★ Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a Turkish parliamentarian, passed away. He was 62.

  Önder, although not Kurdish, was a member of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and its predecessors, which the Turkish authorities shut down. He was one of the leading people in the ongoing peace process with the rebel Kurdish Kurdistan Workers' Party. He was also active in the 2013-2015 peace process, which eventually failed.

  Önder had a sense of humor that appealed to citizens across the political spectrum. He used it effectively in politics.

  He was in and out of jail several times on charges of supporting terrorism.

  His funeral was on Sunday in Istanbul, attended by a large crowd not seen in many years.

★ At his funeral, present and past political leaders and ordinary people were present. The only thing that marred the funeral gathering was an attack on the opposition Republican People's Party leader Özgür Özel by a man. The man slapped Mr. Özel. Police immediately arrested him.

  There were news reports that the person had run-ins with authorities many times in the past, one Turkish newspaper saying that he served jail time for killing his two sons.

  The man's motives are unknown, but some say that he seems to have known Mr. Özel's program, which suggests that he may be operating with someone else, who wanted to send a message to Özel and intimidate him for being out in public and on the streets.

  Mr. Özel has been leading protest rallies across the country after the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the popular mayor of metropolitan Istanbul.

★ X, formerly known as Twitter, blocked Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu's account on the orders of a Turkish court.

  The X lawyer in Turkey filed a petition and asked the court to restore the account.

  X Company officials said in their Global Governmental Affairs account that they disagree with the court but would implement the blocking. They also published the petition that the lawyer gave to the court.

  Government officials said the reason for blocking the account was the message Mr. İmamoğlu posted on April 24. He said:

  "I ask this handful of greedy people who have caused our nation complete misery: What are you serving with unlawful trials and operations, arrests, detention processes where many people, including me, are kept waiting in filthy custody for days, trustees, etc.?

  "How do you find it appropriate for the great Turkish judiciary to produce false witnesses, to create informants and slanderers, to arrest innocent people or to intimidate them by arresting them, to threaten them by saying 'you cannot get out of prison'? 

  "Now you are trying to detain lawyers, to intimidate them, and to prevent people from doing their jobs. Enough is enough. Who are you, who and what do you serve? Who did you learn these methods from?

  "Don't you feel ashamed of attacking people's honor and dignity? I call out to my nation: This handful of greedy people are causing great harm to the nation and the state. Complain, do not remain silent, and raise your voice."

  Analysts argue that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's administration frequently seeks pretexts to suppress the opposition, with the blocking of Mr. İmamoğlu's account serving as yet another example.

  After visiting him in jail, Özgür Özel, the leader of the Republican People's Party, said that Mr. İmamoğlu would start using his international X account.

  Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş said his X account would serve as the voice of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and temporarily replaced his profile picture with İmamoğlu's.

  Many Republican Party parliamentarians did the same.

★ The Kurdistan Workers' Party reportedly held its congress between May 5 and May 7, according to the Fırat News Agency.

  However, despite calls from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party and its coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party, the Kurdistan Workers' Party has yet to issue an official statement on the timing or location of any potential disarmament.

  What Turks call the peace process started seven months ago with a call by Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the extreme-right Nationalist Movement Party, to Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, to come and speak at the parliament.

  On October 15, Devlet Bahçeli renewed his call to Abdullah Öcalan, urging him to take steps toward disbanding the Kurdistan Workers' Party.

★ According to NPR, Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was released from federal custody after a Vermont judge ordered her freedom.

  Öztürk had been detained for over six weeks in a Louisiana immigration center, allegedly in retaliation for an op-ed she wrote criticizing her school's response to the Israel-Hamas war.

  The judge suggested her arrest and detention were likely linked to her protected speech.

★ The European Parliament has adopted its annual report on Turkey, delivering a sharp criticism of the human rights record, democratic backsliding, and erosion of the rule of law.

  Spanish parliamentarian Nacho Sanchez Amor drafted the report. It received broad support in the European Parliament, with 367 votes in favor, 74 against, and 188 abstentions.

  The report emphasizes that no "shortcuts" exist for Turkey's European Union membership and reiterates the parliament's preference for exploring alternative partnerships, given the stalled accession talks.

  The report also criticized Turkey for failing to implement rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, and highlights the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as a key area of concern.

★ With about 61 percent, up from 20% in 2001, Turkish women have the highest C-section births. The global rate is 21%.

  The government recently brought restrictions on C-sections.

  However, journalist Sibel Hürtaş stated that decades of privatization of the medical sector overseen by President Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party caused the spike in C-sections.

★ Koç University President Dr. Metin Sitti announced that Dr. Kerem Pekkan has received a €2.5 million European Innovation Council "Transition Open" grant for "HeartWise," his project to develop an artificial right-heart operating without external power. This funding aims to bring bench-to-bedside solutions for adult right ventricular failure.

  The HeartWise project seeks to create scalable, blood-compatible artificial right-heart. It builds on Dr. Pekkan's prior European Research Council-funded work on congenital heart defects and the innovative BloodTurbine device. The project involves international collaboration with the University of Galway in Ireland and Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

  This prestigious award marks Koç University's second EIC Grant, highlighting its dedication to visionary, high-impact research. The grant underscores the project's groundbreaking potential and reflects the growing global impact of Turkey's scientific contributions.

  The HeartWise initiative promises significant advancements in cardiovascular medicine, offering new hope for patients suffering from right-heart failure.

★ The Turkish Statistical Institute released the annualized April inflation rate as 37.86%, an increase that economists predicted.

  Some say the increase is the result of the bad politics the Justice and Development Party conducted by arresting the popular mayor of Istanbul and over 100 associates, and protesters.

  Turks find that the Statistical Institute's inflation rate does not reflect what they experience. ENAG, an independent inflation research group, calculates an alternative rate. Their inflation rate is not out yet, but it is usually around 80%. 

★ Get ready for a spectacular season of music and dance! Turkey's State Opera and Ballet is rolling out four international festivals, promising to delight art lovers with performances by renowned guest artists and exciting young talents.

  First up, the 16th International Istanbul Opera and Ballet Festival is already underway, running from today, May 10, through June 3.

  Following the ballet festival, mark your calendars for the 8th International Efes Opera and Ballet Festival, from June 27th to July 13th.

  Then, August brings the 22nd International Bodrum Ballet Festival, happening from the 1st to the 25th.

  And wrapping up the season, the 32nd International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival will take place from September 14th to October 1st.

  Let's dive deeper into the Istanbul Opera and Ballet Festival, which is happening right now! Most performances are at the Atatürk Cultural Center.

  The festival opened with a grand Gala Concert conducted by Bulgaria's Nayden Todorov. It featured an impressive lineup of Turkish soloists alongside South Korean baritone Sung-Hwan Damien Park and Chinese bass Li Huanhong.

  For younger audiences, the Kadıköy Süreyya Opera House is the place to be.

  The children's opera "Cinderella," adapted from Rossini, will be on the stage on May 11 and 24.

  And on May 18th and June 1st, also at the Süreyya House, the "Ballet World" show, narrated by Mert Aksu, will introduce children to the history of ballet.

  The festival also pays tribute to a Turkish music legend. On May 16th at the Süreyya Opera House, a "Respect for Saygun" concert will honor composer Ahmet Adnan Saygun on his 100th birth anniversary. The concert will feature violinist Özgecan Günöz, a string quartet, pianist İbrahim Yazıcı, mezzo-soprano Aylin Ateş, and bassist Zafer Erdaş.

  And speaking of Saygun, his opera "Gilgamesh" will have its world premiere at the Atatürk Culture Center on May 17th and 20th. This three-act work, inspired by the ancient epic, explores universal themes like death, friendship, and love.

  On May 30, the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Modern Dance Company will present the world premiere of "Delirium," their new piece, at the Atatürk Cultural Center.

  And in a special event on May 19, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, the "All My Hope is in the Youth" concert will showcase young talents discovered at the first Anatolian Opera and Ballet Festival.

  International collaborations continue with Germany's Pera Ensemble. The ensemble will present "Sultans of the Opera," a concert blending Eastern and Western Baroque music, on May 22 at the Atatürk Cultural Center . They'll perform with the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Chorus, featuring Italian soloist Nicholas Tamagna and conducted by Mehmet C. Yeşilçay.

  Bulgaria's Sofia Opera and Ballet will stage Richard Strauss's powerful opera "Elektra" on May 29 at the Atatürk Cultural Center. This gripping work draws heavily from classical Greek mythology.

  And a highly anticipated highlight: Russia's acclaimed St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet will grace the stage.

  They'll perform "Anna Karenina," an adaptation of Tolstoy's novel set to Tchaikovsky's music with Boris Eifman's choreography, on May 31 and June 1.

  The festival will then close with their production of "Russian Hamlet" on June 2nd and 3rd.

★ Shifting to the visual arts, American artist Andrea Arroyo is showcasing her exhibition "ImagiNATIONS" in Istanbul, at the Schneidertemple Art Center in Karaköy. Arroyo's paintings, sculptures, and installations explore vital issues like migration, gender rights, armed conflict, and the environment.

  The exhibition is based on her book of the same name, which recently won "Best Art Book" in the International Latin Books category for 2024. Through her art, Arroyo champions universal values such as love, justice, equality, and peace, aiming to unite across borders and cultures.

  You can visit the exhibition through May 26.

★ In theater, the compelling play "My Wounds Are From Love" continues its run. Produced by Poyraz Yapım, the play stars Nazan Kesal as Forough Farrokhzad, the powerful and rebellious voice of Iranian poetry.

  It is a piece that gives voice to those living under oppression and those who persist in speaking out. The play portrays Farrokhzad, in limbo, reflecting on her life and offering courage with her unforgettable Words, "The bird dies, remember the flight."    

★ Photographer Çiğdem Yüksel grew up with what she calls "very stereotyped images" of people who looked like her grandmother, part of the first generation of women from Turkey to migrate to the Netherlands.

  Now she has an exhibition at the Nederlands Fotomuseum, combining her works of contemporary portraits of migrant women from Turkey with archival photos from their family albums and vivid interviews about their struggles, successes, and everyday lives.

  Though the stories convey considerable hardship and homesickness, they are also full of humor and joy. Many women speak with unexpected fondness about their work as cleaners or factory laborers, recalling not only a sense of pride in their labor but also the friendships formed with colleagues, some of whom helped them learn Dutch or joined in sharing meals from their varied homelands.

  Like Germany, the Netherlands had a guest worker program for migrants from Turkey following WWII, during which around 1 in 10 registered workers were women. A period of family reunification followed the official recruitment drive from 1964 to 1973, which formalized the process for workers to bring their families to join them. The accounts gathered by Yüksel show how women were not just passive participants in this process but also played an active role.

  Yüksel has a few photos of her grandmother, Zeynep, who died when the artist was 14.

  "My memories of her are fragmented. Gold bracelets, orange fingers covered in henna, the colorful patterns on her clothing," Yüksel writes in her book.

  The exhibition "If Only You Knew" is on until May 23.

★ The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts Board of Trustees decided to keep businessman Ömer Koç as their chairman.

  Mr. Koç has been the chairman since 2022 and will be in his position for another three years.

  Founded in 1973, the non-profit foundation organizes major international arts festivals in Istanbul. It also provides funds and support programs for young artists and offers creative activity programs for children and young people.

★ The "Under the Carpet" exhibition in Istanbul brings together artists Defne Parman and Esra Gezer to explore collective memory, trauma, and mourning through woven and ceramic works.

  Parman uses fabric and cotton pieces to represent memories and emotions, while Gezer's ceramics focus on healing and remembering.

  The exhibition aims to reveal hidden memories and contribute to rebuilding collective memory.

  The "Under the Carpet" exhibition is at Offgrid Art Project on İmam Adnan Street in Beyoğlu, Istanbul.

  It is on view until May 15.

  Read more about the Offgrid Art Project >> here <<

★ The Bursa Metropolitan municipality had a symposium on Friday and Saturday on Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet.

  The municipality also declared June 2024-June 2025 the year of Nazım Hikmet. As part of the year, there will be an exhibition on the poet between May 9 and September 9.

  The exhibition, named after Nazım Hikmet's 1962 novel "Life is a Good Thing, My Brother," will be at two different venues.

  The first part will feature a documentary with texts and visuals about Nazım Hikmet. Social History Research Foundation, Nazım Hikmet Foundation, and the Piraye Collection will help with the exhibition.

  The second section will feature the works of artists who focus on Nazım Hikmet and reflect their intellectual or emotional ties with him. Most of these works are part of the Ahmet Merey collection.

  The exhibition includes works by Asaf Zeki Yüksel, Ayşe Yaltırım, Hakan Gürsoytrak, Huri Kiriş, İrfan Okan, Memet Güreli, Metin Karayağız, Murat Germen, Mustafa Horasan, Mustafa Orkun Müftüoğlu, Nalan Yırtmaç, Neslihan Pala, Savaş Çekiç, Selçuk Fergökçe, Sezai Özdemir, Taner Güven, Umut Gemeç.

★ "Les Demoiselles Revisited," an exhibition by Turkish artist Bedri Baykam, opened at Galerie S/Beaubourg in Paris on May 6.

  The exhibition offers a critical perspective on art history and social representations.

  Works by Baykam engage in a visual dialogue with Picasso's iconic 1907 painting "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," delving into themes of the female body, eroticism, representation, the gaze, and power dynamics.

  The exhibition showcases his diverse production and features a catalog with essays by art theorist Prof. Hasan Bülent Kahraman and gallery director Micaela Neveu.

  Bedri Baykam is a Turkish artist, born in 1957, in Ankara, Turkey.

  He is a multifaceted creative artist who works in painting, writing, and film.

  Baykam studied at Sorbonne University in Paris and the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, and lived in the Bay Area between 1980 and 1987.

  The exhibition runs until June 14.

  Read more about the artist >> here <<

★ Germany's Goethe Institute awarded the prestigious Goethe Medal to Osman Kavala, a Turkish businessman, publisher, and cultural supporter.

  Kavala has been in jail since 2017 and sentenced to life in prison without parole on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Despite his situation, the Goethe Medal recognizes his tireless efforts in promoting peace, cultural dialogue, and civil society.

  Previously, the Goethe Institute awarded medals to only four Turkish individuals: Prof. Dr. Sadi Irmak (1979), Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal (1981), Prof. Dr. Şara Sayın (2000), and writer Doğan Akhanlı (2019). The public will see the award to Kavala as a reminder of the importance of freedom of expression, cultural dialogue, and democratic values.

  Goethe Institute has been awarding medals since 1955.

★ Exhibitions in May and beyond in Turkey:

 

• Temür Köran, "Intuitions and Traces" Exhibition: Oil paintings on canvas, EVİN, İstanbul, April 26 – June 21
• Gülsün Karamustafa, "A Kind of State of Occupation:" Collage, assemblage, found objects, installation, and video works, BüroSarıgedik – Merdiven Art Space, May 5 – July 1
• Nuri Kuzucan, "All Parts of a Painting": Paintings, Galerist, May 7 – June 21
• Fulya Çetin and İlhan Sayın: Fulya Çetin: nature and woman-themed ecofeminist narrative, İlhan Sayın: nature's resistance, time and architecture, Yapı Kredi Galeri, May 9 – January 4
• Kezban Arca Batıbeki, "Kezban's Cabinet of Curiosities:" Objects reflecting the artist's aesthetic understanding and interests over the years, MeshRu, Beyoğlu, April 17 - September 30
• Waseem Ahmad Siddiqui,"...Now! (Can I stay at your place?):" Sound recordings, text and drawings, Depo, May 6 – July 12
• "The Lives of Animals:" Lin May Saeed's works, works from artists from Turkey and different geographies, Salt Beyoğlu, April 16 – August 10
• Eda Soylu and Hatice Utkan, "In the Belly of the Fish:" Paintings, sculptures, poems, and installations, Barın Han, April 24 – June 14
• Saliha Yılmaz, "Sea of Fog": Works produced on ceramic, canvas, and paper, as well as AI-supported visuals, MERKUR, April 26 – May 24
• "The Adapting Body": Works of Dilşad Aladağ, Zeynep Beler, Serra Bilgincan, Mustafa Boğa, Dilan Bozer, Yekateryna Grygorenko, Fırat İtmeç, and Alix Marie, Martch Art Project, April 22 - May 24
• Hakan Çapkan, "In the Shadow of Nature": Illustrations, Kun Art Space, Adana, May 24
• Erin İlkcan Arslan and Tao Ulusoy, "XY": Caresse Art, Bodrum, May 19
• Luigi Ghirri, "Journey in Italy" : Photographs, Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi, İstanbul, April 25 – May 28
• Serhat Kiraz, "Transform": Maçka Sanat Galerisi, April 29 – June 4
• Rugül Serbest: Pi Artworks İstanbul, May 15 – June 28
• Berk Kır and Mahmut Anlar, "Does Life Fit into a Single Frame?": GeoGallery İstanbul, May 9 – July 31
• Alix Marie, "Mother / Island": Ankara and İzmir, May 6 – June 30
• Kevin Francis Gray: Sculptures, Pilevneli Dolapdere, April 24 – May 31
• Burcu Ünlü, "Light and Darkness": Paintings, Tarihi Hüsrev Kethüda Hamamı, May 7-19