November 7, 2010, Hurriyet Daily News - Representatives of 17 American Indian nations arrived in Turkey on Saturday as part of a weeklong business, educational and cultural exchange trip.
Representatives of 17 American Indian nations arrived in Turkey on Saturday with Turkish Airlines’ inaugural Washington-Istanbul flight as part of a weeklong business, educational and cultural exchange trip.
Participants of the first Native American Business Cooperation Trip are scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan and also members of Parliament’s Turkey-U.S. Friendship Group. The trip is being organized by the Turkish Coalition of America, or TCA.
The group will also meet with representatives of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, or TİM, and participate in business and networking conferences and meetings at three universities in Istanbul and Ankara.
“The Native American Business Cooperation Trip is the highlight of our recent efforts to foster increased economic and cultural ties between Turkey and [American Indians],” said Lincoln McCurdy, the TCA president.
“It is one of the largest Native American international delegations in recent years, and the first to visit Turkey. This trip marks the latest evolution in our work promoting the development of relationships between the Turkish people and the many ethnic and cultural groups in the United States.”
TCA has already organized three meetings with Çağlayan this year, including two meetings between the minister and American Indian delegations in the U.S., laying the groundwork for the recent trip.
The delegation came to Turkey Saturday and will return Nov. 14. Other participants on Turkish Airlines’ inaugural flight from Washington, D.C. included members of the U.S. Congress, journalists and analysts from think tanks.
