When news headlines flash across our papers and TV screens, they are generally dominated by political activity and human tragedy.
Representations of countries as political hot-spots or needy victims can shape our assumptions about them to the extent that we forget about the cultural and artistic expressions of the people who live there.
Iran and Turkey are two countries that will be in the headlines over the coming year for political reasons. George W. Bush stated in his State of the Union address that Iran needs significant international pressure to halt its plans for nuclear development and Turkey's long-fought for chance to join the EU will soon be discussed in Ankara.
