The
Fourth Emerging Power in the Middle East:
Redefining the Turkish Media`s Role & Future...
INTRODUCTION
by Prof. Edward FOSTER
Prof.
Edward FOSTER
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A conference titled as, "The Fourth Emerging Power in the
Middle East: Redefining the Turkish Media`s
Role & Future" by Nuri M. ÇOLAKOGLU,
was organized by Light Millennium, a not-for-
profit Organization in tandem with the Stevens
Institude of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey
on April 2, 2004.
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For
the presentation by Nuri M. ÇOLAKOGLU
The
Turkish Parliament
enlarged the view and power of Turkish Media>>>
It is possible in Turkey today to turn on the TV at
8:00 at night or 2:00 in the morning and find a discussion
among academics, intellectuals, artists on issues somewhat
more serious than we might find in the best television
offers here, _The Sopranos_, say, or _Six
Feet Under_. Last August when a group of people
from this university were in Istanbul, one of us, an
instructor of Turkish studies, was interviewed on television
and subjected to a very intense hour and a half of
questions about his perceptions of American and Turkish
political and economic relations. Perhaps something
of that sort might happen here if the person to be interviewed
were Rice or Powell with the opinions of others, if
given at all, reduced to brief sound bites. The issue
on this side of things seemed to be more involved with
power than intelligent opinion. So there is much to
be said about the Turkish media, at least within the
last few years, as a high-water mark for any country
that professes the free exchange of ideas. This was
not always so, but this is how it seems at this moment.
I remember the first year I lived in Turkey in 1978.
There was black and white television a few hours a night
and much of it was not very interesting. Today on the
other hand, as tonight's speaker told me earlier, there
are seven channels alone devoted to 24- hour news.
Everyone here, I assume, knows who Nuri Çolakoglu
is and knows his considerable role in Turkish media
as one particularly well-positioned to ensure the free
expression and exchange of ideas. I quote from a news
release about tonight's event: "Çolakoglu
is the coordinator of Print Media and TV at Dogan Media
Group in Istanbul, which is a major force in Turkish
Media. He also serves as a General Director of ANS International,
the Production Company of that group. He is also the
Founder, Chairman and the CEO of New Media Company TV
& Advertisement Company; an independent production
company specialized in corporate promotion. He was involved
in launch of six private channels during the last decade.
In 2001 he became the General Manager of CNN-Turk based
in Istanbul." The release goes on to say, "Mr.
Çolakoglu noted that recent years have brought
increasing freedom to Turkish Media. Efforts to meet
European standards as Turkey moves towards member and
European Union have fostered great changes." He
has also quoted to saying, "The
Turkish parliament is weeding out limitations
on freedom of expression, this is helping Turkey consolidate
its democracy and overcome the taboos of the past."
Briefly, before Mr Çolakoglu starts his speech, let me add
two quick notes. First I would like to mention that
this event is co-sponsored by the Light Millennium,
the enormously ambitious and productive organization
directed by Bircan Ünver, who really should be
doing this introduction as everyone here must know.
Turkish/American goodwill owes her a tremendous debt
of gratitude. She is a true incarnation of whatever
is best in relations between the two countries. Tonight's
talk is the first in the series of events to be coordinated
by this university and the Light Millennium.
The other sponsor is of course the Stevens Turkish Program, one
of only sixteen in this country. The director of this
program, David Cuthell, unfortunately has personal obligations
this evening that prevent him from being present. Our
President Dr. Harold J. Raveché would also be
here if possible but it happens that at this very moment
he is in a plane on his way to Istanbul to make possible
further ties between this university and Turkey. Among
other things, he will be working on are plans for a
major Turkish/American
conference to be held at this university from May
12 to May14 involving a great number of distinguished
Turkish and American political, business, academic,
and cultural figures. This conference will be free and
open to the public.
With this let me turn the microphone over to Mr. Çolakoglu.
Given its reputation and place in the world Stevens
is frequently host to remarkable man and woman but it
will be difficult I believe to find a guest as remarkable
and as welcome as he.
For
the presentation by Nuri M. ÇOLAKOGLU
The
Turkish Parliament
enlarged the view and power of Turkish Media>>>
|
About
Prof. Edward FOSTER
Formerly
the poetry editor of MultiCultural Review, Edward
Foster is the founding editor of Talisman: A Journal
of Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, Talisman House,
Publishers, and Jensen/Daniels, Publishers. A
professor of English and American literature at
Stevens, he is a former visiting professor at
Drew University Graduate Faculty and Beykent University
(Istanbul) and was a Fulbright lecturer at Haceteppe
University in Ankara, Turkey, and at the University
of Istanbul. The co-director of the Russian/American
Cultural Exchange Program, he has been the recipient
of various grants and awards from Columbia University,
the National Endowment for the Arts, the National
Endowment for the Humanities, the USIA arts program,
the New Jersey Historical Commission, Choice,
the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the
Fulbright Commision, the Greve Foundation, and
the Fund for Poetry. He is a widely published
essayist and poet, and his poetry has been translated
into, and published in, many languages. For further
information:, see the Directory of American Scholars,
Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Authors: New
Revision Series, The Writers Directory, The International
Writers and Authors Who's Who, and Contemporary
Authors Autobiography Series.
For
more information:
http://www.stevens.edu/humanities/People/Faculty/Edward_Foster/index.html
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--Media
Release of the conference - April 10, 2004
- Turkish media executive Çolakoglu to speak
at Stevens
http://www.stevensnewsservice.com/pr/pr411.htm
--Announcement of the conferencey by Light Millennium:
March 3, 2004
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