In summer 2017, 16 young Turkish Americans from across the country completed internships in Washington, DC as a part of the 2017 TCA Washington Summer Internship Program. The program provides an opportunity for Turkish American college students and recent graduates to work in the nation’s capital. It aims to foster young Turkish Americans’ interest in public affairs and service as well as enhance their knowledge of American political life. The 2017 TCA interns worked in the offices of Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-FL/20th), Darren Soto (D-FL/9th), and Gregory Meeks (D-NY/5th), the Democratic Party of Virginia, and the TCA office. Since the program’s inception in 2007, TCA has provided a total of 162 internship opportunities to Turkish Americans and friends of Turkey.

TCA met with staff from the following offices to discuss U.S. Turkey relations and issues important to Turkish Americans: Congressional Turkey Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA/11th) and Steve Cohen (D-TN/9th), House Foreign Affairs Committee Members Reps. Tom Garrett (R-VA/5th), Greg Meeks (D-NY/5th), Ron DeSantis (R-FL/6th), Robin Kelly (D-IL/2nd), as well as Reps. Mark Meadows (R-NC/11th) and Tom Marino (R-PA/10th).

TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy and members of the American Turkish Association of North Carolina (ATA-NC) attended Rep. Virginia Foxx’s (R-NC/5th) Annual Appalachian Retreat in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. They also had the opportunity to speak with Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY/2nd) who was a special guest at the retreat.

On August 10, Lauren Arikan and her husband Turkish American Yusuf Arikan paid a courtesy visit to the TCA office on August . Lauren is running for the House of Delegates in Maryland’s 7th District in the Republican Primary on June 26, 2018. The Arikans live with their three children in Jarrettsville, Maryland on their 8-acre farm where they raise poultry and dairy goats. The general election in Maryland will be held on November 6, 2018.

On August 4, Georgetown University Professor Maurice Jackson visited TCA where he discussed Turkey and the African American community. Professor Jackson teaches in the History Department and African American Studies Program and is an Affiliated Professor of Music (Jazz). Professor Jackson previously lectured in Turkey and was the first chair of the DC Commission on African American Affairs.

On August 17, TCA attended a book chat with Istanbul based journalist Suzy Hansen at the Institute of Current World Affairs. Hansen, a noted journalist on Turkey, spoke about her recently published a book entitled Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post American World.

TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy attended the annual August 30th Turkish Victory Day reception at the Turkish Embassy in Washington. The reception commemorated the 95th Anniversary of the Turkish Armed Forces’ victory at the Battle of Dumlupinar, which was the final battle of the Turkish War of Independence.

TCA is continuing to accept applications for the Fourth Annual Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress. The Congress will take place October 26-29, 2017 in Washington, DC, and will provide selected individuals the opportunity to experience Washington, DC and connect with their peers and heritage while learning about civic engagement, political activism, leadership, and the U.S.-Turkey relationship. TCA will select up to 25 young Turkish Americans to participate in this exclusive forum. Applications for the 2017 Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress are due by September 11, 2017.