TCA Awards Major Grant to American Friends of Turkey

June 20, 2011, Turk of America - The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) has awarded a multi-year major grant to American Friends of Turkey (AFOT) to support the institutional development of AFOT and advance the organization's programs. AFOT was founded in 1982 by Americans who had lived in Turkey on professional assignments, and had come to admire and respect Turkey's history, culture and people.  They wished to share accurate information about Turkey with their fellow Americans. Since then, AFOT has sought through various means to build bridges between the U.S. and Turkish peoples. AFOT’s programs and activities promote greater public awareness and understanding of Turkey’s history, culture and modern day society.
 
The TCA grant will support the institutional development of AFOT and provide funding to institute a nationwide speaker program that engages local community organizations and features, among others, participants on the various Turkey travel programs by TCA and the Turkish Cultural Foundation.
 
"TCA is very pleased to support AFOT, one of the oldest American organizations established to advance friendship and better understanding between the American and Turkish societies," stated Lincoln McCurdy, TCA President. "This grant, like other TCA grants to Turkish American and other friendly organizations, reflects our commitment to build capacity in like-minded organizations to advance common goals. We hope that a strengthened AFOT will help our joint efforts to create greater understanding about the importance of Turkey and the long-standing US-Turkish friendship, as well as the contributions of Turkey and Anatolia to world civilization."
 
"We at the American Friends of Turkey are delighted to begin this new collaboration with the Turkish Coalition of America and its partners to help acquaint people across the country with Turkey, its history, culture, and peoples.  We look forward to establishing a "Speakers' Program" in our organization and working with teachers and others as they return from their study tours in Turkey.  We believe this people-to-people program will add an important new dimension to strengthening American and Turkish relations," said Ambassador (Ret.) Alan Lukens, President of AFOT.