Reminders From Home --in Turkey

It was perhaps homesickness that compelled a group of Turkish women living in the United States to call home and ask what items family and friends could contribute to the exhibition they were organizing.

Those arts and crafts are on display at the Bosphorous Center in Fountain Valley as part of Kermes-97, the first exhibition of its kind in Orange County, which organizers hope will provide a greater understanding of Turkish culture.

“We put this together to remember our traditions and values,” said Tugba Oten, an exhibition organizer. “We also miss Turkey so much.”

Kermes, the Turkish word for village fair, also represents that nation’s renowned hospitality, according to Feyzan Misirli, who also helped create the local event.

Misirli traveled back to Turkey in March, spoke to the Ministry of Tourism and ended up bringing back items for display. Word soon got around, and the women were receiving care packages from anonymous donors filled with painstakingly crafted doilies and embroidered cloths.

“One of the nicest things about this is that they sent the things from their hope chests, and we didn’t ask them. For instance, I don’t know the name of the woman who made this,” Misirli said, holding up an intricately crocheted cloth.

California’s Turkish community, by the Bosphorous Center’s estimate, is 20,000 to 30,000.

It’s a scattered community, said Mehmet Latif Unal, the center’s executive director, and one of the goals of the fair is to draw it together.

“We have people all from different status joining together, from computer engineers and master’s students and housewives,” said Misirli, a doctoral student at University of Arizona. “We did a lot of learning. We got closer, and that was good for us.”

Visitors to the center can buy Turkish coffee and tea sets, Yazma--the traditional scarves worn by women--and the “blue eye,” an ornament that, according to superstition, wards off evil.

Delectable delights like Noah’s pudding--a hodgepodge of garbanzo beans, nuts, cinnamon and honeyand the traditional powerful jolt Turkish coffee can also be sampled.

The exhibition will continue through Sunday and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Movie and slide presentations will also be featured along with a classical Turkish music concert on Saturday.

The center is at 17150 Newhope St., Suite 115. Information: (714) 825-0880.