★ The Table of Six, an alliance of six Turkish opposition parties, has announced that they will start discussing who will be running for the presidency in the upcoming elections against current president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reports the daily Duvar. The ruling Justice and Development and extreme-right Nationalist Action, its junior coalition partner, will be behind Mr. Erdoğan.

  The six opposition party leaders met on January 5 for the 10th time. After their meeting, they said they could reach their goals when their joint presidential candidate won the election and got enough parliamentarians elected to become the majority in the parliament to be able to amend the constitution.

★ Turkey's constitutional court froze the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party bank accounts. The Turkish government accuses the party of being a front for the rebel Turkish Kurds. The party is the third-largest one in the Turkish parliament.

  Mr. Erdoğan's administration has been cracking down on the People's Democratic Party parliamentarians and removed mayors elected from the party from their posts. Courts also tried thousands of members on terrorism charges and jailed them.

  The People's Democratic Party-leaning voters voted with the other opposition parties for Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu in the 2019 local elections. Their vote was instrumental in Mr. İmamoğlu's win in Istanbul and wresting the mayoralty from the Justice and Development Party and its conservative predecessors that they held for a quarter-century.

★ According to VOA, On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Putin that a unilateral cease-fire should support the negotiations to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Erdoğan's office said he and Mr. Putin spoke by phone and that peace talks should include a "vision for a fair solution."

★ On Wednesday, there were rocket attacks in Syria on the U. S. and its allies. The attacks coincided with a Turkish aerial offensive dubbed Operation-Claw Sword, targeting the Kurdish forces in Syria allied with the United States in the fight against Islamic State.

  Turkey alleges some members of the Syrian Defense Forces are part of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party. Turkey and the U. S. consider the Kurdistan Workers' party a terrorist group, but the U. S. military does not associate the Syrian Defense Forces with it.

  White House national security spokesman John Kirby said last month the United States does not want Turkey to pursue military attacks in northwest Syria, even if it recognizes Turkey's right to defend itself.

  The Syrian Defense Forces have warned that fighting a new Turkish incursion would divert the resources needed to guard the al-Hol prison holding Islamic State militants and fight Islamic State sleeper cells in Syria.

★ Writing for the VOA journalists Begüm Dönmez Ersöz had an article titled "Is an Assad-Erdoğan Reconciliation Likely Before Turkey's Elections?" A summary of her article is as follows:

  The first high-level talks between Turkey and Syria in over a decade held in Moscow last week reflect common interests of both in limiting the autonomy of Syrian Kurds, experts say.

  Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said they planned for more talks later this month.

  Analysts speaking to VOA believe if the process moves forward, an Erdoğan-Assad meeting might be in the works. But they caution that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad might be unwilling to hand Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a political gift before the elections in Turkey.

  Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and intelligence chief Hakan Fidan met their Syrian counterparts last Wednesday in Moscow. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu joined them.

  They discussed the "Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and joint efforts against all terror groups on Syrian soil," according to a Turkish Ministry of Defense statement.

  When the Civil War began in 2011 in Syria, Turkey supported the armed rebels seeking to topple Assad in Syria, locking the two countries in bitter animosity for years.

  Experts speaking to VOA believe the upcoming Turkish elections represent another significant factor at play. Turkey hosts more than four million Syrian refugees. The government says it is working on a plan to send one million Syrians back to their country voluntarily. The refugee issue is recently a sensitive one in Turkey's domestic politics, with elections a few months away.

★ Turkey on Tuesday hosted the leaders of Syria's opposition to assuage their concern following its overtures to Syria. Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu tweeted images of his meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara with the opposition Syrian National Council chief Mahmut al-Maslat and other leaders. "We reiterated our support to the Syrian opposition and people per UNSC Resolution 2254," Çavuşoğlu said about a 2015 United Nations call for a cease-fire and political settlement in Syria.

★ According to Deutsche Welle, U. S. diplomats and government statements in the future will now refer to the "Republic of Türkiye," several months after the Turkish government requested the change.

  The move comes months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government called on countries and international bodies to adopt the name change — seeking to differentiate the country from the North American bird of the same name.

  Thursday's announcement also comes ahead of a key visit later this month by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

  Later this month, Turkey's top diplomat will travel to Washington for talks on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bids.

  Read more >> here <<

★ Bulgaria's State-owned Bulgargaz has penned a 13-year deal to access Turkey's LNG terminals and transit network. Russia halted deliveries to the European Union member state Bulgaria in April.

  According to Bulgaria's interim Energy Minister, Rosen Hristov, the accord solves the problem of his country's lack of infrastructure for unloading LNG, liquefied natural gas. Now they can buy gas from other parts of the world.

  Read more >> here <<

★ Read more >> here <<

  Writing for the Deutsche Welle, Burak Ünveren commented on the affairs in the Republic of Turkey, which will celebrate its Centennial birthday this year.

  Here is a summary of his article:

  In 2023, the Turkish republic will celebrate its 100th birthday with an election that could usher in a new turning point in its history.

  Since its establishment, the country has experienced a transformation from a single-party into a multi-party system, a military coup in 1960, violence on its streets for almost a decade in the 70s, followed by another coup, and many unstable coalition governments in the 90s, and an Islamist rise to power in 2002.

  Amid all these minor and major setbacks, the Turkish state, built on Western ideals such as democracy, equality, the rule of law, and secularism, has survived and will celebrate its centenary.

  How resilient are Turkey's democratic institutions, though, as it turns 100?

  Under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey has increasingly turned its face from the West toward the East. It has associated itself more with Islamic values, made new friends and allies in the Arab world, and built up its overseas military involvement, including in Somalia and Qatar, where Turkey's presence has been welcome.

  However, these have not made all Turks happy since rising authoritarianism accompanied all this.

  Sinem Adar, an expert on Turkey at the Center for Applied Turkey Studies in Berlin, takes a negative view of the trajectory taken by the country under Erdoğan. "Turkey today is a prime example of increasing authoritarian practices", she observes. "Since the late 2000s, the country has steadily moved away from the rule of law and effective separation of powers."

★ According to the daily Cumhuriyet, on January 2, President Erdoğan said Turkish exports rose by 13% to $254 billion in 2012, the country's highest level ever.

  However, Mr. Erdoğan did not mention that the Turkish foreign trade deficit increased by 138% to $110 billion.

★ Lake Van is Turkey's largest body of water, measuring 1225 mi.². It is in the eastern part of the country.

  Its shoreline has receded 1/2 miles and revealed 3000-year-old ancient structures. Among them are Urartian open-air temples, a pier carved into the rock, and a burial site.

  Van University and Van Museum are collaborating in investigating the archaeological sites.

  Urartians who lived in the area had an empire that peaked in power in the 9th century BCE. At that time, it covered approximately 200,000 mi.²

  The Iranian Medes eventually conquered the Urartians in the early 6th century BCE.

  The Bible refers to their land as Ararat.

★ The London Jazz News reported that Turkish jazz vocalist Ayşe Gencer, daughter of pianist and bandleader İlham Gencer and singer Ayten Alpman, passed away at 66.

  She has been under treatment for an undisclosed disease.

  In 1974, she started her musical career at age 18 after winning a singing competition organized by Turkish Radio and Television Istanbul Studios.

  Her interpretation of "Everything Happens to Me" in an album titled "All School Jazz Standards "published in the U. S.

  Read more >> here <<

★ There is a new library in the Bakırköy district of Istanbul province. The library bears the name of the Turkish literature critique Doğan Hızlan.

  Doğan Hızlan was in the opening ceremony with Turkey's culture and tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

  The library has a floor space of 9000 ft.² and contains 15,000 books. Among them are some from Doğan Hızlan's collection. It will be open 24/7.

★ On January 3, Sadun Aksüt, a renowned Turkish musician, passed away at 90 in Istanbul. He was a composer, educator, and a tanbur player.

  He was born in Turkey's Black Sea province of Amasya's Merzifon district in 1932. He received his musical education at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory, the advanced Turkish Musical Conservatory Association, and The Üsküdar Musical Society.

  He composed the poetry of many renowned Turkish poets. He also worked with many eminent Turkish musicians.

  He also contributed to the Turkish Music Archive and was on its board. With his contributions, he was instrumental in protecting the musical heritage.

  Among the books he published are the 1st "Tanbur Method," "The Anthology of 500 Years of Turkish Music," "100 Composers of Turkish Music," and "Entertainment Life in Istanbul." he also had a memoir titled "The Years that Pass by with Applause."

  After he retired from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation in 1981, he donated his archival collection to the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory.

★ The first NFT biennial in the world is taking place in Istanbul. The venues are Zorlu PSM for physical visits and Metaverse for virtual visits.

  The biennial features works that take into consideration "how much humans can internalize technology."

  After Istanbul, the exhibits will travel to Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Brussels, Bogota, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.

  NFT stands for "Non-Fungible Tokens." They are blockchain-based tokens, each representing a unique asset like a piece of art, digital content, or media.

  One can think of an NFT as an irrevocable digital certificate of ownership and authenticity for a given asset, whether digital or physical.

  Among the curator team for the exhibit are individuals from Turkey, Spain, Britain, and Germany.

  The Istanbul exhibit started on January 6 and will continue through January 15.

★ In the 1870s, Germans took the reliefs from the Zeus Alter, also known as Pergamum Alter, to Germany without permission.

  Turkish authorities have been making requests for the return of the altar without much success.

  King Eumenes II had the altar built in the 2nd century BCE on one of the terraces of the Acropolis of Pergamum city in what is now the Aegean region of the Asian part of Turkey.

  The structure measures 117 feet x 110 feet. They are now in a museum dedicated to it in Berlin.

  According to the Anatolia News Agency, Saraya Gomis, a German official responsible for Berlin state's efforts for multiculturalism and fighting against discrimination, said Germans should return the altar to Turkey. She said: "Many cultural artifacts brought to Germany do not belong to us. They are here illegally." She also said they should return the Nefertiti bust to Egypt.

  Germany's Tagesspiegel paper published Gomis' remarks.

★ Concerts and cultural activities at Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena have started.

  Among the Concerts in January, the venue will feature renowned musicians such as Emir Can İğrek, rock music group Duman, and theater troupe KREK .

★ Istanbul municipal theaters will have a program titled "Istanbul Meets Poetry." The program will be free of charge and present the works of 30 poets.

  Among them is a selection from Who's Who in the poetry world in Turkey, such as Nazım Hikmet, Ahmet Arif, Atilla İlhan, Cemal Süreya, and Gülten Akın.

  Pianist Orçun Tekelioğlu and soloist Berfu Aydoğan will bring music to the events.

  The first play in the program will feature poet Edip Cansever and his poetry "The City of Hotels." It will take place on January 11 and 15 at Kadıköy Gazhane Museum.

★ Pharaoh Tutankhamun's treasures will be in Istanbul for an exhibition.

  The collection features five thousand pieces that archaeologists found in the thirty-three hundred-year-old burial site of the Pharaoh.

  The Tutankhamun treasures exhibit has been on the road since 1961, traveling all parts of the world. In 1979 and 2010, it came to San Francisco, also.

  Dubbed "The Treasures of Tutankhamun, the Child King," the exhibition will be at UniqExpo İstanbul starting January 20.

★ Group Madrigal, The rising star of Turkish alternative rock, will have a concert on January 10 in Üsküdar on the Asian side of Istanbul.

  Their motto is "we made music as it comes from our hearts, everybody found something in it."

  Ceyhun Kaan Karakaş, Kaan Alıcı, and Emre Zeytinci established Group Madrigal in 2007.

  Üsküdar municipality has organized the concert. The venue is Çavuşdere Sports Palace.

★ As part of a series of concerts dubbed Pera Classics, the Golden Horn Brass quintet will take the stage at Pera Museum on January 14.

  The quintet musicians are Begüm Gökmen, Julian Lupu, Renato Lupu, Sinan Şirin, and Emre Berbergil. They will perform works by Mozart, Bizet, Verdi, and Rodriguez.

  The concert will take place at the museum hall that features an exhibition titled "Intersecting Worlds: Ambassadors and Painters."

★ The Union of Istanbul Bosporus started a project and published a book: "Bosphorus Flavors" by Ömür Akkor and Zennup Pınar Çakmakcı.

  Bosporus is the strait that goes through Istanbul and connects the Marmara and the Black Sea.

  The project has transformed the centuries-old cultural heritage of the Bosporus into a flavor-oriented work.

  The duo has received numerous awards from the world of gastronomy.

  Starting with information about the Bosporus from the past to the present, the book also explains how the social change in Istanbul has affected our food culture.

  The work, prepared in Turkish and English, offers a wide range of information varying from the way catching the fish to which fish is eaten in which month.

  Chefs Ömür Akkor and Zennup Pınar Çakmakçı had a launching event and introduced their "Bosphorus Tastes" book with a special presentation.

★ Breakfasts featuring Turkey's southern Mediterranean city of Antakya's food will be served at Istanbul's Yalı 77 until the end of February, with a unique view of the Bosporus.

  The women producers from Antakya prepared the menu. They collaborated with restaurant operator Ebru Koralı and Executive Chef Saim Eser for the menu.

  Breakfast includes Samandağ Pepper Jam, Anise Ingot, Crispy Pumpkin Dessert, Muhammara, and Antakya Cottage Cheese.

  UNESCO has included Antakya's breakfast in its list of gastronomic cities.

  Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Lütfü Savaş thanked Ebru Koralı for bringing the unique flavors of Antakya to Istanbul and invited all her guests to Hatay.

  Providing service in the Beykoz district of Istanbul, Yalı 77 aims to offer a different experience every hour of the day.

★ Turkish Press Council, an Association of journalists, awarded Timur Soykan the 2022 press freedom award.

  Timur Soykan investigated and let the public know about the marriage of a 29-year-old member of a religious order to a six-year-old girl. Soykan's investigative reporting put him at odds with the powerful religious order and endangered his life.

★ Russian pianist Evgeny Grinko will meet his fans on Sunday at Istanbul's Yapı Kredi Bomontiada.

  The piano virtuoso is renowned for playing pieces such as Valse, Jane Maryam, Serenade, and Once Upon A Time. He has been at the top of music charts for a long time and is renowned for being one of the best performers of instrumental music.