Two NGOs established during the 1980s with the determination and desire of the people to enrich the city’s artistic and cultural life for a brighter future, have had utmost impact. These are SanKulüp - Icel Art Club and MCCA -Mersin Culture Center Association.

SanKulüp - the actual Mother Goddess ‘Kybele’ which has been serving the people of Mersin on a very wide spectrum of artistic and cultural activities and which begat several organizations, celebrated its 20th birthday in 2010.

As for Mersin Culture Center Association - MCCA, it made its mark by memorable contributions to Mersin’s musical life. With the unselfish dedication of the city notables and sacrifices made by its management, this association has been a leading force in the restoration of Mersin Halkevi, in the establishment of the Mersin State Opera and Ballet Management and in the founding of the Mersin International Music Festival and its consequent recognition by the EFA – European Festivals Organization.

Due to the long and intense administrative work required for the running of the Mersin Music Festival, Mersin Culture Center Association has been investing more and more of its time in this venture, resulting in a need for a new institution to take over and revive its old spirit and mission . This new organization aims to support the Opera and Ballet Management rank and file and contribute to the city’s musical life by organizing concerts.

As a part of this process, the name of Mersin Culture Center was changed to Mersin Culture and Art Assocation and Mersin Music Festival’s administration was relegated to the Art Activities Association which had been established for this purpose.

Under the guidance and direction of the renown composer and maestro Selman ADA, who was then living in Mersin, the Mediterranean Opera & Ballet Club “AKOB” was founded in 2008. We take this opportunity to thank him on behalf of the citizens of Mersin.

In 2009, together with the artists of Mersin State Opera an Ballet, AKOB organized a tribute concert for the passionate lover of Mersin, the renown Turkish composer Prof. Nevit Kodallı, while he was still among us. In addition, an event was organized for the memory of city’s late Art and Culture patron Hanri Atat. As another activity, Carmina Burana was perfomed in the Greater Mersin Municipality’s Atatürk Open Air Theater in collaboration with the artists of Mersin Sate Opera and Ballet.

With the advent of 2010, having its mission defined and introductory steps taken, AKOB started cooperating with Istanbul Austrian Culture Office and Istanbul Goethe Institute and engaged in hosting international artists. The four resounding concerts organized during January, February, March and May helped it conquer the hearts of the music lovers of Mersin. AKOB would like to diversify and enrich its activities with the help of other NGOs and with the contributions of the offices of the various foreign diplomatic bodies active in Mersin. AKOB is already receiving requests for organizing performances both from domestic and foreign artists.

Starting March 2010, our Club came into national prominence with the publication of the AKOB Culture and Art Magazine; the first and only Opera and Ballet Magazine in Turkey. This is an honor for Mersin which already holds the honor of being the first city where - as early as 1947, Ballet and Opera performances were staged in Mersin Halkevi in Anatolia. The AKOB Magazine is acknowledged as a keynote voice from Anatolia and rapidly gaining ground today and heading towards bigger and bigger audiences. Published bimonthly, the AKOB magazine is multilingual; articles in the magazine are presented, to the extent possible, in two languages (Turkish/English, Turkish/Italian etc.) to put foreign readers alongside Turkish ones with the aim of reaching a significant international audience.