Candidates who compete for the federal and local posts in American political system, receive the biggest financial assistance from their supporters who donate their political campaign. As a part of the political system in United States, Turkish community in US supports candidates in local and national politics. TurkAvenue prepared a report regarding the amount of the donations Turkish-Americans made to support their favourite candidates.
Turkish businessman Yalcin Ayasli and his family, who established two big organizations:Turkish Cultural Foundation and Turkish Coalition of America, is by far the biggest contributor to the political campaigns of candidates. The amount of the donations that Ayasli family made to 169 different campaigns is $657,100.
Yalcin Ayasli’s company Hittite Microwave, which he founded in 1985, designs and manufacturers high volume IC products for high-speed voice and data transfer systems focusing on RF to millimeter wave components. Massachusetts based company’s market price is about $1,4 billion.
Ayasli is followed by another Turkish businessman, Ali Riza Bozkurt, who was taken captive by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq during Gulf War in 1991 and released by the initiatives of late President Turgut Ozal. The sum of the donations that Bozkurt made up to now amounts to $103,750. He is remembered with his donations to GOP in the period when he was considering of nomination for the Congress.
Bozkurt is followed by Kenan Sahin, who drew attention by donating a total amount of $100 million to globally known MIT University in 1999. The sum of the donations that Sahin made to support American candidates between 1999 and 2004 amounts to $102,000.
Renown Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon and author Mehmet Oz and his spouse Lisa come into prominence with a total support of $70,000 for 58 different campaigns.
Mehmet Celebi, former President of the Turkish American Cultural Association and a former fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton, is placed among the top five Turkish donors wıth a total amount of $80,000. Celebi, who successfully collected more than $700,000 for the campaign of Hillary Clinton, is also known for his support to Turkish candidates. It should be noted that Celebi could have been the first Turk in the White House if not for the attacks of pro-Armenian and pro-PKK groups during the presidential election campaign in 2008.
Late Turkish Businessman Ahmet Ertegun draws attention with the amount of electoral campaigns he supported. Supporting 59 different electoral campaign through all his life, Ertegun made a total of $78,700 to nominates. He made his first ever donation during presidential elections in 1980 to the campaign for Jimmy Carter with an amount of $600. Ertegun also supported the election campaign of the first ever Turkish candidate for a seat in the U.S. Congress, Osman Bengur.
Arif Mardin, renown Turkish- American music producer who was among the contributors of the campaign of Osman Bengur, made $6750 of donation to eight different electoral campaigns.
The list of most generous Turkish-Americans includes Floridian Turkish businessman Ahmet Sandikci with $47,700, CEO of Calik USA Mahmut Topal with $18,450, owner of the Dervish Restaurant at the Times Square, Salim Gorur with $9,350 and Californian activist Ergun Kirlikovali with $16,041, businessman Sahir Erozan with $29,450 and outstanding entrepreneur Sinan Kanatsiz with $16,150, founder of Turkish Philanthropic Fund (TPF) Businessman Haldun Tasman with $15,250 and Director of Ramamerica Nur Emirgil Bunyak with $14,300.
On the other hand, the amount of the donations that are made by the community leaders who call Turkish-Americans to be sensitive regarding social issues do not compete with the amounts of the donations made by Turkish-American businessmen. President of Federation of Turkish American Associations Kaya Boztepe made a total of $3,300 donation while Turkish Forum’s Kayaalp Buyukataman made a total of $2500. It should be noted that donations of both community leaders did not include the campaign of Turkish-American candidate Osman Bengur.
Former president of Federation of Turkish American Associations, Ata Erim draws attention with an amount of $35,014 which makes him the most generous donor among community leaders. Former presidents Erim and Egemen Bagis were also among the contributors of the electoral campaign of Osman Bengur.
ATAA Presidents
Presidents of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), one of the biggest umbrella organizations in United States encompassing regional organizations across the United States, seem to be more generous than the leaders of FTAA.
ATAA’s current president Gunay Evinch comes into prominence with a total amount of $20,800 while former presidents of the organization, Dr. Tamer Acikalin gave $9,150, Dr. Orhan Kaymakcalan $8,575, Dr. Tolga Cubukcu $6,850, Vural Cengiz $1,300, Ercument Kilic $1000 and Nurten Ural $1000.