cityscape: Susan Guyett

Turks conclude tournament is good excuse for a party

August 30, 2002

If it seems enthusiasm for the 2002 World Basketball Championship hasn't reached the heights of Hoosier Hysteria yet, don't blame the Turks.

Fans of the southeastern European national team are here, they are ready to celebrate and everyone is invited.

As soon as members of the American Turkish Association of Indiana, Inc. (ATAIN) learned that their national team made the world tournament in Indianapolis by coming in second in the European end of the competition, the local group went into brainstorming mode, says Ahmet Fer, who is on the organization's board and edits its newsletter.

"We said, they will be here and we have to plan something. What can we do?"

What they have done is nothing short of amazing, considering there are probably no more than 50 ATAIN members, Fer said. Getting support from other groups, such as the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, the Federation of Turkish American Associations, the Union of Turkish Chambers of Commerce Cultural Foundation in Ankara, Turkey and the Turkish government, an all-day festival was planned.

The Turkish Festival is Saturday at American Legion Mall at the corner of Meridian and North Streets from 2-8 p.m. There will be music, dancing, shopping and authentic Turkish food to sample. Admission is free but you'll pay for any shopping you do whether you pick up a trinket or a kabob.

If having an international sporting event in your city serves as an opportunity to broaden everyone's international horizons -- basketball lover or not -- the Turkish Americans have gone the extra mile to introduce their culture to our community.

"It really is a chance to introduce Indiana to Turkish culture and find another part of the world in our own back yard," says Susan McKee, who heads the Nationalities Council of Indiana Inc.

The Turkish government chipped in funds to bring the State Ensemble of Turkish Folk Dancers to Indianapolis. Other entertainers include a Columbus, Ohio, music group, Turkana, and folk dancers from a Turkish Cultural Group in Chicago.

One calamity may have already hit the state dance troupe. In an example that more than a suitcase can get lost by an airline, the group is scrambling to find the large drum that got lost in the flight to Indianapolis. If it isn't found, it will be replaced, Cenk Karadumen said.

On a brighter note, chefs from Divan, one of Istanbul's top restaurants, are in town to prepare Turkish buffets that will be served daily at the Hyatt Regency Hotel's Porch Restaurant from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today until Sept. 6 at a cost of $12.95. The menu will vary, but expect to see some traditional foods including tabbouleh, salads, lamb and veal kabobs, sea bass and traditional desserts.

Hyatt's sales manager, Kurt Wuebbenhorst, said arranging the visit by the chefs and offering the Turkish menu is a natural extension of the international feeling downtown, not to mention providing sustenance to the many Turkish fans in town.

"We certainly wanted to extend a welcome and help serve that particular part of the international community," Wuebbenhorst said.

The hotel, located at 1 S. Capitol Ave., will also host an arts exhibit and dance demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Ambassador Ugur Ergun of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in town for the tournament and says as far as he's concerned, the festival has already started. There is a lot of excitement Downtown and everywhere you look you see Turkish flags and logos on tee shirts. "It's almost like being in Istanbul," he laughed.

Log on to www.ata-in.org for more information about Saturday's festival.