At a delectable Turkish breakfast meeting, complete with “sucuklu yumurta”, the leaders of the Turkish American Community in Southern California enjoyed meeting two unique individuals today.
The participants at the event sponsored by ATAA’s President Ergün KIRLIKOVALI first heard Dr. Soner Cagaptay of The Washington Institute, Director of Turkish Research, who provided an insight into the current state of Turkish affairs. Dr. Cagaptay outlined for its Western allies how best to strengthen bilateral ties in the window of uncertainty left in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and answered questions from the participants.
The lively talk was followed by an equally vibrant presentation by Baran Seyhan, producer of the film “”Where The Fire Burns“, the Turkish entry into Academy Awards 2013. Flanked by the director of the film, Ismail Gunes, and his assistant, the young film producer discussed the making of the film which will be screened on Dec 10 or 11 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Another screening at UCI is suggested by Dr. Huseynov which idea quickly found many supporters. This time, an Oscar is not an impossible dream, many participants thought. They all wished the filmmakers best of luck.