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ATAA and Turkish American Associations
A "Formidable Rival in Washington"
Washington, DC - March 21, 2008 - ATAA is pleased to announce it has completed its 15th stop on the nationwide tour "Turkish Americans Gaining Power Through Grassroots". ATAA's grassroots tour not only includes seminars on advocacy, but also assists the local community in building relationships with elected officials (federal and local), the media (public radio stations, editorial boards, public television), and educational institutions (school boards, universities).
ATAA and Ahmet Atahan, President of ATA-SC at the LA Times newspaper.
"There is no question that the connections that ATAA has aided the local Turkish American communities in building have proven beneficial," said ATAA President Nurten Ural. "One example is in the Detroit area, where the relationship between the Turkish American community and a local radio station led to the closure of a biased, unfair and one-sided essay contest that was previously sponsored by that radio station. This is just one of our success stories."
ATAA and Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan members at the offices of WWJ Radio Station.
In Las Vegas, ATAA and the local association there were able to meet with Mayor Oscar Goodman to discuss the potential of erecting a memorial/monument in a park in Las Vegas, the concept of which received the mayor's blessing, and Mayor Goodman's offer of staff assistance to find a location.
ATAA and Las Vegas Turkish Community members at the office of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.
In each city that ATAA representatives visit, they stress the significance of building relationships and communicating with elected officials. Because of this increased contact between Turkish Americans and members of congress, the Turkish American community has seen a significant increase in the number of Congressional Representatives signing up for the Turkish Caucus. Just over the past few months, the caucus has gained more than 10 members, making the official count 76 strong.
"In cooperation with other Turkish American associations, we intend to see this number grow to at least 100 by the end of the 110th Congress," said Allison Block, Advocacy Director for ATAA.
The increased presence of the Turkish American voice in Congress has intimidated some in Washington. This is particularly evidenced in the recent commentary released by former Board of Directors Chairman Jirair Haratunian, where he states: "...But on the political margins of the American body politic, is a growing Turkish and Azerbaijani community who are increasingly vocal and becoming a more formidable rival in Washington."
ATAA is proud to be a leader in the surge of grassroots activity within the Turkish American community throughout the United States. To stay on top of ATAA's progress on this front, please visit www.ataa.org and subscribe to the mailing list.
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The objective of the Assembly is to coordinate the activities of member Turkish American associations and individual members of the Assembly for the purpose of presenting a more balanced view of Turkey and of the Turkish people, and emphasizing the importance of enhanced understanding between Turkey and the United States. To learn more, click here.
By becoming a member you will be part of a network of Turkish-Americans and friends of Turkey who care about the historic relationship between the two peoples and who are aware of the crucial role each one of us plays in strengthening the relationship and promoting an accurate and fair picture of Turkey and Turks. To join ATAA, click here.
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