Turkish Forum

Tag: TCA

  • TCA Presents Second $25,000 Donation to Aid Typhoon Haiyan Relief Efforts To Filipinos

    TCA Presents Second $25,000 Donation to Aid Typhoon Haiyan Relief Efforts To Filipinos

    donation-to-aid-typhoonThe funds will be distributed by the Filipino Community Center of Hawaii to rebuilding efforts on the ground

     

    March 21, 2014 – Honolulu – The Turkish Coalition of America presented the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu, Hawaii with a $25,000 donation yesterday to aid the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts. The donation was matched dollar for dollar by the Consuelo Foundation, a Hawaii-based nonprofit organization. Hawaii has the highest concentration of Filipino Americans in the United States and shares a close relationship with the people of the Philippines.

    Special guests at the reception included Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii); Edmund Aczon, Chair of the Board of Directors, Filipino Community Center of Hawaii; Consuelo Foundation President Jon Matsuoka; TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy; Engin Turkalp, President of the Turkish American Friendship Association of Hawaii, Hawaii State House Representatives Ty Cullen and Henry Aquino.

    TCA is proud to join with Turkish Americans across the country in donating these much needed funds to the relief effort in the Philippines,” said TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy. “Not only will this donation help Filipinos rebuild their devastated communities, but we hope it will also begin a lasting friendship between Turkish Americans and Filipino Americans.”

    “I was touched and deeply moved by the Turkish Coalition of America’s contribution to assist in Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts,” said Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii). “As Mr. McCurdy shared in his comments this morning, in today’s world we reach out not only across borders, but across oceans to help those in crisis, compelled to act by our own memory of others who helped us in a time of need. I hope the generosity of the Turkish Coalition will inspire many others to lend a hand wherever challenges arise.”

    “We are very grateful to the Turkish Coalition of America for bringing our communities together with their thoughtful donation, which will be used strategically to rebuild Filipino communities stronger than they were before Typhoon Haiyan,” said Jon Matsuoka, president of the Consuelo Foundation.

    The donation was the result of a national Turkish American donation drive, which TCA spearheaded and organized in collaboration with Turkish Philanthropy Funds. All of the money raised will go directly to rebuilding efforts on the ground in the Philippines.

    This is the second of four $25,000 donations pledged by TCA to Filipino organizations in the U.S. The first was presented to the Philippine Cultural Foundation of Maryland on March 7, 2014, and the other two will be presented to the Filipino Community Center of Seattle and the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Texas, South Texas in April 2014.
  • TCA, ATAA and Members of Congress Mark 60th Anniversary of Turkey’s NATO Membership

    TCA, ATAA and Members of Congress Mark 60th Anniversary of Turkey’s NATO Membership

    The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) hosted twelve Members of Congress, Turkey’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Namik Tan, and dozens of congressional staffers at a breakfast reception to mark the 60th anniversary of Turkey’s NATO membership.

    In his remarks at the event, Ambassador Tan highlighted Turkey’s crucial role in NATO’s success and underscored that a strong U.S.-Turkey relationship based on shared values of “democracy, human rights, and the rule of law” has helped NATO maintain stability despite continual global challenges.

    Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ken.), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans (Turkish Caucus), also highlighted the importance of a vibrant U.S.-Turkey relationship in their opening remarks. “Turkey is one of our key allies, a country of great culture and cultural history,” stated Rep. Cohen.

    Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs praised TCA for its work in building cultural and economic ties. In her remarks, she stated that too many Americans are not aware of the importance of this relationship and added that she cherishes every opportunity to bring to light the strength and depth of the U.S.-Turkish ties.

    ataa3

    ATAA Past President Gunay Evinch, Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ken.), Rep. Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.),
    Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.), Ambassador Namik Tan, and TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy

  • CSKT members travel to Turkey

    CSKT members travel to Turkey

    Sasha Goldstein

    James Steele recounts a positive eight-day visit to Turkey

    tcaPABLO — November is synonymous with the word “turkey,” but a few members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes had the word on their mind for a different reason than Thanksgiving: a once in a lifetime diplomatic trip to the Republic of Turkey early last month.

    Sponsored by the Turkish Coalition of America, former CSKT Chairman James Steele and S&K Technologies CEO Tom Acevedo were two to go on the Native American Business Cooperation Trip and Steele recounted a positive eight-day trip to the Eurasian country.

    “I came back with the definite understanding that the government of Turkey wants to reach out to Native American tribes as nations,” Steele said of the Nov. 6 to 14 trip. “The biggest thing we came away with was the desire of the country of Turkey to reach out economically, diplomatically, educationally and culturally with the Native American tribes in the U.S.”

    The trip featured a visit to Istanbul and Ankara, the nation’s capital, where approximately 20 tribal members from around the country, with the most representation out of Oklahoma, visited with some of the top administration officials in the Turkish government.

    “The foreign minister took a lot of time out of his schedule to visit with us,” Steele said. “It was pretty spectacular, he’s the third highest person in the government there.”

    Steele said highlights included visiting the ruins of Troy and Gallipoli, a famous battlefield from World War I.

    “We were also afforded the high honor of laying a wreath at the tomb of the first president of the republic, Ataturk,” Steele said.

    Steele was impressed with the western influences on the country, which he deemed a fairly progressive, modern place.

    He noted that after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks allowed women the right to vote, a move well ahead of many European countries and only a few years after the United States.

    “Ataturk started Turkey off to be a secular country, and they still abide by the separation of church and state,” he said. “The people of Istanbul feel the Native Americans and people of Turkey have a kind of connection, including similarities with their language and Native languages.”

    Those similarities and the positive experience Steele had has the current Montana/Wyoming Tribal Leaders Chairman thinking up ways to get Native students a chance to visit Turkey or other parts of the world.

    “There was definite interest there at the university to bring students from the Flathead Reservation and Natives in general over as an opportunity for the students to attend the university and do an exchange,” Steele said, noting that the differences would enlighten local students. “It’s a positive experience to see another people and another country and how they do things there. It’s a benefit for tribal people to experience another country and culture. America is not an island. It might be a melting pot but there’s a bigger world out there then the United States of America.”

    Steele said he plans to speak with Salish and Kootenai College president Luana Ross about setting up an exchange program with a Turkish university.

    While this was the first trip there, Steele said the eye-opening experience has him excited to continue the positive relationship the diplomatic mission has created.

    “My expectations were let’s try and see what comes of it,” he said. “I think there’s definitely going to be some follow up and cultural exchanges.”

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