Westernization efforts in Turkey can be traced back to the conquest of Istanbul and have caused much controversy in the areas of art and culture. However, neither the whirl of social development which made Istanbul a world metropolis, nor the central cultural polices developed in Ankara have sufficiently contributed to enriching the cultural life of Anatolian cities.

Today, at a time when economic development is rampant and the country is trying to move along the EU path, a serious commitment needs to be made, not only to arts and culture projects, but to cultural policies as well.

We believe that through the sharing of arts and culture, mutual understanding and sensitivity will increase and that regional differences and prejudices can be overcome. Stimulating the cultural life of Anatolian cities, with their rich cultural heritage, will help urban notions of identity develop along modern notions of citizenship. If different social groups and those with dissimilar cultural identities can jointly experience and share urban culture, their environment will become more conducive to democracy and social inclusion.

We believe in the value of interpersonal relationships formed through arts and culture, social cohesion, cross cultural communication, and resulting community development not only for Turkey internally, but also as the means to engage with Europe to promote the sharing of ideas and foster understanding.

We believe in the ability of the arts to offer forms of expression that transcend national and regional differences so that those who live different lives in different areas can communicate with others who have different beliefs and different identities and come together around their common values. We believe that isolation, insensitivities, and prejudices can be overcome through cultural interaction. We believe that artistic expression contributes to freedom.

Anadolu Kültür is a civil initiative, committed to fostering mutual understanding through arts and culture, and has been working as an NGO on the sharing of culture and artistic production, focused on community development, participation, and a multi-stakeholder approach since 2002.

Osman Kavala
Chairperson of the Board