TURKISH CULTURAL SEASON IN FRANCE VIEWED FROM LYON
By Andrea Giambartolomei

cafebabel.com
22/10/08
France

Fre d Bassier and Faik Sardag, bass player and singer of French-Turkish
band, Fake Oddity (Image: AG)

The cultural and political relationship between France and Turkey is
ambivalent. Events such as France’s recognition of Armenian genocide
and Sarkozy’s opposition to Ankara’s entry into the EU make 2009 a
pivotal year focus

‘Certain political choices have had very negative effects,’ states
Ugur Hukum, journalist for Radio France International and Paris
correspondent for the centre-left daily Cumhuriyet. ‘Sarkozy’s
stance and that of his colleagues and the National Assembly on the
Armenian genocide have made Turks more suspicious towards Europe,
and France especially,’ he continues. Has Turkey become stigmatised
in the opinion of the French public? The ‘Year of Turkey’ starts in
July 2009 and ends in March 2010. Co-organised by the French culture
ministry, it will justifiably be looking to restore the tarnished
image of the Turkish people, with the help of a series of initiatives.

In the Pentes de Croix Rousse Quarter On the premises of an association
located near the Pentes de Crois Rousse district in Lyon, immigrants
meet, sip the national drink cay and play okey, a Turkish tile
game. They smoke, despite the ban imposed at the beginning of the
year ‘This event will promote good relations,’ says Ilyas, 52. ‘Our
culture is vast. Its history is ancient: you have only to think of
the Ottoman Empire.’ ‘The French know Turkey and the Turks well,’
continues Mustapha, 28. ‘Even Sarkozy knows it, but he doesn’t want
it in the EU. Turkey has 70 million Muslims: perhaps he is scared.’

‘Turkey has 70 million Muslims: perhaps Sarkozy is scared’ The two
men state that Turkey is already at the heart of several events. ‘In
Lyon, some cultural centres organise Whirling Dervish performances,
oriental parties and debates,’ says Ilyas. Mustapha asserts, without
any pretensions, that he is unsure of whether ‘Turkish singers coming
here can really promote good relations and integration.’ How many
French people visit the Franco-Turkish association? ‘Sometimes someone
who has taken a trip to Turkey will come and have a cup of tea and
chat for a bit,’ says Ilyas. ‘Then there are those …’ He repeats
himself, as if to reassure himself that occasionally a visitor can
shyly penetrate this little corner of Anatolia.

Turkey: yes, no, don’t care?

The association in Lyon | (Image: Andrea Giambartolomei)If you look
at the culture industry, the French are definitely attracted by and
curious about Turkey. ‘In the last five years, editors have translated
and published many Turkish authors. In a well-stocked bookshop you can
find works by thirty Turkish authors,’ asserts Hukum. ‘We can remember
the success of Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and that of poets like
YaÅ~_ar Kemal and Nazim Hikmet, and of romance novelists such as Nedim
Gursel and Elif Å~^afak.’ The list is long: ‘In music, there is Fasil
Say who, with his album and his Mozart pieces, has had great success in
the last six years. In cinema, Nuri Bilge Ceylan took away two prizes
at Cannes, and there is the young German-Turkish director, Fatih Akin.’

Fake Oddity is a band in Lyon whose singer, Faik Sardag, is originally
from Turkey. ‘People could get along just fine, but the media blocks
any possibility of making connections,’ he says. With his band he
recorded his latest album Runfast in Istanbul, where they also had
several concerts. This experience enabled the French members of the
group to learn a little bit about the country and its inhabitants.

This project is directed at young rock enthusiasts An example of
successful integration and the potential for cultural exchange, they
have decided to get involved in the Turkish cultural season. ‘We
have suggested an exchange between Lyon and Istanbul, with some
Turkish bands coming to play here, eventually accompanied by other
artists,’ explains drummer Fred Bassier, who is busy organising
this project. ‘This project is directed at young rock enthusiasts,
but we would also like to organise events with Turkish story-tellers
for children and parents.’

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