Campus Cafe!

You will find Turkish literature, news from Turkey, comments on art and culture at Campus Cafe. When you need a break from your Turkish studies, stop by Campus cafe with your tea or coffee and enjoy what we selected for you.

Turkish Literature

I AM LISTENING TO ISTANBUL

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
At first there blows a gentle breeze
And the leaves on the trees
Softly flutter or sway;
Out there, far away,
The bells of water carriers incessantly ring;
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
Then suddenly birds fly by,
Flocks of birds, high up, in a hue and cry
While nets are drawn in the fishing grounds
And a woman's feet begin to dabble in the water.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
The Grand Bazaar is serene and cool,
A hubbub at the hub of the market,
Mosque yards are brimful of pigeons,
At the docks while hammers bang and clang
Spring winds bear the smell of sweat;
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
Still giddy since bygone bacchanals,
A seaside mansion with dingy boathouses is fast asleep,
Amid the din and drone of southern winds, reposed,
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
Now a dainty girl walks by on the sidewalk:
Cusswords, tunes and songs, malapert remarks;
Something falls on the ground out of her hand,
It's a rose I guess.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
A bird flutters round your skirt;
I know your brow is moist with sweat
And your lips are wet.
A silver moon rises beyond the pine trees:
I can sense it all in your heart's throbbing.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

Orhan Veli Kanık

Translated by Talat Sait Halman (1982) Click here for more poems by Orhan Veli

Bulletin Board

Half of Turks Would Vote to Join EU

January 21, 2010

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Half of the population of Turkey would support their country???s bid to enter the European Union (EU),
according to a poll by MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center. 49.7 per cent of respondents would vote "Yes" in a referendum on accession, while 34.9 per cent would vote against it.

If a referendum on Turkey joining the European Union (EU) took place today, how would you vote?

Yes 49.7%
No 34.9%
Other 15.4%
Source: MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,614 Turkish adults, conducted from
Jan 3 to Jan 8, 2010. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.

Death of gay activist brings Turkey's attitude toward gays into focus

Thu, Jan 21 2010 14:53 CET

For 26-year-old Ahmet Yildiz, the choice to live openly as a gay man in Turkey proved deadly. Prosecutors say his father, charged with allegedly killing his son in what is being dubbed as the first gay honor killing, traveled more than 900 kilometers from his hometown to shoot his son in an old neighborhood of Istanbul. The case has drawn international attention and is putting the spotlight on Turkey's attitude towards homosexuality.

The young physics student, Ahmet Yildiz, was one of the few openly gay men in Turkey, a country in which the military, the guardian of Turkey's secular state, regards homosexuality as a disorder. Read More

ISTANBUL LAUNCHES YEAR AS EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

The official start of Istanbul's tenure as 2010 European Capital of Culture (ECOC) took place over the weekend at the Halic Congress Center. More than 4,000 guests, including President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attended the event. The occasion began with a speech by Sekip Avdagic, the chairman of the ECOC Agency, who explained the process of how Istanbul was chosen a capital of culture, how the agency was established, and how its 500-plus projects had been chosen. Saying that it was a privilege to have the opportunity to serve Istanbul, Avdagic called the city a common ground, common culture, common past and common future with the world.

Citing verses by poets Yahya Kemal, Sezai Karakoc, Necip FazIl Kisakurek, Nazim Hikmet and Nedim, Erdogan said that Istanbul was bestowed on Turkey by history and civilization. Erdogan highlighted the city's position in world history and its multicultural structure. "Istanbul is a little bit of Sarajevo, a little bit of Jerusalem," he said. "It's Paris, Vienna, and Madrid. It's Baghdad, Damascus, and Amman. But Istanbul is mostly Istanbul." Touting the city's centuries-long tradition of tolerance and coexistence, Erdogan said mosques, churches and synagogues share the same streets with peace and tolerance.
From /Today's Zaman/

Arts and Culture

Internationally renowned Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's film, "Distant", has been included in a list of the best films of the last 10 years as determined by press organizations in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, reports Hurriyet Daily News. Sight & Sound, a magazine published by the British film Institute and considered one of the most important film magazines in the world, rated "Distant" as one of its top 30 films of the last 10 years. Another Ceylan film, "Climates", was pronounced one of the best films of the 21st century by the daily Chicago Tribune and Teleram magazine. "Distant," which was made in 2002, is the story of a photographer who is haunted by the feeling that the gap between his present life and his ideals is growing ever wider. He finds himself obliged to put up a young relative in his Istanbul apartment who comes from the village to look for a job as a sailor. The film won awards at many acclaimed national and international film festivals.
From Hurriyet Daily News

Campus Cafe Archive

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Turkish Campus Summer Language Program In Istanbul

Turkish Campus offers a unique opportunity to improve your Turkish. Turkish Summer Language Program will be offered during summer of 2010 in Istanbul's historic and natural atmosphere.
Join us while you discover the natural beauty of Istanbul along with its fascinating history. The former capital of three successive empires (Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman), Istanbul today is the meeting point of the past and present, modern and traditional, dreams and realities. Located on two continents, Europe and Asia, Istanbul lets its visitors delve into its mesmerizing atmosphere at their first steps. The museums, churches, palaces, mosques and bazaars on the one hand and the sights of natural beauty on the other waiting to be experienced and explored. Learn the language while exploring one of the most glorious cities in the word. Click here for more information!