March - April 2005



Upcoming Events and Announcements
1. "Turkey: A Key Player in the 21st Century", Lecture, March 24th
2. "ARMENIAN ALLEGATION OF GENOCIDE", Public lecture, March 25th
3. Turkish Movie Night, to be announced, April 1st
4. The BALKANICUS, concert, April 3rd
5. TAAM Brunch, April 3rd


Thursday, March 24, 5:45pm coctails, 6:30pm dinner
Place: Carver's, Hilton Hotel, 1001 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis

Topic: "Turkey: A Key Player in the 21st Century" Speaker: Dr. Osman Faruk Lo*o*lu, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the U.S.A.

Our topic for the evening will be Turkey's rle in the world in the 21st Century. Sitting astride a major crossroads of trade and cultural interchange, Turkey has for centuries had a pivotal role to play in the political and economic fortunes of the region, and the challenges and opportunities facing this democratic, secular, Muslim nation state are perhaps greater in many ways this century than at any time in its history. Our speaker will discuss Turkey's current and future relationships with the other countries of the Middle East, Russia, the United States, and especially the European Union, with whom formal accession talks for membership just began in December, 2004.

Our meeting is at Carver's, Hilton Hotel, 1001 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis (Tel: 612-376-1000). You may bring guests to the program, the charge is $45. Please make your reservation by e-mail or return card - there is no need to do both. Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Change reservations by e-mail or by calling Roger Prestwich at 612-659-7293.

Friday, March 25, 2005
Place:Coffman, Room 324, 7pm
"ARMENIAN ALLEGATION OF GENOCIDE"

Host speaker: TURKKAYA ATAOV
Emeritus Professor of International Relations

Hosted by TASA, Sponsored by ATAA and Minnesota Turkish Voice

Dr. Turkkaya Ataov is Professor Emeritus of International Relations at Ankara University (Turkey), where he was engaged, in the last four decades, in the research and teaching of that discipline. He received his M.A. Int. Relations, Syracuse University; M.A., Economics, NYU; Ph.D, Political Science, Maxwell Graduate School, 1959, Syracuse University. Prof. Atav is the author of over one hundred published books, a few hundred shorter scholarly research work in academic journals and a few thousand newspaper articles. He was awarded medals/academic honors by sixteen governments/scholarly research centers.

Sunday, April 3, 2005
Place:St.Thomas University, Brady Educational Center, 7pm
"The BALKANICUS"


St. Thomas University presents the Third Balkan Chamber Concert of Contemporary Music "Balkanicus" With Patrick O'Keefe: clarinet, Nickolai Kolarov: cello, Adam Kuenzel: flute, John Michael Smith: double bass, Pinar Tekmen: piano.

St. Thomas University presents the Third Balkan Chamber Concert of Contemporary Music ^Balkanicus^ on Sunday, April 3, 2005, 7 p.m. This unique and enlightening concert will take place in Brady Educational Center Auditorium, St Paul campus. Admission is free; donations are welcomed.

Some of the most outstanding musicians in the Twin Cities are featured: Adam Kuenzel of the Minnesota Orchestra, John Michael Smith of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and ICE (Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble), Patrick O'Keefe of "Zeitgeist", the excellent Turkish pianist Pinar Tekmen and Nickolai Kolarov, the driving force of these concerts.

His idea is to show a side of the Balkan culture, different from the already popular folk ^ the modern chamber music from this region. This vision brought to life these concerts, unique to the Midwest and probably to the United States, which started in 2003. Chamber works from different countries: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, Romania and Turkey, are included. Composers from different generations and styles are presented.

This year's concert is dedicated to one of the pioneers of the modern music in Bulgaria, Lazar Nikolov, who passed away on February 7th 2005. It includes one world and four American premieres.

Sunday, April 3, 2005, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Place: Campiello Uptown, 1320 W Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 825 2222
Price: Adults - $16.95, Children - $6.95

Brunch includes:
One complimentary glass of champagne, mimosa or orange juice Muffins, rolls and fresh fruit Scrambled eggs Beef, Potato gratin with Italian ham Waffles with fresh fruit compote Pasta. Everyone is welcome! Please RSVP by Thursday, March 31st to Nergis Peterson at: (952) 892-3941 or steveandnergis@frontiernet.net Or Serpil Metin at: (952) 294-8259 or serpil_metin@cargill.com