Wednesday, 1 July 2009
"Turkey Season" began in France on Tuesday.
Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay and his French counterpart Frederic Mitterrand formally launched the "Turkey Season" activities in Paris on Tuesday.
The activities will last about nine months in France.
"These activities will be an opportunity to eliminate prejudice of French people and to promote Turkey," Gunay told a joint press conference with Mitterrand.
Gunay said that activities would boost relations between the two countries, and lay the groundwork of new cooperation.
The Turkish minister said knowing each other would help overcome problems among people, and development of cultural relations would contribute to solution of other problems.
Also, Mitterrand said that the French had always respected to Turkey's history, civilization and culture.
The "Fire of Anatolia" dance group will perform a show at the square in front of the Eiffel Tower, which will be followed by a concert on July 4.
"The Ottoman Caftans" exhibition at the Louvre Museum and "Istanbul for Centuries" exhibition at the Grand Palais are among the most important events during the season.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are expected to inaugurate the exhibition at the Grand Palais together.
Also, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe will hand over the key of Paris to Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan and photographer Ara Guler.
More than 300 artistic and cultural events promoting Turkey will take place in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg and some other French cities during the "Turkey Season" organized with an almost 30 million Euro budget.
France will host 42 exhibitions during the season, which is sponsored by leading French companies including AXA, Areva, Total, EADS, BNP Paribas bank, Groupama insurance company and Renault.
A total of 880,000 French people visited Turkey last year, and almost 400,000 Turkish citizens are living in France.
