"Turkey looks to capitalize on its 'Beijing 2008 moment'
Istanbul is the 2010 European Capital of Culture, which will help Turkey beef up its candidacy for the European Union while highlighting its emergence as a regional power.
It was a night of music, fireworks, and ethnic controversy. The weekend of Jan. 9 and 10 brought a glitzy opening ceremony to mark Istanbul as the 2010 European Capital of Culture.
Turkey has seized on a little-known institution to showcase its cultural gems, such as the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, and beef up its candidacy for the European Union while highlighting its emergence as a regional power. At a time when local newspapers talk of a “neo-Ottomanist” foreign diplomacy, some are calling the coming year of cultural events Turkey’s “Beijing moment.” "
More:Turkey looks to capitalize on its 'Beijing 2008 moment' / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com