According to a report by U.S. News and World Report, Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) ranks third in the list of American organizations sponsoring trips for members of Congress and staff in 2009-2010. The list is headed by the American Israel Education Foundation, an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The Aspen Institute, a non-partisan think-tank ranks second and the German Marshall Fund ranks fourth in the list.
Since its first congressional trip in May 2009, TCA has organized and sponsored seven congressional trips, taking 80 congressional staffers and five members of Congress to Turkey. Its last two trips included visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia.
The article reported: “The biggest spender on trips during the 111th Congress has been the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF). Since January 1, 2009, AIEF has funded trips for 154 Congress members and staff, at a cumulative cost of $1,619,755. All of these trips were to Israel, with the stated purpose of educating Congress members and staffers about the U.S.-Israel relationship.
The Turkish Coalition of America, whose trips work toward "combating ongoing misinformation about Turkey" and "helping people understand why it is that the U.S.-Turkish relationship is so valuable," has spent $545,710 on 85 trips for lawmakers and staffers during that time period.”
