MONTHLY NEWSLETTER    June 2019
2019 TCA Washington Summer interns with Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA/2nd) (center)
TCA Washington Summer Internship Program Begins

TCA’s 2019 Washington Summer Internship Program commenced in June with the first group of 9 young Turkish Americans arriving from across the United States. Placements have been made in the following offices and organizations: Office of Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA/8th); Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC), the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Washington office; the American Turkish Association of Washington, D.C. (ATA-DC); the Turkish Heritage Organization (THO); LB International Solutions; University of Utah, Turkish Studies Project; and the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA). 

The summer interns for June have attended meetings and/or briefings featuring Mick Mulvaney, Acting Chief of Staff for President Donald J. Trump; and Reps Brendan Boyle (D-PA/2nd),Tim Burchett (R-TN/2nd), Tony Cardenas (D-CA/29th), Robin Kelly (D-IL/2nd), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA/7th). TCA interns also attended the Immigrant Heritage Month celebration hosted by the Ethnic Council of the Democratic Party.
 
On June 18, TCA hosted a welcome lunch for the June interns. Students interning with the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD), Advisory Council for Bosnia & Herzegovina (ACBH), and Global Policy Institute (GPI) also attended the lunch.


TCA Attends Events with Members of Congress

On June 26, TCA Program Director Nilsu Goren attended a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) PAC breakfast and panel discussion with Congresswomen Robin Kelly (D-IL/2nd) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA/7th).

On June 25, Goren attended the launch event of the new organization US-EU Alliance. Mick Mulvaney, Acting Chief of Staff for President Donald J. Trump, and Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA/2nd) were keynote speakers.

Also on June 25, Goren attended a lunch event with Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN/2nd) organized by the Government Relations Association (GRA).

On June 24, Goren attended the Immigrant Heritage Month celebration, hosted by the Ethnic Council of the Democratic Party at the Women's Democratic Club.

On June 21, Goren attended the (Hispanic) Bold PAC political update with it's chairman, Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA/29th), as the featured speaker.

On June 21, TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy attended a breakfast event with Congressman Steve Watkins (R-KS/2nd) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY/2nd).

On June 20, McCurdy and Goren attended a lunch hosted by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA/3rd) and discussed U.S.-Turkey relations.

Also on June 20, Goren attended a breakfast event with Congressman Ben McAdams (D-UT/4th).

On June 19, McCurdy attended a breakfast event with Congressman Alex Mooney (R-WV/2nd).

On June 19, McCurdy, Goren, and TCA Operations Director Louette Ragusa met with Congressman Ben McAdams (D-UT/4th).

TCA Attends Turkey Events

On June 25, TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy attended a discussion on "Post-Erdoganism / Turkish Politics After the Istanbul Face-Off” at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). The moderator was former US Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman, senior advisor to FDD.

On June 12, TCA Program Director Nilsu Goren attended a roundtable discussion with Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul, organized by Turkish Heritage Organization (THO).

TCA President Meets California Mayor

On June 21, TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy met with the Mayor of Laguna Hills, California, Don Sedgwick, who was visiting Washington.

TCA Thanks Jennifer Davis, Welcomes Ambassador Satterfield and Consul General Darnell

The Turkish Coalition of America would like to thank outgoing U.S. Consul General in Istanbul, Jennifer Davis, for her outstanding service. 

TCA also welcomes and looks forward to working with Ambassador David Satterfield, the next U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and the incoming U.S. Consul General in Istanbul, Daria Darnell.
TCA Alumni Spotlight
In June, Turkish American lawyer Lawrence Cenk Laws was sworn into the Virginia State Bar. As a participant of the 2019 Washington Internship Program, Cenk is working at Congressman Don Beyer's office this summer.

Cenk was a delegate at TCA's 2018 Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress. He is also a founding member of Turkish American Professionals (TAP) network in the Washington, D.C. area.