On November 10th, TCA paid tribute to the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who led the Turkish National War of Liberation, founded the modern Republic of Turkey and launched an extraordinary series of reforms that continue to inspire the Turkish nation. World-over, Ataturk is honored as one of the greatest national leaders of the 20th Century. To listen to the speech of President John F. Kennedy delivered in 1963 on the 25th anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's passing, please click here.

The $200,000 grant comes after a year long collaboration led by TCA with support from the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) to deepen cultural, educational and economic cooperation between Indian Country and Turkey. After securing a pledge from the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) to support a tribal infrastructure project, TCA worked with NAIHC to collect proposals from tribes all across the country. An independent review process featuring three Native American judges resulted in Oregon's Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs' (CTWS) selection as the first recipient of a TIKA grant made to an entity in the United States.

TIKA's support signifies a new chapter in the Turkish-Native American partnership that began with TCA's exchange programs and will help CTWS build a water tank for an ongoing elementary school construction project. The water tank will meet CTWS's water needs in the next decade. For more information, click here.

On December 2, TCA will host Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and a delegation of CHP representatives at a reception on Capitol Hill with the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish-Americans. The CHP delegation is visiting Washington, DC for a series of meetings with officials from the White House and State Department, Members of Congress, and with the Turkish-American community.

On November 27, Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY/20th) joined the Congressional Caucus on US-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans- a bipartisan platform for Members of Congress to focus on US-Turkey relations and issues of concern to Turkish Americans. With a total of 144 members, the Turkey Caucus is the third largest bicameral, ethnic/national caucus. Many of its members have joined the Caucus as a result of the efforts of their Turkish American constituents and friends of Turkey. To see the full list of members, please visit the TCA website.

On November 12, Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida entered into the Congressional Record Dr. Maurice Jackson’s editorial “Remembering the Turkish Brothers Who Helped Change Race Relations in America” originally published in The Hill on November 1st.

On this occasion, Congressman Hastings stated that, "as a member of the Congressional Turkey Caucus, I have always been a staunch supporter and advocate for Turkey. The Republic of Turkey, in my opinion, remains a key strategic ally to the United States. Therefore, I am very pleased to submit for the Congressional Record the editorial by Dr. Maurice Jackson." The editorial may be accessed online here.

In November, TCA awarded three Study Abroad scholarships to students of African American, Hispanic American and Native American heritage. The students who received TCA scholarships and will study in Turkey come from the University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse University and Spelman College. The total number of TCA Study Abroad in Turkey Scholarships awarded to American minority students has now reached 316 since the program's inception in 2008.

On November 12, American Friends of Turkey (AFOT) hosted the third lecture as part of its 2013-2014 Embassy Lecture Series. The lecture “Young Ataturk and the Founding of the Republic” was delivered by Prof. George Gawrych of Baylor University. The series will continue to feature leading scholars on Turkey. All lectures are held at the Turkish Embassy in Washington DC. AFOT is a multi-year recipient of TCA grants that support the organization’s institutional growth and speaker program. For more information on AFOT, upcoming lecture topics and dates, please click here.