month, which currently features Hünkar Beğendi, stewed lamb with eggplant puree.

Barış Can Aksakal (TCF Cultural Exchange Fellow-2014), a glass artist, has been exhibiting his work in a group exhibition "Koalisyon/Coalition 2015" at D'art Gallery from June 24-August 8, 2015.

Gizem Aksu (TCF Cultural Exchange Fellow-2015), dancer and choreographer, is attending the residency program of DanceWEB within the framework of the ImPulsTanz-Vienna international Dance Festival from July 15-August 19, 2015.