A Congressional delegation led by Representative Brad Miller (D-NC) returned Tuesday from Turkey after spending four days meeting with the country's political, academic, business, NGO and cultural leaders to develop a better understanding of U.S.-Turkey relations.
The delegation, organized by the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA), also included senior advisors from the House Democratic Caucus, the Energy and Commerce Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the offices of Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU).
The delegation spent time in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, and the capital city, Ankara.
"This visit underscored the importance of the friendship between Turkey and the United States," said Rep. Miller. "Our nations are both secular democracies and market economies. Each of us is more prosperous and secure if the other is prosperous and secure."
The delegation attended Bahcesehir University's Global Leadership Forum in Istanbul, where Congressman Miller spoke on the importance of U.S.-Turkey bilateral relations. The next day, Rep. Miller joined U.S. Consul General Scott Kilner and TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy to discuss topics including the growing role of Turkish Americans in U.S. politics.
The delegation conducted several high-level meetings in Ankara, including with Professor Nuket Yetis, President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, who briefed the delegation on bilateral scientific cooperation; Douglas Silliman, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy and Ambassador Selim Yenel, Turkey's Deputy Undersecretary for Bilateral Affairs and Public Diplomacy. Amb. Yenel briefed the delegation on Turkish relations with several countries, including Israel, Iran, and Armenia, as well as the current status of Turkish cooperation in U.S.-led military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. On May 29, the group sat down with minority religious representatives from the Jewish and Greek Orthodox communities to discuss their respective lifestyles in Turkey.
"This delegation, like past delegations, has found that the U.S. and Turkey share the same international objectives," said TCA President McCurdy. "While there may be differences in our two countries' approaches to achieving those objectives, both are contributing to global growth and stability through their respective efforts."
