★ As we reported to you in the previous weeks, Turkey is blocking the membership of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. NATO admits the new members with the approval of all member countries.

  Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952, says that both Sweden and Finland are supporting, among others, Kurdish rebels and giving them sanctuary. Both countries deny the charges.

  Marc Pierini, the former European Union ambassador to Turkey, analyzed the situation this week on the website of Carnegie Mellon Europe. He says that Turkey's resistance to membership of Sweden and Finland in NATO would not last long but may take some time to overcome since Turkish president Erdoğan's objections emanate from his domestic considerations. Among them are Mr. Erdoğan's poor showing in the public opinion polls due to the current economic situation in Turkey. Most economists blame him for this. Economists say that Mr. Erdoğan insists on an economic and monetary policy that fuels steep inflation and the depreciation of the Turkish currency.

  Mr. Pierini says that Mr. Erdoğan's actions inevitably play into the hands of Russian President Mr. Putin. He also writes that Mr. Erdoğan enjoys the limelight of international attention.
    Read more >> here <<

★ According to Reuters, delegations from Sweden and Finland met with Turkish officials in Turkey this week. However, there was no progress in removing Turkey's objections.

  Turkish officials want Sweden and Finland to extradite several Kurds and supporters of the cleric Fethullah Gülen to Turkey. Turkey says the Kurds are supporters of the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, an entity that the European Union, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland all consider a terrorist organization. The Turkish government accuses the supporters of Fethullah Gülen being behind the 2016 coup attempt.

  In a tweet on Friday, Sweden's foreign affairs minister Ann Linde rejected Turkish media claims that they were supporting terrorism.

  She said that Sweden was the first country after Turkey to declare the Kurdistan workers party to be a terrorist organization in 1984. The European Union did this only in 2002, Ms. Linde wrote.

★ Turkey and Greece are both NATO members. However, this has not kept them from quarreling for decades.

  The main issue is the continental shelf and air space borders. Turkey objects to any extension of the continental shelf of the Greek islands and the Greek claims of expanded air space over the islands.

  Greece has not extended its continental shelf around the Greek islands yet.

  Turkey says an extended continental shelf for Greece means that Turkey will not have access to the Mediterranean through the Aegean Sea.

  Recently oil and gas exploration rights also came into the dispute. Turkey has been drilling in areas where Greece or Greek Cypriots claim sovereignty.

  This week Turkish foreign affairs minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu added one more item of contention. According to the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, Mr. Çavuşoğlu wanted Greece to demilitarize its Aegean islands near the Turkish coast.

  Turkey says that the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris peace agreement stipulate demilitarized islands.

  Greece rejects the Turkish demands and says that Greece has the right to defend itself and its national sovereignty.

★ More on Greek-Turkish relations: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his talks with the U. S. president. Erdoğan claimed that Mr. Mitsotakis was trying to block the sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.

  During his visit, Mr. Mitsotakis produced maps of Turkish aerial incursions to, what he terms, Greek waters and territory.

  Mr. Erdoğan said that no third party, meaning the U. S. in this case, should get in between Turkey and Greece. If there are issues, the two countries should work them out alone.

  Analysts say that the U. S. is taking the side of Greece in the Turkish-Greek confrontation. The U. S. and NATO already excluded Turkey from the next-generation F-35 jet fighter purchases because Mr. Erdoğan's administration purchased a Russian-made air defense system. The U. S. may not also sell upgrade kits or new fighters for Turkey's aging F-16 jets. Paul Iddon writes in Forbes magazine that Turkey could fall behind Greece in military superiority.

★ On Monday, Turkey's main opposition party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu claimed that President Erdoğan was using nonprofit educational foundations to transfer large amounts of money to the U. S., Turkish daily Duvar reported.

  He said it was part of a scheme to flee to the U. S. if Mr. Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party lost in the upcoming elections. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu claims that Mr. Erdoğan is afraid of being tried when the opposition takes over the power.

  Later in the week, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu released documents that allegedly showed that Mr. Erdoğan's daughter and son were directly involved in the transfer of money to the U. S.

  The Turkish news site Diken reported that president Erdoğan filed a libel suit against Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu. He is seeking 1 million liras (about $62,000) in damages over false claims attacking the president's personal rights.

  Earlier the government also accused Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu of spreading domestic chaos by listening to the propaganda of Turkey's enemies.

★ On its Twitter account, ENAG, a Turkish independent research organization on inflation and economy, said that the inflation rate may top 200%.

  The Turkish government claims that the inflation was 70% in April. However, ENAG calculates it as 160%.

  Turkish professors and researchers from universities, economists, and financial analysts make up ENAG.

  ENAG also had recommendations for the policymakers. Its report said they should read a list of research articles about countries that had similar economic problems recently.

  Reuters also reported that Turkey's Central Bank held its policy rate at 14% for a fifth month on May 26. The policy rate is low compared to inflation, and economists point out that it further fuels an increase in prices and depreciation of the Turkish currency.

★ In Turkey, Beyoğlu and Başkent Cultural Road projects will meet art lovers with two simultaneous festivals, reports the Turkish daily Dünya.

  The two projects will be between May 28 and June 12. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is supporting. There will be 2,000 events with more than 6,000 artists.

  "Cultural Road Festivals" draws attention to cities' cultural, architectural, and historical heritage. It is for the spread and survival of different cultures.

  Capital Culture Road route includes pre-Republican and Republican period historical buildings in Turkish capital Ankara. On it, there are more than 70 prominent places like Ankara Fortress, Anatolian Civilizations Museum, and Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque.

  Beyoğlu Culture Road Festival taking place in Istanbul, on the other hand, hosts more than 1,500 events with over 4,500 artists this year. The opening concert of Beyoğlu Culture Road will be at Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center with Greek artist Glykeria, one of the leading names in Rebetiko music.

★ According to the daily Dünya, Polat Piyalepaşa Istanbul Art Square will host art lovers throughout the year with new exhibitions from Mercury, Pi Artworks, .artSümer, Zilberman, and Art On galleries.

  The galleries will present 24 selections to art lovers throughout the year.

  Piyalepaşa Istanbul is a mixed center with residences, offices, Polat Piyalepaşa Bazaar, meeting rooms, children's experience areas, and rich gastronomic culture.

  Adnan Polat, Chairman of the Board of Polat Holding, said that they wanted to bring a new living space to Istanbul with this project. They made the design in line with this request.

  He added that they are happy to host invaluable artists, collectors, and valuable works in this project.

★ Loft Art prestige exhibition "Disobedient Roots-Immortal Tree Resists" opened on May 24. Muzaffer Akyol's works in different disciplines will be on exhibit.

  His works describe transformation and scream of the universe into a different state in the form of a pomegranate.

  In addition to these, the exhibition includes Muzaffer Akyol's daughter and renowned Turkish singer Gaye Su Akyol's hand-woven wool carpets and ceramic sculptures.

  She calls on people to get out of the madness they struggle with every day, remember and bring back the reality they lost, and give birth to and establish a universe that is not there anymore.

  The "Disobedient Roots-Immortal Tree Resists" is an exhibition where father and daughter construct their own "counter-reality" together.

★ Istanbul's Atatürk Cultural Center hosted a special concert at the gala night held at Türk Telekom Opera Hall, reports the daily Dünya. Türk Telekom Chairman of the Board Ömer Fatih Sayan and many guests attended.

  Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra also gave a performance. The team, consisting of an orchestra of 70 people, a choir of 40, and 4 soloists, presented a 12-piece repertoire to the audience.

  A digital art show created with the innovative stage and light design reflected in the hall took place. A symphony orchestra performance with digital content was the first in Turkey.

  Türk Telekom CEO Ümit Önal said that he would be a supporter of Atatürk Cultural Center for seven years, and he is excited. He said they were working to make this center a center that people of all ages and walks of life would enjoy.

★ Turkey's Aegean province of Aydın's cultural riches are in a new book titled Aydın Gastronomy. Aydın Governor Hüseyin Aksoy led the team that prepared the book.

  The book aims to carry both the cultural traces and cuisine of the province to the future.

  The book also writes about Aydın's rich history. It hosts 23 ancient cities, some of them established 4000 years ago. Many civilizations lived there: Phrygians, Ionians, Lydians, Persians, Romans, Seljuk Turks, Aydinids, and Ottomans.

  Aydın is a province adorned with olive and fig trees. Almost all of the dried figs exported from Turkey come from this province. It has fertile land and can grow anything.

  The book includes many local delicious recipes such as soups, salads, pickles, meat dishes, pastries, and desserts.

  The book also has the distinction of being Aydın's first gastronomy book.

★ According to TRT, Can Göknil, a prolific Turkish painter who lives and works in Istanbul, has a new exhibition at Bozlu Art Project in Şişli, Istanbul.

  TRT described her as a painter for adults and children.

  In a short documentary about her newest exhibition, "Maybe So, Maybe No," Can Göknil says this one is special – because "we got stuck in our homes, wouldn't see anyone, couldn't even if we wanted to. Because of the virus. Because of the fear of the virus. Because of lockdowns."

  In addition to being a painter, Göknil is a prolific writer with more than 60 children's books.

  Göknil's exhibition will be on through June 25.

★ Legendary English painter 84-year-old David Hockney's latest paintings created during the pandemic have arrived at Istanbul's Sakıp Sabancı Museum, bringing the fresh air of spring, reports TRT correspondent Melis Alemdar.

  Hockney's works are not paintings. They are prints of works created on a custom-made iPad app that a programmer developed for the artist.

  The exhibition features 160 artworks printed on larger frames than an iPad screen. They are full of surprising reach detail.

  It is the first time Hockney's paintings are on exhibition in Turkey. After Istanbul, they will go to the Art Institute of Chicago.

  Hockney created the paintings during the pandemic lockdown. He completed at least one a day, working anywhere from 8 to 10 hours a day in the garden of his house in Normandy, north of France.

  The exhibition will be on through July 29.

★ A May 19 article on arkeofil.com lists 20 artifacts smuggled abroad from Turkey.

  Among them are: 

• Nereids Monument dating back to 390 BCE. It is in British Museum.
• Pergamum Altar also called Zeus Altar, dating back to 180 BCE. In the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin, Germany.
• Mosaic from Halicarnassus (modern-day Bodrum in southwestern Turkey,) from fourth century CE. In the British Museum.
• Great Diadem from Troy from approximately 2400 BCE. In Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.
• Lion of Knidos, discovered near Datça in southwestern Turkey, from the second century BCE. In British Museum.

Read more >> here <<

★ 2022 European karate championships took place in Turkey's South Eastern city of Gaziantep between May 25-28.

  So far, Spain is leading in the medal count, and Turkey is in ninth place. Two Turkish karatekas received gold medals:

• Burak Uygur in the 67 kg kumite category
• Eray Şamdan in the 60 kg kumite category

★ In the European Wushu Championships held in Burgas, Bulgaria, Turkey's Elif Ravza Gülsoy, nine years old, became the European champion. Eight other Turks received gold medals.

★ In the European kickboxing championships that took place in Istanbul Furkan Çiçek of Turkey became 3rd.