TCA Issue Papers

Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard met in Ankara, Turkey and agreed to work closely together to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign. The two leaders announced that 2015 would be proclaimed the Year of Turkey in Australia and the Year of Australia in Turkey. Both countries have an established practice of paying national tributes to each other to honor the memory of the 1915 campaign, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. read more

The Supreme Court of Greece has denied the Xanthi Turkish Union to use the word “Turk” in its name despite a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The Xanthi Turkish Union was closed down in 1986 following a complaint filed by the Xanthi governor on grounds that usage of the word “Turk” was a threat to the national security of Greece. Upon exhausting all domestic legal remedies, the Xanthi Turkish Union filed a case with the ECHR, which held in 2008 that Greece had violated the right of freedom of assembly and association of the Turkish community. read more

The TCA commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the Khojaly massacre, which occurred on February 25-26, 1992 in the town of Khojaly located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. As a result of this tragedy, approximately 2,000 innocent Azerbaijani civilians were deliberately killed and taken hostage by Armenian armed forces in what is known to be the worst atrocity of modern times in the South Caucasus region. read more

A mysterious Russian cargo ship limped into the Cypriot port of Limassol, this month, forced to seek shelter from a violent storm. Hidden on board the MS Chariot were four containers packed with 60 tonnes of ammunition for AK-47s and for rocket launchers. The shipment had come from Moscow's state arms company, Rosoboronexport; its shadowy purchaser was none other than the Syrian government. read more

It all began when crisis-stricken Greek TV channels realized that buying the glitzy tales of forbidden love, adultery, clan loyalties and betrayal from long-standing regional rival Turkey, was cheaper than filming their own. The action-packed dramas quickly came to dominate the ratings despite the fact that they are broadcast in Turkish with only subtitles in Greek and have gained a devoted following among a Greek populace disheartened by the country's biggest financial crisis in decades. read more

On January 7, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen visited Turkey for the first time, and met, also for the first time, her Turkish relatives in an Istanbul reunion organized by the Turkish Coalition of America. read more

An opening ceremony was held on December 28 at the recently renovated Vordvots Vorotman Armenian Church in Istanbul, Turkey. The ceremony was conducted by Deputy Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, Archbishop Aram Ateshyan. read more

Barring a last-minute surprise in the U.S. Senate, the well-qualified diplomat President Obama sent to serve as ambassador to Azerbaijan will have to come home in less than a month. read more

The Turkish Coalition of America strongly denounces the passage of H.Res. 306, which unfairly and hypocritically targets Turkey for alleged religious discrimination against Christian communities within its borders. read more

The Turkish economy expanded 8.2% in the third quarter, dramatically exceeding market forecasts and following an 8.8% expansion in the second quarter. Turkey’s growth was surpassed by China which scored 9.1 % in the same quarter. read more

Is the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom squinting at a transparent Turkish Muslim injustice perpetrated by a Christian Greek government? read more

On November 17, the House Committee on Natural Resources voted 27-15 to pass the Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Act, H.R. 2362, which will now be reported favorably to the House for a final vote. read more

On November 2, an international conference on Afghanistan was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the Istanbul Conference was attended by leaders from the broader region and Europe, as well as senior representatives from NATO, the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. On the eve of the conference, Turkish President Abdullah Gul hosted a trilateral meeting with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani counterpart Asif Zardari. read more

October 5, 2011, Washington, D.C. – The Turkish Coalition of America extends its congratulations to Francis Ricciardone, the current United States Ambassador to Turkey, who has been appointed to serve a full diplomatic term in Ankara. Ricciardone’s appointment was confirmed by a voice vote of the Senate on Tuesday evening. He has represented the U.S. in Turkey since January after receiving a presidential recess appointment. read more

A religious ceremony was held on September 11 at the historical Armenian Church of Akdamar in Van, Turkey. This is the second religious ceremony to be held at the church since its restoration by the Ministry of Culture of Turkey in 2007. The ceremony, led by Archbishop Aram Atesyan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, was attended by approximately 3,000 people. read more

The Turkish Coalition of America applauds the vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support the continued service of Ambassador Francis Ricciardone as the United States Ambassador to Turkey. Ambassador Ricciardone has worked to strengthen one of America’s most important bilateral partnerships," said G.Lincoln McCurdy, TCA president. read more