WMU Home > About WMU > WMU News

WMU News

Turkey's unique place in history and world discussed

April 10, 2006

KALAMAZOO--Turkey is a country with territory in both Europe and Asia. The Bosporus Bridge is one of the country's major landmarks, which serves as a symbol of connection between the continents, cultures and ways of life.

Western Michigan University alumna and graduate student Alev Akbulut presents "Turkey: The Significant Bridge Between East and West" in a 7 p.m. Friday, April 14, presentation in Room 211 of the Bernhard Center. Turkish snacks will be served, and the presentation is free and open to the public.

Turkey's population is more than 95 percent Islamic, and the country is a model of a secularized, Islamic democratic society in which "all kinds of people live side by side in peace and tolerance," according to Akbulut, who received her bachelor's degree from WMU in 2004 and is completing a Master of Public Administration degree.

"Turkey is the cradle of civilization. It is the birthplace of Homer and the final home of the Virgin Mary. Its history is integral to those of some of the most glorious empires in history: Greek, Roman and Ottoman," she says.

The event is sponsored by the WMU Graduate Student Advisory Committee and the Kalamazoo Jaycees. For more information, contact Alev Akbulut at alev.akbulut@wmich.edu.

Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
(269) 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/wmu/news