Columbia University's Middle East Institute and Center for Democracy, Toleration and Religion, along with the Turkish Cultural Center (New York) and the Institute of Turkish Studies (Washington, DC), sponsored a symposium dedicated to examining Islam's role in contemporary Turkey. Entitled "Islam in Turkey Today," the symposium showcased the work of a global array of scholars working on the interaction between Islam and state in Turkey. Presenters will include several members of the Turkish parliament as well. Sessions on Friday, November 2 focused broadly on the role of Islam in the Ottoman empire, along with Islamic movements that sprung up in the aftermath of its collapse, from the more traditionally based to the well-known Gulen movement. Saturday's sessions spotlighted the current relationship between Islam and politics, examining both the 2007 elections and the interplay between culture and religion in Turkish politics.