TURKS AND ARMENIANS MIX ART AND SOLIDARITY
Turkish Daily News
July 22, 2008 Tuesday
In Istanbul, an Armenian school dating back to the Ottoman Empire
stands as an unlikely beacon of Turkish-Armenian solidarity. A
foundation open only to members of the long established Armenian
community has become a gathering spot for the art lovers in Istanbul
representing Turkish, Armenian and other ethnic backgrounds.
Last year, board members of Getronagan High School’s foundation joined
members of the Oda Theater to open a theater. Soon, the mixed group of
art aficionados began eating homemade meals together. Collaborations
were born. Actor Kaan Erkam and Armenian accordion virtuoso Hayk
Guzelkececiyan wrote Turkish lyrics for Armenian folk songs. A CD
titled "Biz Eskiden" (Us in the Good Old Days) that includes these
songs performed by Turkish artists in Armenian and by Armenian artists
in Turkish will be released in the next few weeks.