I m a g I n at I o n . I n n o vat I o n . E x c E l l E n c E .

printed on recycled paper

the american turkish Society salutes the leadership of GE and Doğuş Group in sustainability efforts and presents an environmentally responsible celebration.

I m a g I n at I o n . I n n o vat I o n . E x c E l l E n c E .

the american turkish Society gala Dinner 2008Honoring Jeffrey R. Immelt and Ferit F. Şahenk

April 16, 2008

Starlight Roofthe Waldorf=astoria

new York

DInnER commIttEEHonorary Chairwoman

mrs. ahmet Ertegün

Co-Chairmenmr. charles o. Holliday, Jr. and mr. David J. Stern

ms. Emily altmanMr. Koray ArıkanMs. Aslı F. Başgöz

Mr. İzzet BenadreteMr. Richard J. Bressler and Ms. Lisa Gersh

Mr. Stuart V. Brownmr. Edward t. cloonan

mr. lyor cohen Mr. and Mrs. Kemal Derviş

Mr. Haluk Dinçer and Mrs. Suzan Sabancı Dinçermr. m. Ergil Ersü

Dr. Jacob A. Frenkelms. Sule Haskell

mr. mehmet Emin Karamehmetmr. and mrs. lawrence m. Kaye

mr. and mrs. muhtar KentMr. Murat Köprülü and Mrs. Nina Joukowsky Köprülü

Mr. Korhan Kurdoğlumrs. latife mardin mr. murad megalli

mr. and mrs. metin negrinMr. Benjamin E. OstromDr. and Mrs. Mehmet ÖzHon. Peter g. Peterson

mr. and mrs. laurence Pettitmr. I. martin Pompadur

Dr. Howard a. Riinamr. nick Rohatyn

mr. lindsay RosenwaldDr. and mrs. tamer Seçkin

Ms. Çiğdem Simavi Mr. A. Ümit Taftalı

Mr. Robert Trainer and Mrs. Shirin Devrim TrainerMs. Heidi Ueberroth

mr. Erol Üçerms. linda Wachnermr. nicholas Walsh

mr. Jeff Zucker

the american turkish Society gala Dinner 2008Honoring Jeffrey R. Immelt and Ferit F. Şahenk

PRogRam

FilmGE and Doğuş Group: Imagination. Innovation. Excellence

WelcomeMurat Köprülü

chairman, the american turkish Society

Gala Co-Chairman’s GreetingDavid J. Stern

Commissioner, The National Basketball Association

Honorees’ RemarksJeffrey R. Immelt

chairman and cEo, gE

Ferit F. ŞahenkChairman, Doğuş Group

Presentationthe american turkish Society corporate Partnership award

Special PerformancePainted on Water

Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan’s new project “Painted on Water,” in collaboration with world-renowned musicians, is based on the re-discovery/rearrangement

of classical folk songs rooted in diverse regions of Turkey with modern melodies and English lyrics. Made possible by Doğuş Group

Dinner MusicJoey Morant & Catfish Stew

cHaIRman’S mESSagE

On behalf of The American Turkish Society, I would like to welcome you to our third annual gala dinner, celebrating partnerships between American and Turkish companies, and honoring the extraordinary business leaders who create these successful collaborations. Since New York is the headquarters of our Society and the hub for global business, it is appropriate for us to shine a light on the decades-long and prosperous connections between American and Turkish businesses.

This year, we are commemorating GE and Doğuş Group’s dynamic partnerships in financial services and real estate and their collaboration in media. We are honored to present the american turkish Society corporate Partnership Award to Mr. Jeffrey Immelt and Mr. Ferit Şahenk for this exemplary U.S.-Turkish cooperation.

The American Turkish Society’s inaugural gala dinner in 2006 celebrated the long-standing joint venture of Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding in Ford Otosan. Our tribute to U.S.-Turkish corporate partnerships continued last year with Citi and Sabancı Holding’s partnership in Akbank. With business relations between our two countries growing ever stronger, we look forward to showcasing many more successes.

tonight’s event is critical to the american turkish Society’s mission - to enhance business, political and cultural ties between Turkey and the United States. Since 1949, we have been pursuing this mission through our thought-provoking speaker series and panel discussions that inform the American public about Turkey’s current affairs, economy, society, arts and culture. In addition, we support education and cultural exchange through a variety of fellowships, grants and collaborations.

Your support tonight provides the critical resources to sustain the american turkish Society’s mission and to fuel its growth in anticipation of its 60th anniversary next summer. We appreciate your participation in this celebration and, given our shared interest in Turkey, look forward to your continuing involvement in all of the Society’s programs.

Murat Köprülüchairman, the american turkish Society

gala co-cHaIRman’S mESSagE

Dear Friends of The American Turkish Society:

I am pleased to join you in honoring Jeffrey R. Immelt and Ferit F. Şahenk.

The relationship between Jeff and Ferit, and between GE and the Doğuş Group, epitomizes how business is conducted in today’s global economy. Their forward-thinking partnership, which spans banking, real estate and media is as unique and innovative as the men who forged it.

With its long, rich basketball tradition, Turkey is an important part of the NBA’s plans for growing the game globally. We are proud to have forged a relationship with these two extraordinary business leaders who share the NBA’s values of teamwork, innovation, integrity and respect.

Congratulations to Jeff and Ferit and our best wishes for their continued success.

Sincerely,

David J. SternCommissioner, The National Basketball Association

JEFFREY R. ImmElt Jeffrey R. Immelt is the ninth chairman of gE, a post he has held since September 7, 2001.

Mr. Immelt has held several global leadership positions since coming to gE in 1982, including roles in gE’s Plastics, appliance, and medical businesses. In 1989 he became an officer of GE and joined the GE Capital Board in 1997. A couple years later, in 2000, Mr. Immelt was appointed president and chief executive officer.

Mr. Immelt has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s, and since he began serving as chief executive officer, GE has been named “America’s Most Admired Company” in a poll conducted by Fortune magazine and one of “The World’s Most Respected Companies” in polls by Barron’s and the Financial Times.

Mr. Immelt is also a member of The Business Council, and he is on the board of the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Mr. Immelt earned a B.A. degree in applied mathematics from Dartmouth College in 1978 and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1982. He and his wife andrea have one daughter.

FERİT F. ŞAHENK Mr. Şahenk is the Chairman of Doğuş Group. The Group operates in banking and financial services, automotive, construction, tourism, media, real estate and energy sectors. In addition to his position as chairman of the Group, Ferit F. Şahenk currently chairs the Board of Garanti Bank.

Mr. Şahenk joined the Group operations in the Financial Sector in 1991 by founding garanti Securities. In three years under his management, garanti Securities became one of the largest in over 100 brokerage houses in Turkey. In 1994 Mr. Şahenk re-structured Garanti Securities into an Investment Bank of the Group where he acted as the Executive Vice-Chairman.

Mr. Şahenk, born in Ankara in 1964, received his Bachelors Degree in Marketing and Human Resources from Boston College in 1987. He also participated in the owner/President management Program at the Harvard University in 1997. Mr. Şahenk is the Chairman of the Turkish-U.S Business Council and Member of the Board of the umbrella organization, Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in Turkey. He is also the Vice President of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSİAD) and President of the Economic and Financial affairs commission under TUSIAD. At the same time, Mr. Şahenk is an active member of the Clinton Global Initiative, Alliance of Civilizations Initiative of the UN, and the World Economic Forum. He is also the member of the Advisory Board of MIT Sloan School of Management as well the Ambrosetti Forum.

Mr. Şahenk is married and has one child.

GE is Imagination at Work - a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world’s toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and industrial products, we serve customers in more than 100 countries and employ more than 300,000 people worldwide.

GE is made up of six businesses, each of which includes a number of units aligned for growth. Our businesses fuel the global economy and improve people’s lives. Our four global research centers attract the world’s best technical minds. With more than 2,500 researchers working toward the next breakthrough, GE is positioned to continually innovate, invent and reinvent. our commitment to environmental solutions through our ecomagination program will generate over $20 million in revenues by 2010 and has lead to the creation of more than 60 ecomagination products that produce cleaner energy or improve efficiency.

GE’s financial results highlight our ability to deliver. In 2007, GE generated double-digit earnings and revenue growth ($172 billion in revenues and $22.2 billion of earnings). Over the past five years, GE has grown its earnings an average of ten percent annually. GE also generated $23.3 billion in cash in 2007, which has given us flexibility to invest in our businesses.

GE traces its beginnings to Thomas A. Edison, who established Edison Electric Light Company in 1878. In 1892, a merger of Edison General Electric company and thomson-Houston Electric company created general Electric company. gE is the only company listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Index today that was also included in the original index in 1896.

Founded in 1951 with initial activity rooted in construction, the Doğuş Group has today become one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates of impeccable track record. Doğuş Group pursues a customer-focused and productivity-centered management style, while also embodying the ethics of corporate citizenship that benefit broader society at large. The business volume derived from our multi-sectoral business structure features strategic international partnerships that enable us to offer a comprehensive range of brand products and services.

The Doğuş Group operates in the following core businesses: financial services, automotive, construction, media, tourism, real estate and energy. The Doğuş Group features 73 companies, each a leader in its respective field. A workforce of over 19 thousand employees enables the Group to offer high quality products and services to its 8 million customers.

The Doğuş Group is an important player in the global market. The Group represents Turkey worldwide with brands nurtured over the course of its operating history. It is also highly ranked among the top establishments most preferred by global investors seeking to do business in Turkey and the surrounding region. moreover, the international recognition of the Doğuş Group’s strength manifests in cooperation with international giants such as General Electric in financial services, real estate and media sectors; Volkswagen AG and TÜV SÜD of Germany in the automotive sector; Alstrom of France and Marubeni of Japan in the construction sector and Hyatt International ltd., Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Worldwide Inc. and HMS International Hotel GmbH (Maritim) and Aldiana GmbH in the tourism sector.

By creating, developing and representing world-class brands, the Doğuş group remains at the forefront of turkey’s transformation and innovation. The Group seeks to maximize the value of its brands, to grow through strong global alliances and become a regional leader in the services sector with its most valued assets, namely human resources and technological infrastructure.

The Doğuş Group’s corporate perspective is based on the principles of growth geared towards sustainable profitability and risk management and its objective is to become a regional leader in the sectors it operates. This is driven by its vision of creating competitive companies and forging global alliances; the very basis of its quest for growth.

The initial cooperation between Doğuş Group and General Electric is rooted in the media sector and dates back to 2000, when the Doğuş Media Group established CNBC-e, a localized version of the world’s number one economy channel CNBC. CNBC-e provides a unique television coverage of Turkey’s economy and its blossoming business environment through real-time access to market data.

Doğuş and GE’s deepening collaboration in media is further manifested through NTVMSNBC, the most visited news website in Turkey and the recently-launched CNBC-e Business magazine.

Building on this alliance, a strategic partnership between GE and Doğuş was realized in the financial services through Garanti Bank in the last quarter of 2005. The synergy created by this global partnership has been a source of motivation for Garanti Bank steering it toward even greater targets in turkey and the region.

Garanti Bank now stands as the second largest privately owned bank in Turkey with an asset size nearing US$70 billion. It provides integrated financial services to 7 million corporate, commercial, small business and retail clientele through over 600 nation-wide and overseas branch network. It also owns subsidiary banks in the Netherlands and the Russian Federation. garanti is turkey’s largest lender. It is also the leader in foreign trade, financing 17% of country’s exports and 15% of its imports; cash management, check processing, and internet banking and manages one of the largest credit card loyalty reward programs in Europe.

I m a g I n at I o n . I n n o vat I o n . E x c E l l E n c E .

as a key competitive advantage, garanti has long shown a distinguished ability for product innovation. Over the last ten years numerous initiatives have been rolled out that stand witness to culture of innovation such as, Bonus Card - Turkey’s first multi-branded chip-based credit and loyalty card program; “CepBank” - first SMS-based money transfer and card-less withdrawal service in the world; “Flexi Card” – first card which enables customers to create their ideal card; “Bonus Trink” – first PayPass featured credit card in Europe and “Mobile Bank.”

In December 2007, Doğuş Group established a new partnership with GE Money in its Romanian operations in leasing, mortgage and sales finance services. the recent move aims to further strengthen regional growth and partnership strategy of the two companies.

The superior performance achieved by the partnership in financial services triggered the extension of the alliance between GE and Doğuş into the real estate sector in 2006. The global acumen of GE Real Estate and the broad experience of the Doğuş Group in the construction field are combined to make Doğuş-GE REIT an important player in this regional market.

Constantly nurturing their businesses with sound investment policies with an ability to accurately interpret the economic environment and to convert opportunities into results, the strategic partnership between GE and Doğuş envisions sustainable growth and further regional expansion.

tHE amERIcan tuRKISH SocIEtY

The American Turkish Society’s mission is to enhance business, economic, political and cultural ties between Turkey and the United States. Established in 1949 in new York city, the american turkish Society is the oldest not-for-profit organization dedicated to building bridges between the two countries in order to achieve common goals of peace and prosperity.

From its humble but crucial beginnings of meet-and-greet dinners between Turkish and American government leaders in the highly-charged post-World War II period, the american turkish Society has steadily grown its corporate and individual membership with a diverse and challenging menu of business, policy, and cultural events throughout the years. The Society’s activities provide American audiences with valuable information about current issues pertaining to Turkey. In addition, the Society supports a variety of international education and arts and culture programs.

over the past decade, the american turkish Society has also increased its philanthropic endeavors. In particular, the Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund, established in the wake of the tragic earthquake near Istanbul in August 1999, was an extraordinarily successful international aid effort, channeling over $4 million to non-profit organizations in Turkey.

The American Turkish Society is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 8th FloorNew York, NY 10017Tel: 212.583.7614Fax: 212.583.7615info@americanturkishsociety.orgwww.americanturkishsociety.org

THE AMERICAN TURKISH SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ChairmanMurat Köprülü, Multilateral Funding International

Vice Chairmenlawrence m. Kaye, Esq., Herrick, Feinstein llPA. Ümit Taftalı, Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation

DirectorsEmily altman, JPmorgan chase & co.Gülnaz Arıcanlı, Morgan Stanley & Co.

Edward T. Cloonan, American International Group (AIG)Aydın S. Çağınalp, Esq., Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP

Haluk Dinçer, Sabancı HoldingÖzgen Doğan, MD, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital

nur Emirgil, Ramerica InternationalDr. Ahmet D. Erelçin, HSBC

Professor Talat S. Halman, Bilkent UniversityBrian Henderson, Merrill Lynch & Co.muhtar Kent, the coca-cola company

Elbrun Kimmelman, Foreign Policy Associationmurad megalli, JPmorgan chase & co.

Metin Negrin, Lexin Capital LLCBenjamin E. Ostrom, Citi

Mehmet C. Öz, MD, Columbia Presbyterian HospitalLaurence Pettit, Esq., Baker & McKenzie LLP

tamer Seçkin, mD, Park East gynecology & SurgeryJeffrey Steiner, the Fairchild corporation

Berrin Tekiner Aykal, Bremen HouseShirin Devrim trainer, actress, author

Hüseyin Ünver, Exsa Americas Inc.

Executive DirectorSelen uçak

the american turkish Society Wishes to thank our Honorees,

Jeffrey R. Immelt and Ferit F. Şahenk,

our Dinner committee co-chairs,

charles o. Holliday, Jr. and David J. Stern,

and all our Supporters Who Made This Evening Possible.

tHE amERIcan tuRKISH SocIEtY 2008 gala acKnoWlEDgEmEntS

Special Thanks to Our Honorees GE and Doğuş Group

Platinum BenefactorsGaranti Bank

NBC UniversalDuPont

The National Basketball AssociationAmerican International Group (AIG)

mrs. ahmet ErtegünJPmorgan chase & co.

Mr. and Mrs. Murat KöprülütHl Partners

Turkish-U.S. Business Council (TAIK) of DEIK

Gold Benefactorsthe coca-cola company

gama Holding Herrick, Feinstein llP

Joukowsky Family Foundationmr. and mrs. lawrence m. Kaye

Multilateral Funding International (MFI)news corporation

NewYork-Presbyterian HospitalParamount Biocapital, Inc.Dr. and mrs. tamer Seçkin

SikorskyWhite & case llP

Silver Benefactorsata Holding

Baker & McKenzie LLPÇukurova Media Group (TurkMedya)

Kıraça Mr. Metin Negrin, Lexin Capital LLC

Dr. and Mrs. Mehmet Özms. Sule Haskell, Prudential Douglas Elliman

Hon. Peter g. Peterson the Rohatyn group

Sabancı Holding

Platinum Supporters The Bank of New York Mellon

Mr. and Mrs. Hasan Akçakayalıoğlu, Bank Pozitif

mrs. latife mardin Mayer Brown LLP

Ramerica International, Inc.Skidmore, owings & merrill llP

Mrs. Shirin Devrim and Mr. Robert Trainerms. linda Wachner

Silver SupportersESBAŞ/Space Camp Turkey

Mr. GB Cagninelli, American Express Bank

ms. Dalia garihHapoalim Securities uSa, Inc.

Ms. Beyhan KarahanDr. Uğur Köylüoğlu, Oliver Wyman

merrill lynch turkeymr. and mrs. thomas morrisonmr. and mrs. michael Parlamis

mr. Richard Rapaport Mr. Gil Robinov

Gold SupportersHak Menkul Kıymetler A.Ş.ms. lou anne King Jensen,

chrest Foundationmr. gil Shiva

As of April 7, 2008

At GE we are proud of our growing partnership with Doğuş in media, banking and real estate. Together in Turkey we have launched the first CNBC franchise focused on local Turkish content that is now the most respected business channel in the country. We also invested in Garanti Bank, the second largest and most profitable private Turkish bank, and garanti Real Estate.

On behalf of GE’s 320,000 employees working across more than 100 countries, it gives me great pleasure to take part in this wonderful event, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with my friend Ferit Şahenk, building the kind of relationship that will last for many years to come.

We salute our partner Doğuş and we thank The American Turkish Society for this recognition.

Jeffrey R. Immeltchairman & cEo, gE

On behalf of Doğuş Group and GE, I am very honored to recognize our dynamic partnerships in banking and real estate and our cooperation in media sectors.

It is our true pleasure to celebrate this collaboration tonight with Jeff Immelt and our friends from gE at the annual gala dinner of the american turkish Society.

Our corporate partnership originated in the media sector almost a decade ago. Building on this solid foundation, our business venture has today exceeded the boundaries of Turkey to Romania for financial services.

I am confident that the joint vision and effort between our companies will further deepen and strengthen in the future to excel into new markets to create new growth opportunities both in Turkey and in the region.

I would hereby take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to our friends from GE and The American Turkish Society for this celebration.

Ferit F. Şahenk Chairman, Doğuş Group

Wishing tonight’s honorees and the american turkish Society

continued success.

congratulationsmrs. ahmet Ertegün

congratulates

GE&

Doğuş Group

For their leadership in global business.

Your success is our success.

We are very pleased to honor

Ferit Şahenk and Jeffrey Immelt

and our dear friends, the Şahenk Family,

for their strength of vision

and staunch commitment

to american-turkish partnership.

Congratulations, GE and Doğuş Group

Joukowsky Family FoundationMultilateral Funding International (MFI)

Nina and Murat Köprülü

As the pioneering business council to create platforms to facilitate the development of commercial and trade relations between Turkey and the United States, TAİK (Turkish-US Business Council) of DEİK is proud to be the supporter of this event and celebrate the decades - long history of partnerships between American and Turkish corporations. We believe that the joint venture of GE and Doğuş Group in Turkey sets a great example for further successful partnerships and helps contribute to the commercial ties between the two countries.

We would also like to honor The American Turkish Society and its Chairman Murat Köprülü for inaugurating such an event and fostering commercial, financial, industrial and cultural understanding between the United States and Turkey for nearly 60 years.

DEİK / TAIK BOARD MEMBERS (2006 - 2008)Member Name TAİK Role Company AffiliationFerit F. Şahenk Chairman DOĞUŞ GROUPSerif Egeli vice chairman SHEncoali Koç vice chairman KoÇ It gRouPHaluk Dinçer Vice Chairman SABANCI HOLDİNGMuharrem Dörtkaşlı Vice Chairman TAIBegümhan Doğan Faralyalı Vice Chairwoman DOĞAN YAYIN HOLDİNGFeyhan Kalpaklıoğlu Member YAŞAR HOLDİNGKorhan Kurdoğlu Member ATA HOLDİNGCüneyd Zapsu Member AZİZLER HOLDİNGMustafa Bayraktar Member BAYRAKTAR HOLDİNGSedat Birol Member ECZACIBASI HOLDİNGSelim Koray Member YAPI KREDİ KORAY GYOBarış Öney Member DELOITTEDoğan Bolak Member ATPElif Akarlılar Member MAVİ GİYİMKoray Arıkan Member JP MORGAN Kürşat Özkan Member GENERAL ELECTRICMurad Dural Member ALTAY

Contact InformationTOBB Plaza Talatpaşa Cad. No: 3 Kat: 5 Gültepe-Levent 34394 Istanbul-TURKEYTel: (90) (212) 339 5000 (pbx) – (90) (212) 270 4190 (pbx) Fax: (90) (212) 270 35 92 E-mail: info@deik.org.tr Web: www.deik.org.tr / www.turkey-now.org

congratulates HonoreesJeffrey R. Immelt and Ferit F. Şahenk

For the Partnerships Between GE and Doğuş Group

and

Salutes the american turkish Society for its ongoing work in enhancing business, economic,

political and cultural ties between turkey and the united States

www.nyp.org

Endometriosis Foundation of America

and

Dr. Tamer and Elif Seçkin

congratulate

GE and Doğuş Group

for their exciting partnerships in Turkey

Salutes tonight’s honorees for their leadership and vision.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”

–John Quincy Adams

congRatulatIonSto

Doğuş Group and GEfor their successful partnership and to

The American Turkish Societyfor promoting and recognizing

American-Turkish cooperation and collaboration.

SPEcIal tHanKSGiftsgE

Greenhouse gas credits in order to present this evening’s dinner as a carbon neutral event

Doğuş GroupSilver letter opener featuring the replica of the first international gold coin produced between 1477-1478 for the

ottoman Sultan mehmet II

Special PerformancePainted on Water

Made possible by Doğuş Group~

Gala Planning and Execution

We would like to acknowledge the following individuals and their teams for their crucial assistance

Benefit Committee Joan Krehnbrink Kaye, Chair

Berrin Avcılar Banu Bildik

lindsay lewisScarlett Pildes

Yiğit Onat Selen Uçak, Executive Director

Gala CoordinatorKristin Holcomb Special Events

Staff and VolunteersMelis Görmezoğlu, Administrative Assistant

Melek Akkaya, Onur Çelik, Gabriella DavalosÇağdaş Gürpınar, Emily Kaye, Sophie Kaye, Erkan and Elif Kaptan, Özgem Örnektekin

Printed MaterialscZ Design, Inc.

Watkins Printing Service Inc.

DécorFleurisa

LightingFloralia

Audio VisualPSav

Photography/Videomeredith Davenport

Paul Helzer

Waldorf=Astoriaashley Reynolds

Public Relationsmcgrath matter associates

EntertainmentJoey Morant & Catfish Stew

Deirdre latourDirector, PR and marketing Services, gE

Gayle J. Gibsonmanager, corporate operations, DuPont

Seda DomaniçExternal Affairs Manager, Doğuş Group

christopher YanceyDirector, International Marketing Partnerships, NBA

PaIntED on WatER

Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan’s new project “Painted on Water,” in collaboration with world-renowned musicians, is based on the re-discovery/rearrangement of classical folk songs rooted in diverse regions of Turkey with modern melodies and English lyrics. The theme of “Painted on Water” is inspired by the art of ebru.

This spectacular performance has been produced by Demir Demirkan and Jay Newland, winner of nine Grammy awards and producer of several music giants including Norah Jones. The project features sensual lyrics by Demir Demirkan and grammy Winner Phil gladston, who has worked with famous artists such as madonna, celine Dion and vanessa Williams.

DEMİR DEMİRKAN (vocals, composer, co-producer and guitars)Demir Demirkan is a song writer, producer and guitarist based in Istanbul, who started his professional music career in a heavy/rock group Pentagram. Besides releasing two solo albums, he worked with famous artists and his song, “Every Way That I Can,” performed by Sertab Erener, won the first prize in the 2003 Eurovision Song Competition.

SERTAB ERENER (vocals)Sertab Erener is one of the most acclaimed female artists in Turkey who reached a total sale of more than 4 million records. In 2003, Turkey won the Eurovision Song Contest with her performance of “Everyway That I Can.” She has duets with artists such as Jose Carreras and Ricky Martin and recording of her first English album “No Boundaries” sold more than 50,000 copies in Japan.

DAVE WECKL (drums)Dave Weckl is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer who worked with artists such as Paul Simon, Madonna, George Benson, Michel Camilo and Anthony Jackson. His most famous early work was with the Chick Corea Elektric Band from 1985 to 1991. He has been the leader of ten recordings since 1990.

AL DI MEOLA (guitars)Al di Meola is an Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist who, in 1974, joined Chick Corea’s band, Return to Forever. In 1980, he toured with fellow latin rocker, carlos Santana and was a guest artist on Paul Simon’s album. He has a prolific solo career and he is a four-time winner as Best Jazz Guitarist in Guitar Player Magazine’s Reader Poll.

TULUĞ TIRPAN (piano & keyboard)Tuluğ Tırpan is a noted pianist-compositor. Starting early in his career, Tuluğ performed in many solo and chamber music concerts. He has released two solo CD Projects “My Red Color” and “My Green Color” where he focuses on his native country’s ethnic musical legacy and influences. Rumi Symphony, which he composed, is played in several countries.

KAI ECKHARDT (bass guitar)Kai Eckhardt is a German musician and composer who plays bass, best known for his work with John McLaughlin, the band Garaj Mahal and Billy Cobham. The Jaco Pastorius-influenced bassist is known for his ability to play at lightning speed, and for his unique combination of funk, jazz, and world music.