The ceremony, organized by the İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, brought together over 500 participants from around the world, including internationally renowned representatives of the world of culture and art, members of European Parliament, representatives of international civil society organizations, academics and members of the international media.The event started with a panel discussion addressing the theme of İstanbul’s role in and contributions to world culture. Attended by 180 distinguished participants, including 15 members of European Parliament, the panel was moderated by Jonny Dymond, a BBC News Europe correspondent and former İstanbul resident. The panel speakers -- Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, State Minister Egemen Bağış, MEP Richard Howitt, sociology Professor Nilüfer Göle and cultural commentator Yudhishthir Raj Isar -- discussed the importance of the European Capital of Culture title İstanbul will bear this year.
The event continued with a reception hosted by MEP Andrew Duff, vice chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. The reception was attended by about 500 guests, including EU Enlargement Commissioner-designate Stefan Füle, who made a last-minute change to his schedule in order to attend the reception. Speaking at the ceremony, representatives of various groups in the European Parliament discussed the importance of İstanbul in enriching Turkey-EU relations.
The most remarkable moments of the evening were a performance directed by Turkish choreographer Beyhan Murphy, a fusion dance performance featuring break dancing and the traditional Aegean region dance zeybek by Kadir Memiş and a piece by the newest Turkish ballet company, the Samsun State Opera and Ballet Company.
