MONTHLY NEWSLETTER     February 2019
TCA Hosts Parliamentary Delegation from Turkey

On February 11, TCA hosted a parliamentary delegation from Turkey at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) delegation was led by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ambassador (ret.) Volkan Bozkir (AKP), former Minister of European Union Affairs and and Chief Negotiator for Turkish Accession to the European Union. Other members of the delegation included former Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Askin Bak (AKP), Head of the Turkish Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Ambassador (ret.) Unal Cevikoz (CHP), Deputy Chairperson, Republican People's Party; Prof. Dr. Kamil Aydin (MHP), Deputy Chairperson, Nationalist Movement Party; Ambassador (ret.) Aydin Sezgin (Iyi Party); and Ambassador Hidayet Bayraktar, Chief Advisor to the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman.

The delegation came to Washington to meet with members of Congress, exchange ideas with U.S. based NGOs, and strengthen the friendship between the U.S. and Turkey. Members of the delegation made their first stop at TCA, where they discussed the importance of maintaining strong U.S.-Turkey relations, the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, TCA programs and activities, and U.S. politics.

TCA Hosts YTB Delegation

On February 12, TCA hosted Abdullah Eren, President of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (Yurtdisi Turkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Baskanligi- YTB) and his delegation. TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy briefed the delegation on TCA programs and the importance of Turkish American grassroots activism. Mr. Eren explained the YTB scholarship programs to study abroad in Turkey for foreign nationals.

TCA President Travels to Florida

TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy visited Florida from February 15 to 18. In Key Biscayne, McCurdy attended the National Republican Congressional Committee's Winter Meeting and had conversations with several members of Congress, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23rd), on issues important to TCA. In Miami, McCurdy hosted a dinner with Turkish Consul General Burc Ceylan and members of the Turkish American community. In Ft. Lauderdale, he addressed the membership of the Turkish Center on “The Political Climate in Washington and How It Impacts the Turkish American Community.”

TCA Meets with Members of Congress

On February 28, TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy attended an event with Senator James E. Risch (R-ID), the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, in Washington, D.C. He also attended an event with Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-PA/4th), Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan Women's Caucus.

On February 26, McCurdy attended an event organized by the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee (CBCPAC) on Capitol Hill.

On February 13, McCurdy met with Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA/3rd) who serves on the Armed Services and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees to discuss his meeting with the Turkish Parliamentary delegation.  

Also on February 13, McCurdy met with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC/5th) about TCA's Turkish American Women Leadership Initiative. Throughout the month, he also met with senior congressional staff members on TCA programs on women's leadership.

On February 13, McCurdy and TCA Program Director Nilsu Goren attended an event organized by the CBCPAC for senior congressional staff members of the Black Caucus.

On February 12, Goren attended events with Congresswoman Deb Haaland (D-NM/1st), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and is one of the first Native American women in Congress, and Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC/2nd), a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans.

On February 8, McCurdy met with Congressman William Timmons (R-SC/4th) on Capitol Hill.

TCA Attends TurkishWIN Event

On February 21, TCA Directors Nilsu Goren and Louette Ragusa attended an event organized by Turkish Women's International Network (TurkishWIN) Washington D.C. chapter at Bay Atlantic University (BAU).