September 1, 2020
Effective September 30, 2020, the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) will be consolidating its operations into its Concord, Massachusetts office. Though our presence in Washington, DC will come to an end, TCA will continue many of its activities, including the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund (TALDF).
We, the TCA family, are happy and proud to have had the opportunity to serve in the interests of Turkish Americans, to promote good bilateral relations between the United States and Turkey, encourage Turkish American participation in the public policy arena, and enhance public education on the historical issues concerning Turkish Americans and their heritage. These efforts brought many successes in countering the enduring prejudices against people of Turkish heritage and answering the attacks against historians, writers, and politicians who presented a balanced picture of Turkey and its people. There is great need for these efforts to continue; we hope that the younger generation of enlightened Turkish Americans will join us, and carry the torch into the future. We encourage you to keep up with TCA on our website, and its sister organization the Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF).
Drs. Yalcin and Serpil Ayasli founded TCA in February 2007. Under the leadership of Drs. Ayasli and TCA’s President G. Lincoln McCurdy, the organization has been a strong advocate for a healthy and beneficial relationship between Turkey and the United States, and a prominent voice in the nation’s capital and across the U.S. for the Turkish American community. As we close our Washington operations, we would like to briefly summarize the contributions of TCA for the last 13 years both as a record of achievement and as a guide for others who may follow in its footsteps.
TCA played a crucial role in encouraging members of Congress to join the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, "Turkey Caucus."
When TCA started operations in early 2007, the Turkey Caucus had only 62 members. The Caucus membership reached an all-time high of 160 members at the end of 2016. The Turkey Caucus shared the spotlight with India and Taiwan as one of the three largest congressional bilateral relations caucuses in Congress. Additionally, the Turkey Caucus had representation from all regions of the country, including 43 of the 50 states and all six territories.
TCA sponsored or co-sponsored 23 congressional Member/Staff trips to Turkey, totaling nearly 200 participants. Some of the excursions also included stops in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Turkish Republic Northern Cyprus.
TCA regularly interacted with congressional leaders, including three private meetings with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Dozens of meetings were arranged for representatives of the Turkish American community to meet with Members of Congress.
For several years, TCA was a major sponsor of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress's programs for current congressional members and senior staff, including briefings and trips to Turkey. TCA worked with the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Native American Caucuses. TCA was a sponsor of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's annual events and, with the Institute of American Indian Arts, sponsored an exhibition of contemporary Turkish and Native American paintings on Capitol Hill. Additionally, TCA collaborated with other Turkish American organizations to sponsor programs highlighting the African American – Turkish Connections Through the Arts and Turkey.
TCA's congressional outreach was a critical factor in the number of co-sponsors of the Armenian genocide resolution dropping below 100. The anti-Turkey legislation introduced also decreased significantly, whereas friendly bills/resolutions increased. TCA was a supporter of H.R. 2362, the Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act of 2011, that would have opened foreign investment on tribal reservations, providing opportunities for Turkish companies. TCA's backing of this bill was the first time the Turkish American community took the initiative to create positive change through substantive legislation in Congress. This year TCA promoted House Resolution 931 - Congratulating the people of the Republic of Turkey and Turkish Americans nationwide on Turkish National Sovereignty and Children's Day. The introduction of the resolution provides recognition and commemoration by the United States Congress of the importance of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey's Parliament.
TCA sponsored two trips to Turkey for the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) with 13 state attorneys general who also had the opportunity to meet with the President of Turkey. One of the attorneys general later ran for state governor and was elected.
Outreach to Other Ethnic/Heritage Communities
TCA built bridges between the Turkish American community and other ethnic/heritage communities to generate goodwill and increase awareness of Turkish culture and Turkish American perspectives. Additionally, links with other communities provided models for Turkish Americans to engage in the political arena and establish a powerful Turkish American voice.
TCA provided humanitarian grants of over $585,000 to relief efforts for natural or human-made calamities in Bosnia (Marshall Legacy Institute), Haiti (Cross Int' l and Operation Helping Hands and United Way of Miami-Dade/Florida), Mexico (Mexican Red Cross), and Philippines (Filipino American Cultural Centers and Chambers of Commerce); assistance to Chaldean and Syrian war refugees from Iraq and Syria (Chaldean Federation of America, Turkish Chaldean-Assyrian-Syriac Humanitarian Organization, ReVi, Butun Cocuklar Bizem Dernegi, and Sureli Destek); and educational funds for underprivileged students in the District of Columbia (Eyes Wide Open Mentoring).
TCA has given over $580,000 for grants and sponsorships to charitable organizations in the United States to promote the causes of the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) and the Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (ACBH). This amount also provided financial assistance for the resettlement of Ahiska Turks in the U.S. from the former Soviet Union and the Ahiska Turks activities. TCA also gave funds to Paxturcica and the Azerbaijan Society of America for civic engagement events, cultural and educational programs.
TCA provided more than 500 scholarships to African, Armenian, Bosnian, Filipino, Hispanic, and Native American college students to undertake study abroad programs in Turkey.
TCA sponsored six trips to Turkey for faculty of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and one trip for Turkish university faculty to visit these institutions in the United States.
TCA, as part of its African American-Turkish Connections Through the Arts series, worked with HBCUs (including Howard University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College), Georgetown University, Gay Professional Men of Color (GPMC), and the U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office LGBT & Staff Association (FLAGG) in featuring Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records; and James Baldwin and Eartha Kit on their Turkish connections.
TCA was instrumental in celebrating American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month with the Native American and congressional participation. In collaboration with Yildiz Palace's Library of Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA), TCA organized a special exhibit in Istanbul of the library's Native American photographs of the late 19th century. These photographs were a gift to Sultan Abdul Hamid II from the Smithsonian Institution. TCA also collaborated with Hacettepe University to co-sponsor two American Indian conferences in Ankara and with Bahcesehir University and Istanbul Technical University in sponsoring Native American programs in Istanbul. Other higher educational institutions in Turkey working with TCA on Native American projects were Bilkent University, 29 Mayis University, Middle East Technical University, and Ozyegin University.
TCA facilitated the TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) grant of $200,000 to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (Oregon) to alleviate water needs. The Turkish Government, with the encouragement of TCA, participated in the National Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in Las Vegas, which is the largest American Indian business event. The Turkish delegation was the first foreign Government participating in RES. TCA has also sponsored events for the American Indian Housing Council.
TCA granted over $2.1 million to the Turkish Studies Project at the University of Utah under the direction of Dr. M. Hakan Yavuz. TCA has given $230,950 for grants in programs and research to American universities and scholars on Ottoman and Turkish issues. TCA awarded 23 grants to university/college study trips to Turkey for over 200 students. TCA organized lectures and briefing on US-Turkey relations and Turkish foreign policy issues at universities and colleges across the United States.
TCA maintained beneficial relationships with both Ankara and Washington, ensuring that each understood the issues of importance to the Turkish American community and the importance of strong bilateral ties. Further, TCA briefed Turkish parliamentarian delegations from all the major political parties visiting Washington.
Business, Cultural & Professional Associations and Think Tanks in Turkey
TCA worked with the American Turkish Business Development Council (ATBDC), DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey), Global Relations Forum, GMF's Ankara Office (German Marshall Fund of the U.S.), Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, KADER (The Association for Supporting and Training Women Candidates), SETA (Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research), TEPAV (The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey), The American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT), TOBB (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey), Turkish American Business Association (TABA), TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), and Union of Turkish Bar Associations.
American and International Organizations
TCA worked with the Atlantic Council, Bipartisan Policy Center, Brookings Institution, Center for American Progress, Foreign Policy Institute of The Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Heritage Foundation, Hudson Institute, Middle East Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and World Federation of Consuls.
TCA has taken a leading role in promoting Women's Rights. In collaboration with the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress and the Turkish non-profit KADER (The Association for Supporting and Training Women Candidates, TCA sponsored a Pre-Election Study Tour of Turkish women politicians to the U.S. before the 2016 U.S. elections. The delegation included ten Turkish women representing all four major political parties in Turkey. TCA also sponsored a conference organized by the Turkish Women International Networking at the TCA office. TCA launched its own Turkish American Leadership Women's Initiative with a forum on Capitol Hill with Members of Congress and congressional staff participating.
Supporting the Turkish American Community
TCA provided funding of some $500,000 through grants and sponsorships to two Turkish American umbrella organizations, the Assembly of the Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and the Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA). TCA also worked with the following Turkish American organizations either through co-sponsorships or additional grants to American Friends of Turkey (AFOT), American Turkish Council (ATC), American Turkish Society, Ataturk Society of America, Turkish American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TACCI), Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSI), Turkish Heritage Organization (THO), Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF), Turkish Student Associations at American universities, and local Turkish American associations across the United States.
TCA also worked with the Washington offices of MUSIAD (Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association), SETA (Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, TOBB (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey), and TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association).
TCA promoted grassroots activism coast to coast by holding local and regional workshops for Turkish Americans on the importance of having continuous dialogue with municipal, state, and federal elected officials. TCA also monitored Turkish Americans' election to public office and encouraged Turkish Americans to seek political office.
TCA provided the use of its Washington office conference room for Turkish American organizations and initiated a matching fundraising campaign in the community for ACEV (Mother Child Education Foundation) and Ilkyar Foundation (Foundation to support primary education) in Turkey.
Working with Turkish Organizations in Australia and Canada
TCA cooperated with Turkish organizations in Australia and Canada.TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy visited Sydney and Melbourne to meet with Turkish Australian leaders about grassroots activism and programs for the youth of Turkish heritage. The Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance (ATAA) and TCA have sponsored webinars on Turkish issues for Australian and American Turkish university students. TCA has also been one of the principal sponsors of the Council of Turkish Canadians annual youth congress.
TCA awarded Dr. Justin McCarthy, Professor of History at the University of Louisville, a grant to publish two annotated maps on forced migrations and mortality in the Ottoman Empire. The first map showed the forced displacements of five million Muslims and 1.9 million Christians from 1770 to 1923, whereas the second map highlighted the death and forced exile of more than 1.5 million Muslims as a consequence of the Balkan Wars. TCA distributed these maps to members of Congress. Additionally, TCA supported publications of Drs. Justin McCarthy and M. Hakan Yavuz books on the final days of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey.
The TCA website has become a resource center for information on U.S.-Turkey relations, PKK terrorism, Turkey and Europe, Armenian and Cyprus issues, Turkish history, Turkish minorities abroad, and reading lists and general resources on Turkey.
Turkish American Youth Programs
One of TCA's primary objectives has been to encourage Turkish American youth to understand the importance of being politically engaged, educate them on the functions of Government, take a leadership role in the Turkish American community, and consider a career in politics. TCA provided scholarship grants to 70 Turkish American graduate students and sponsored over 200 university interns to experience the Washington scene by working in congressional offices and NGOs. TCA also sponsored six Turkish American Youth Leadership Congresses for undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates of Turkish American heritage. Participants had to be make a commitment to be active in American civic and political life, serve the Turkish American community, and advance the TCA mission. One hundred fifty-one delegates participated in the six congresses, including youth representation from Australia and Canada.
Turkish American Legal Defense Fund (TALDF)
Since 2008, the TALDF promoted Turkish Americans' civil rights by educating them and others regarding constitutional guarantees, especially open access to all manners to civic forum participation, politics, and free expression. The TALDF also represented before federal and state courts individuals who have suffered civil rights violations on account of their Turkish ethnicity. TALDF achieved significant successes, notably the retraction and apology by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). SPLC had falsely accused Dr. Guenter Lewy by being a foreign agent of the Turkish Government when he challenged the Armenian thesis in his book "The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide." TALDF defended the good name and integrity of a Member of Congress falsely accused of taking money from the Turkish Government so as not to support the Armenian genocide resolution. TALDF successfully partnered with the French Turkish Association for Objectivity in Teaching Turkish History, through legal and financial support, to achieve a legal victory in France for freedom of speech. After the decisions by the French Constitutional Council, France's highest court, there was newfound hope in being able to freely discuss and debate late-Ottoman history without being accused of genocide denier.
A special thanks to the devoted members of the TCA Team who served under President G. Lincoln McCurdy either as employees or consultants in its Washington, Istanbul, or Concord offices. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work assured the successful carrying out of the TCA mission. They are TCA's Vice Presidents – Guler Koknar and Basak Kizildemir; TCA’s Operations Director Louette Ragusa; TCA's Program and Administrative Staff - JoEllen Byrnes, Arda Cankat, Elizabeth Clark, Kate Costello, Sevin Elekdag, Meltem Ercan, Nilsu Goren, Zeynep Guven, Carol Ann Jackson, Lawrence Cenk Laws, Sezen McDaniel, Sema Muslu, Gulhan Ozkan, and Beril Unver; TCA’ s Website Designers – Semavi Dalkic, Hakan Dakin, Yalcin Doruk, and Mustafa Firat; TCA's Legal Counsel/TALDF Attorney David Saltzman; TALDF Attorney Bruce Fein; and our TCA Interns.
TCA Founder and Chairman, Dr. Yalcin Ayasli, was honored by the Ataturk Society of America with the Ataturk Distinguished Humanitarian Award in April 2020 and by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) with the ATAA Special Award in October 2019, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and service to the Turkish American community. Dr. Yalcin Ayasli was bestowed by Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA), in 2008, “Honorary Membership” in recognition of Distinct Contributions to Science, Technology and Public Service. Drs. Serpil and Yalcin Ayasli were honored by the Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) with “Excellence in Philanthropy Award”.
TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy was the recipient of the Gusi International Peace Prize in November 2018 in Manila, Philippines, for his work towards the attainment of peace and respect for human life and dignity.