Row after row of twinkling lights, in a pretty shade of European Union blue, already hang high across the crowded Istiklal Caddesi, heralding the arrival of 2010 and the crowning of Istanbul as a European Capital of Culture for 2010. But the yearlong celebration truly kicks into high gear on Saturday, Jan. 16, with a citywide party designed to dazzle spectators and erase any doubts about Istanbul’s place as a cultural gem worthy of international attention.