Trained in Switzerland in Hotel Management, Arli has been providing the finest food and elegant service to everyone from Hollywood Elite, to kings, queens and presidents for more than 25 years.

Arli worked for more than two decades for the world famous Chasen’s Restaurant. In this role, Arli had the pleasure of orchestrating the catering service for many affairs and fund raisers for previous and current presidents including the opening of the Ronald Reagan Library, as well as may movie premieres and private parties.

In 1995, Arli opened his own business, Arli’s Exclusive Catering, a complete restaurant on wheels. Arli is celebrating his twelfth year as Arli’s Exclusive Catering, building on his many years of experience.

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Ismail Tosun, one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs, was born in Bozca Armut, a small Turkish village three hours inland from Istanbul, Turkey and came to Australia when he was five years old. “Mum and Dad divorced when I was nine years old, Dad took my brother. Mum was supposed to take me but I ended up with Mum’s Mum and my Grandfather and they brought me up in Melbourne till I was sixteen and that’s where it began” says Tosun and explains how he became a chef “my grandfather was a butcher and my grandmother, as village women do, made everything – bread, yoghurt, cheese – from scratch, and my education really began with them as a child in Melbourne. They were both really great cooks, and their food is very different from mainland Turkish.” I’ve been very privileged to have seen all this before I even went to an apprenticeship. Seeing this, starting your apprenticeship you matched things up very quickly. To this day I ring Gran to get ideas. She doesn’t like having menus – she believes that what we cook is what you eat – but she loves the restaurant.”

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Attila Dogudan was born in 1959 in Istanbul as the son of a Turkish restaurant owner and a Viennese. When he was ten years old, Attila moved to Vienna, attended secondary school there, and studied international trade after graduating. He says about himself, that he grew up in a cooking pot. Having gained tremendous experience in his parents’ business, Mr. Dogudan opened his own delicatessen and restaurant named DO&CO. That was more than 19 years ago. Since then, Mr. Dogudan has been able to achieve many of his plans and goals. In his opinion the basis of his success is his firm belief in success. As the owner of a diversified food services company, he cannot be a cook himself, but to him this is not a disadvantage, as he can thus make judgments like a demanding guest.

Website: www.doco.com

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Gönül Paksoy was born in Adana – Ceyhan as the first child of her family with 6 kids. She went to grammar school in Ceyhan and attended the Adana Girls’ School for her high school education.

After graduating as a Chemical Engineer from the Chemistry Department of Yildiz University, she obtained an M.S. degree from the Basic Sciences Department of Çukurova University on the subject “The Separation of Tar into its Components and its Definition.”

She obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Sciences of the same University with a thesis on “The use of plants as a source of natural dyes”. After obtaining her Ph.D. she conducted several studies on natural dyes. She left the University in autumn 1989 and started to work on her own. She continues to study natural dyes besides her work as a fashion designer.

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Musa was born in 1960 in Nizip, Gaziantep (Southeastern Turkey) where he learned to be a chef from family members who were specialists in kebabs and pastries. In his early years he worked on a family farm and later as a helper in restaurants. He opened his first restaurant in 1987 and since then he has been traveling to the far corners of Turkey and Middle East to further pursue his passion for rarely found Anatolian dishes. His love of food has led him to extensively research the food history of Mesopotamia and try recipes over 400 years old.

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Cancer Claims Life of European Ottoman Expert Stefanos Yerasimos (Istanbul 1942- Paris July 20, 2005)

Stefanos Yerasimos renowned for his research on Turkey died on July 20 in Paris. He was also the French Institute of Anatolian Studies director in 1994-99. His admiration for Istanbul was admirable.

Ottoman Historian Stefanos Yerasimos died of cancer yesterday morning. He was diagnosed with cancer when he had gone to hospital 18 days ago complaining of stomach pain. His condition turned graver in the last two days. The writer who lived in France was often consulted by the French media on the subject of Turkey’s European Union membership.

Yerasimos renowned for his research on the Ottoman Empire and Turkey was born in 1942 in Istanbul. He graduated from the Architecture department of State Fine Arts Academy in Turkey in 1966. He also obtained his Urbanism degree from Institut d’Urbanisme de Paris. In 1973, he defended a PhD dissertation entitled “Turkey in Underdevelopment Process in Sorbonne University.” Later this dissertation, published by Gozlem Publishing in three volumes became a source book. In 1980-85, Yerasimos edited the texts of travelers who had traveled the East and particularly Turkey for François Maspero/ La Decouverte publishing house. A 12 volume book consisting of texts from Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, J. B. Tavernier, J. Thevenot, J.P. Tournefort and J. Nicolas de Nicolay came out of this work. In 1989 he published Nicolas de Nicolay’s travel book in CNRS Edition. Turkish Historical Society published in French a study by Yerasimos on the travelers wandering in Ottoman Empire territory in 14th, 15th and 16th centuries (Les Voyageurs dans l’Empire Ottoman).In 1986 he defended a second PhD dissertation entitled “Travelers in Ottoman Empire.” In 1989, he was awarded the title of Professor by the Paris University Urbanism Department. In1994-99, he served as Director of the French Institute of Anatolian Studies. Yerasimos, who until his death was a professor of Université de Paris VIII, has many published researches and articles both in French and in Turkish. The major ones among them are, “Turkey in Underdevelopment Process,” “1917-1923 Turko-Soviet Relations,” “Constantinople and Hagia Sophia Legends in Turkish Texts,” “Nationalities and Borders,” Istanbul: The Capitol of Empires,” “Suleymaniye,” and “Sultans’ Tables.”

In his “Suleymaniye,” Yerasimos studied the Suleymaniye Mosque (Blue Mosque) in depth, which it was built in the prime of the Ottoman Empire as a sign of the magnificence of the time. The book places this “magnificent” monument in its historical and architectural context and provides details ranging from the materials used in the construction to the organization of the construction yard and the construction chronology.

“Yerasimos did not have an ideological look on events”

Professor Dr. Ilber Ortayli: Two weeks ago, we were together in Istanbul. We sent him back to Paris in good health but soon after we learned that he passed away. He was a peculiar intellectual and a researcher. He did not look at events ideologically; he had no obsession. He knew Ottoman Turkish, Byzantine Greek and comparatively used texts in both languages in his studies. His knowledge of these two languages had deeply shaped his world outlook. He was an East Mediterranean. He had a realistic approach and assessed history not with “ifs” but according to the conditions of the period he was dealing with.

“It is bitter to lose an Istanbul lover”

Professor Dr. Zeynep Ahunbay: We met Yerasimos in the Istanbul exhibition held within the scope of Habitat. He was an erudite and Istanbul lover. Most of his work was on Istanbul. It is bitter to lose such an ardent Istanbul lover for his friends and for Istanbul. If he had not passed away, he had many things to do for Istanbul.

“He was a versatile scientist, we will miss him”

Enis Batur: I stood shocked for a while when I first heard of Yerasimos’ death, for I did not know he had cancer. Yerasimos was a very valuable scientist and a versatile person. His curiosity and his had never ending quench for knowledge made him study a wide range of deep and intricate subjects. He published the outcome for the eyes of the Turkish and the foreign reader. We will miss him.