President Clinton received a standing ovation from the Turkish Parliament after his address there to the Turkish nation on November 15, 1999, where he praised Turkey for more than half a century of friendship with the United States.
More than half a century?
I knew that. Remember the Korean War and the fearless Turkish Brigade there? In fact, did not President Harry Truman sign Distinguished Unit Citation on July 11, 1951 for the Turkish Brigade’s acts of heroism which read: “The Turkish Brigade, a member of the United Nations Forces in Korea is cited for exceptionally outstanding performance of duty in combat in the area of Kumyangjang-ni, Korea, from 25 to 27 January 1951.” ?
“…whatever the relationship between (Turkey and the United States) is at any one time, the most important thing about the relationship is the relationship between the two peoples…” were the starting remarks by the U.S. Ambassador Edelman at the opening ceremony of “100 Years Of Turkish-American Friendship” photo exhibition at The National Library, Ankara, Turkey, on April 04, 2005.
100 years?
And yet, how many in America today could point to the location of Turkey on a world map?
“… Thirty-two years ago when President Eisenhower visited Turkey, he was greeted by a roaring crowd and thousands hailed him in the streets, cheering not merely America but also our shared values and ideals. One sign in particular touched him. It read: ‘Welcome to your second home.’ And today I already feel as President Eisenhower did, that Turkey is a second home. And I say that not merely because of your famed hospitality but because of these common ideals and interests. Turkish-American friendship reaches back as far as the late 18th century…” articulated the 41st President, George H. W. Bush, at the arrival ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, on July 20th, 1991.
The late 18th century?
Who knew?
Of course, Turkey was called the Ottoman Empire in those days. Whatever the polity, Turks and Americans did forge remarkably close ties through trade and commerce, military cooperation, immigration, education, science, medicine, music, and more.
Both the U.S. and Turkey were blessed with great leaders, Washington and Ataturk, who fought against impossible odds, long, protracted wars of liberation.
Both military victories were followed by sweeping reforms based on a shared vision of nation building, democracy, rule of law, liberty, modernization, free enterprise, and pursuit of happiness.
Both founders succeeded in their tasks and both leaders are still revered very much today.
Both countries are engaged in the same global war against terrorism and are close strategic partners.
The US boasts the leading economy in the world today while Turkey is, remarkably, the 16th largest economy and growing at a dizzying pace.
Of course the U.S. is the sole super power today and Turkey is increasingly a global player with its power base located in the epi-center of that tri-continental segment of the world map encompassing the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East where the “Neo-Silk-Route” to Turkic Central Asia and China as well as all important energy transportation lines (oil and gas) supplying Europe from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Iraq crisscross.
“… America is honored to call Turkey an ally and a friend… Many Americans trace their heritage to Turkey, and Turks have contributed greatly to our national life — including, most recently, a lot of baskets for the Detroit Pistons from Mehmet Okur. I know you’re proud that this son of your country helped to win an NBA championship, and America is proud of him as well…” pronounced the son Bush, our 43rd president, during his speech in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 29, 2004.
I am one of those Americans who traces his heritage directly to Turkey. There are close to 50,000 of us in Southern California and about half a million, coast to coast.
If you are an NBA fan, for example, then you already know Mehmet Okur (Utah Jazz) and Hido Turkoglu (Orlando Magic). If music is your cup of tea, then you probably have heard of Ahmet Ertegun (deceased,) of the Atlantic Records company who gave us the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, and other such music icons. If you are into medicine, you probably remember Doctor Mehmet Oz, the world renown heart surgeon, weight loss and healthy living guru.
But if you are like the most of us, leading normal lives, working hard, raising kids, paying taxes and mortgages, then you probably don’t know much about us, Turkish Americans. We may be around you, in fact, working with you, but you may not know us, as we are mostly integrated, if you like, if not perhaps assimilated.
We will speak English (most in the first generation with accent) and most of us will have shortened, Americanized names imposed on us by our loving American friends (Thus, Coskun becomes Josh; Selahattin turns into Sel; Ercument morphs into Eric; Can reads John; Gul translates into Rose; and so on.)
We mostly subscribe to Muslim faith but few of us, if any, can keep up with the tenets or rituals of Islam (praying five times a day, for example) due to lack of time, facilities, or other reasons. Religion does not play a commanding role in our lives as most may innocently expect or some may prejudicially believe, but we respect all the faiths all the same. Some humorously put Soccer as being the most important driving force in our lives, not without justification. (A few fans are already planning, for example, to charter one or more jets from LAX to Johannesburg, South Africa, in June 2010, to take hundreds of Turkish-Americans from Southern California to cheer the Turkish National Soccer Team, if of course, Turkey makes it through the qualification rounds to the FIFA World Cup Finals. If not, well, turn on the ESPN and pass the beer and chips, thank you.)
Turkish-Americans do have annual balls, spring/summer picnics, secular weekend schools for K-6 kids, and most of us travel to Turkey every other year, if not annually. We miss the people and food in Turkey (Have you ever eaten a “karniyarik”, seasoned minced meat and vegetable stuffed eggplants baked in an oven? “Fingerlicking” is an understatement to describe this most unique taste!..)
We came here during the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s and most of us are professionals, with at least one degree, some with more. We are mostly busy raising our second generation, American-born generation of Turkish-Americans, if you like. There were immigration in late 19th and early 20th Centuries, but most of those returned home to Turkey after they retired; couldn’t bear the homesickness any longer, I guess. We are, however, here to stay. This is our home. We are going nowhere.
By the way, it does bother us a great deal when people judge us, our culture or history, our motherland, without bothering to check their “assumptions” and “facts” with us.
It frustrates us a great deal to be stereotype-cast in the media into roles totally alien to us.
It even angers us when outrageous lies about our history and our heritage are circulated and/or taken at face value. We are Americans. We would not do to others what we would not like done to us.
So, please, next time you hear a terrible story or an outrageous claim defaming our history or culture, be fair and inquire about the other side of the story. Talk to us.
We are not hard to find. A simple internet search will pour out hundreds of Turkish-American websites, associations, names, and leads into your living room or office. Fairness is all I ask.
We love you all!
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