In the framework of the Bank’s Prestige Book Project, entitled “the Legend of Çanakkale in the Memory of the 100th Anniversary of the Victory” in 2015, “In the Memory of Çanakkale Martyrs and the Legend of Çanakkale” concert was held on 18 March 2016 at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. In the concert, folk songs, odes, ghazals, poems and hymns dedicated to legendary resistance of the war were performed by prominent singers of Turkish music. As part of the concert, a photo exhibition commemorating the 100^th Anniversary of Çanakkale Victory was held and also a documentary film entitled “Çanakkale War” was presented. The concert was attended by the Bank’s senior executives, retired and acting staff, and invitees from the state protocol list.

The inauguration of the exhibition entitled “Masterpieces from the Art Collection of the CBRT” and curated by Prof. Kıymet Giray took place on 5 May 2016 in the CerModern Arts Center. In the exhibition, 69 art works from 40 artists from the Art Collection of the CBRT were displayed, summarizing general development of Turkish painting from the second half of the 19th century to the examples of modernism. In her opening speech, Giray stated that the exhibition displayed highly valuable collection pieces and masterpieces, which were built up as the indicator of modernization and modern art consciousness. She stressed that the masterpieces reflected the periods of our painting art, the place of the artists over the generations and art movements, details reflecting particularities of the periods, and the place of the artists in cultural life. She also pointed out that the CBRT set a good example for contemporary art museums, opened after 2000s, by constituting a qualified art collection and by continuing to enrich its collection. The catalog of the exhibition, which was open till 31 July 2016, was introduced to the public by a presentation by Prof. Giray on 29 May 2016 in CerModern Arts Center.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition, entitled “Infinity Time”, featuring a selection of art works from the Art Collection of the CBRT from 7 December 2016 to 7 February 2017 in the Bait Al Zubair Museum, Muscat/Oman took place in 7 December 2016 in the presence of Mr. Murat Uysal, the Deputy Governor of the CBRT, HE Mr. Atılay Ersan, the Turkish Ambassador in Muscat, and Mr. Mohammed Abdulkarim Al Shahi, the General Manager of the Bait Al Zubair Museum. Associate Prof. Ahmet Albayrak from Erciyes University, writer, editor, coordinator and the art director of the exhibition catalog, carried out the art consultancy, selection and placement of art works in the exhibition, where 30 works from 19 artists were displayed. Displaying examples of both contemporary and traditional Turkish arts, this exhibition was founded on innovation, beauty, the ancient and historic memory, and pointed to the continuity and eternal nature of the relationship between the phenomenon of perception and the viewer. This experience also reveals the development of Turkish art and the dynamic nature of traditional arts.

In the context of sporting activities, the CBRT hosted the 10th traditional “Interbank Chess Tournament” with participation from local banks in İstanbul on 4 December 2016. Bank teams attended Euro Soccer in Holland, Euro Tennis in Romania, Euro Table-Tennis in Czechia, Euro Basket in Germany, Euro Volleyball in Austria, Euro Bridge in Switzerland and Euro Hiking in Portugal, organized by the central banks that are members of the Sports and Cultural Associations of the European Central Banks and also the “12^th Regional Central Banks Sports Tournament” hosted by the Bank of Kosovo in the branches of women’s volleyball and chess.