Brooklyn, ‘Turkish Capitol of America,’ celebrates Ottoman culture
The crescent and star of a giant, red Turkish flag bedecked Brooklyn Borough Hall and party-goers sat on the steps to applaud the dramatic pageantry of the Turkish Armed Forces Harmony Band and other performances at Brooklyn’s annual Turkish Cultural Celebration on Thursday, May 16.
As the sound of drums boomed over Downtown Brooklyn, an audience drawn from across the borough ate authentic Turkish food, waved Turkish flags and clapped in rhythm with the Ankara Greater Municipality Folk Dance Group, Bulent Kayabs and the Mehteran Band of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.
Borough President Marty Markowitz and Consul General of Turkey M. Levent Bilgen hosted the festive evening. Brooklyn is home to the country’s largest population of Turks, BP Markowitz said — making Brooklyn “the Turkish capital of America.”