Founding

The idea to start a Turkish Friends of Catalhoyuk was first conceived at a visit, which Resit Ergener made to the site on July 20, 1994. By coincidence that was the day when Ian Hodder's team had started their second excavation season at Catalhoyuk. Upon his return to Istanbul, with the help of Ceylan Orhun, Resit Ergener made arrangements for Ian Hodder to make a presentation on Catalhoyuk at the Women's Library in Istanbul. This conference attended by only about twenty persons was possibly the first step toward the revival of the theme of Catalhoyuk, which had been forgotten by the Turkish general public.

Kilim artist Belkis Balpinar and Bogaziçi University faculty member Nur Mardin joined Resit Ergener and Ceylan Orhun in the effort to start a group of Turkish Friends. Together with James Mellaart and Udo Hirsch, Belkis Balpinar is one of the co-authors of the book Goddess from Anatolia . Architect Oguz Öztuzcu, travel agent and tour guide Murat Küpçü and archeologist and publisher Nezih Basgelen joined the team and became the other founders. The founding of the society was formally completed on August 12, 1995.

Turkish Friends did useful work during the founding period. Founder Oguz Öztuzcu visited Culture Minister of the time Ercan Karakas together with Ian Hodder and joined the discussion on the extension of the protected area around Catalhoyuk. Oguz Öztuzcu also prepared the preliminary project toward the founding of a possible museum at Catalhoyuk. Kerim Bekdik and Kim Erkan contributed to the application to the “World Monuments Watch,” in order to have Catalhoyuk on the list of one hundred sites in most urgent need of protection.