For the fourth year, a major TCF grant will support the organization of the Annual Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival organized by the American Turkish Association of North Carolina. The Festival will be held on April 15 at the Page Walker Arts & History Center in Cary, NC and celebrate the life and poetry of Nazim Hikmet. This year's festival also pays tribute to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. A poetry competition precedes the festival, which this year received 700 poems from 250 poets from North Carolina, across the United States and the world.  The winners will read their poetry at the Festival alongside other noted poets.

The TCF Culinary Arts Institute - YESAM at ARMAGGAN Nuruosmaniye will host two seminars in April. On April 18, Nedim Atilla will speak on the "Tastes of Spring." On April 24, Olus Molu, board member of Vinolus Wines, will speak on "The Story of Organic Agriculture and Wine Production." Both lectures are presented in Turkish. The lectures are open to the public, registration is required. For more information on Turkish culinary heritage, please visit the TCF Turkish Cuisine Portal.

The April TCF Lectures at the Istanbul office will feature Prof. Dr. Heath Lowry, Ataturk Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies, Princeton University and Visiting Professor at Bahcesehir University, on April 10. His lecture, titled "An American in Ankara-1921" will capture the journey of American journalist Clarence K. Streit in Turkey in 1921. The lecture is based on Dr. Lowry's book, "Clarence K. Streit's The Unknown Turks." On April 11, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Eyuce, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Bahcesehir University will speak on "Architecture of a Multi-layered City: Istanbul" (Cok Katmanli bir Kentin Mimarisi: Istanbul).

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

TCF Senior Scholar in Residence, Prof.Dr.Nurhan Atasoy, and Dr.Lale Uluc lectured on their new book Impressions of Ottoman Culture in Europe: 1453-1699 to over 120 scholars and academics at a conference on March 27. They also provided a lecture on the book as part of the TCF Lecture Series in Turkish Culture and Art on March 28. On April 21, Dr. Atasoy will lecture at the Ahmet Pristina City Archives and Museum in Izmir on the book, organized by the Aksit Cultural Center.

TCF has provided a grant to support the 3rd Annual International Children's Friendship Festival in Seattle, organized by the Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington. The celebration marks April 23rd, National Sovereignty and Children's Day in Turkey and will take place at the Museum of History and Industry on April 22. The festival will feature musical and dance performances from various ethnic communities, as well as a children's forum on education.

TCF has provided a grant to support The Space Between: A Panorama of Cinema in Turkey, organized by the Moon and Stars Project of the American Turkish Society and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The event will take place on April 27 - May 10 at the Walter Reade Theater at the Lincoln Center in New York City.