Turkish American women speak at an event hosted by TCA and Turkish Women's International Network

TCA Hosts Event with Turkish Women’s International Network

On September 29, TCA hosted an event on the ‘Success Stories of Turkish American Women in Washington’ in collaboration with Turkish Women’s International Network’s (TurkishWIN) DC chapter at TCA headquarters. At the event, speakers discussed their successful careers and opportunities and challenges they have faced along the way. Speakers included: Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Senior Director of Finance and Markets Global Practice at the World Bank Group; Gonul Tol, Director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies; and Merve Hande Akmehmet, Managing Partner of Sandalyeci and President of the Hologram Network. The moderator for the event was Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, the Neil Moskowitz Endowed Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland, College Park.

TCA Hosts Lunch with Journalist Suzy Hansen

On September 26, TCA hosted a lunch with Istanbul-based journalist Suzy Hansen to discuss her new book Notes and a Foreign County: An American Abroad in a Post-American World. She is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, where she writes mainly on Turkish politics, and has written about foreign affairs for publications such as the London Review of Books, Vogue, GQ, Bloomberg Businessweek, among many other publications.

TCA Hosts Farewell Lunch for Turkish Deputy Chief of Mission

On September 18, TCA hosted a farewell lunch at its offices for outgoing Deputy Chief of Mission for the Turkish Embassy in Washington, Tugay Tuncer, who will be returning to Ankara to assume responsibilities for the United States and Canada in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

TCA Attends Reception with Aylin Acikalin Maklansky

TCA attended a meet and greet reception on September 21 in Washington for Turkish American Aylin Acikalin Maklansky who is running for City Council District A in New Orleans, LA. Louisiana State Senator Troy Carter (D-LA) and Kenyattah Robinson, President & CEO of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District, delivered remarks at the event.

TCA Hosts ATA-DC Young Cultural Ambassador Program

TCA hosted the American Turkish Association of Washington, DC’s (ATA-DC) Young Cultural Ambassador program orientation at the TCA office on September 5. In commemoration of ATA-DC’s 15th Annual Turkish Festival in Washington, DC, 15 high school students served as ATA-DC Young Cultural Ambassadors throughout the month of September in an effort to build bridges, make an impact on their communities, engage in various cultural experiences, and strengthen their communication and diplomacy skills. TCA also arranged a meeting for Young Cultural Ambassadors with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC/5th), Chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee and Turkey Caucus Member, and her staff on September 13.

TCA Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress

Applications for the 4th Annual Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress closed in September 2017. The 2017 Youth Congress will take place in Washington, DC from October 26-29, and will give undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates of Turkish American heritage the chance to learn about American civic and political life, contribute to U.S.-Turkey relations and the Turkish American community, and network with American and Turkish experts and government officials.

TCA Attends Congressman Alcee Hastings Reception

On September 21, TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy and TCA Project Coordinator Liz Clark attended Rep. Alcee L. Hastings’ (D-FL/20th) reception for the Center for Haitian Studies, Health & Human Services, and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime at the Florida House on Capitol Hill. 

TCA President Meets with Congresswoman Annie Kuster

TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy and Turkish American Ceylan Rowe of Northborough, MA met with Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH/2nd) at an event in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. They also had the opportunity to speak with Reps. Richard Neal (D-MA/1^st) and Jim Himes (D-CT/4^th).

TCA Meets with Congressman Don Beyer 

TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy, TCA Project Coordinator Liz Clark, and Turkish American Hande Akmehmet of McLean, VA met with Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA/8th) at an event in Oxford, MD where they spoke with him about U.S.-Turkey relations and issues important to Turkish Americans.

TCA Hosts GMF Ankara Representative Ozgur Unluhisarcikli

TCA hosted German Marshall Fund’s Ankara Representative Ozgur Unluhisarcikli on September 13 for a roundtable discussion on current U.S.-Turkey relations.

TCA Meets with Maryland State Delegate Kriselda Valderrama

TCA met with Maryland State Delegate Kriselda Valderrama (D-MD/26th) at the National Harbor in Oxen Hill, MD where they discussed TCA activities and programs.