A large number of artifacts from the Thracian civilization have been unearthed during archaeological excavations which have been continuing for 16 years in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ. The head of Namık Kemal University’s Archaeology Faculty, Prof. Neşe Atik said the archaeological findings from Tekirdağ drew great interest, particularly from abroad. 

Today, the Government has published The Culture White Paper which sets out their vision for the cultural sectors over the coming years.

Istanbul’s interdisciplinary art festival, Pera Fest, which has chosen “Art against Discrimination” as the theme of its 14th edition, opened on March 21 with a poetry & music event at Tiyatro Pera. Despite the general atmosphere of fear and anxiety due to the recent terror attack’s proximity to the event, many of the invited artists attended the festival’s opening event.     

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Mar. 14, 2016) — The 2016 Columbia Global Freedom of Expression Prizes will go to the Supreme Court of Norway and to Professor Yaman Akdeniz, Associate Professor Kerem Altiparmak, and Attorney at Law Serkan Cengiz of Turkey. The awards, established last year by Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger, recognize judicial decisions and legal representation from around the world that strengthen freedom of expression by promoting international legal norms.

The art market has bounced back worldwide after prices slumped by more than 10 percent last year as investors look for a safer alternative to falling stock markets, the leading index Artprice said on Feb. 26. The world's leading art auction database said figures for the first two months of this year show a strong recovery.

The western appetite for antiquities has always been a motivation for others to loot them. The same individuals who pride themselves on their appreciation of cultural heritage create situations that lead to the pillage of ancient sites, as the trade in illicit artefacts is fuelled by demand. Western buyers purchase antiquities at depressed prices after they have passed hands from looters, smugglers or middlemen, creating greater incentive to loot and smuggle.

Last October, 19 refugees in Berlin were recruited and trained as museum guides to provide native-language tours for fellow refugees, with the aim of helping newly arrived people foster connections between Germany’s cultural heritage and their own. The project is called Multaqa, an Arabic word meaning “meeting point”.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has pushed the button on the restoration of Riva Castle, situated on Istanbul’s Black Sea coast. A tender will be initiated on March 17 for the restoration and environmental organization of the castle.The construction site delivery will take place within five days after the contract is signed and the restoration work will be completed in 400 days. 

The ancient city of Magnesia, where excavations have been ongoing for 30 years, remains underwater after rainfall over the weekend submerged parts of the excavated site. Located in the western province of Aydın’s Germencik district, the 3rd century B.C. ancient city has turned into a lake with due to heavy rainfall and groundwater in the surrounding area. 

Some 39 artifacts were repatriated to Turkey in 2015, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry has announced.Twenty-seven smuggled artifacts were returned from the United States while 10 came back from Switzerland last year, according to the ministry.  Also among them were one piece from Austria and one from Germany.