History of ATAA

On August 19, 1977, the President of the Maryland American Turkish Association (MATA), Dr. Ülkü Ülgür, in his letter to the members, stated “it is no news that Turkey and Turkish-Americans in this country are beset by many problems and recently have been subjected to unfair treatment and discrimination by some other ethnic groups and their political representatives. Your new Board of Directors believe that we clearly need to intensify our efforts for better and more effective representation of our views, especially in the light of growing criticism and hostility from many quarters.” Another part of the same letter stated that, “we have reached a tentative agreement with the new president of  American Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATA-DC), Mr. Yavuz Somen, to collaborate and work together in these crucial and vital areas.” Similar letters and notes in the ATA-DC reflected the concern of this community to the problems faced by Turkish-Americans in this country.

On June 29, 1978, MATA President, Dr. Ülgür, in his letter to ATA-DC President Yavuz Somen stated, “In our recent Board of Directors’ meeting we have discussed the possibility of bringing our associations together by affiliating them in some official form. We, as members of the Board of Directors of the Maryland American Turkish Association, believe that such an affiliation will be a giant step forward for better representation of the Turkish community in the Mid-Eastern United States. Therefore, we have unanimously elected three of our distinguished members to form an ad-hoc committee and have instructed them to work jointly with a similar committee so that a solution can be found to realize the goal of uniting these two respected organizations.

The ad hoc committees of ATA-DC and MATA met on November 5, 1978. ATA-DC was represented by President Yavuz Somen, Suat Başaran, and Loren Myers while MATA was represented by President Ülkü Ülgür, Cenap Kıratlı, and the late Alp Karahasan.

By 1979, there was a crying need to address the attacks, the distortions of history, and the discrimination the Turkish-American community was facing every day in their jobs, at schools their children attended, and in their daily lives. Isolated local, Turkish American organizations were unable to cope with the massive work that needed to be done nationwide. Upon his arrival in Washington to take up the post of Ambassador from Türkiye, Dr. Şükrü Elekdağ was met by members of both ATA-DC and MATA at a special reception held at the Navy Officers Club in Bethesda, MD on September 23, 1979. He inspired both communities with his dynamic approach to U.S.-Turkish relations. Now the two communities were no longer talking merely about regional cooperation. Visions of a national umbrella organization were forming.

In the aftermath of threats of yet another arms embargo passing through Congress with virtually no Turkish-American voice raised in opposition, a series of meetings were held in the Washington, DC area. A steering committee was formed in November 1979, headed by ATA-DC President Yavuz Somen with the late Yurdakul Göker and Taşkın Atıl and by MATA President, the late Dr. Alp Karahasan, with Dr. Ülkü Ülgür, Cenap Kıratlı and Dr. Sengun Nuri. The advisor associates were Erol Gürün, Aydın Çağınalp, Hasan Akdemir, Tuncer Kuzay, and Özcan Tuncel. Out of their meetings came an agreement to establish the nationwide Assembly of Turkish American Associations.

Washington, DC was chosen to be the headquarters of the new organization to utilize the vast opportunities for promoting U.S. Turkish relations among policy makers. A Secretariat for the Assembly was established to coordinate the activities, publish a nationwide publication and generally be the central source of information on Turks and Türkiye. For this purpose office space was provided by Adil Araboğlu, a Washington business leader, and the Assembly was in business. Clearly the tasks that lay ahead were enormous and the resources limited.

The first ball was a fundraising activity sponsored by ATADC and MATA, and held on December 29, 1979 at the Turkish Embassy. One hundred and forty-six people managed to raise $17,470 for the Assembly.

ATAA’s first publication, ATA-USA was published in February 1980 and news about Turks and Turkey premiered nationwide. With coordinating committee members Yavuz Somen, Ekrem Bulgur, and Yurdakul Göker from ATA-DC, and the late Alp Karahasan, Dr. Ülkü Ülgür, and Cenap Kıratlı from MATA, planned for convening the general assembly on May 17-18, 1980 in the nation’s capital pressed forward with great speed.

More than 120 people representing 24 organizations and 5 student associations gathered at the Embassy Row Hotel during this two-day conference and brought plans on the drawing board into reality. The delegates elected the Coordinating Committee members to a special Steering Committee. Their task was to draw up a constitution and bylaws for the Assembly to be presented to the delegates at the next annual convention. Founded to deal with issues confronting the community, the Assembly was not to be given time to grow and mature slowly, but rather would have to come on as an adult and face Armenians crying “genocide,” and trying to include their grievances in a national museum dedicated to the memory of six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II. The “Midnight Express” image of Turks and Türkiye was constantly being shown with even President Carter giving it free advertising.

Now there was an organization that was writing letters with the weight of the whole Turkish-American community behind it. Publications were giving the members information about the issues to enable them to set the record straight when they encountered distortions and attacks on their Turkish heritage.

The second general meeting of the Assembly was held on November 15th and 16th, 1980 at which time the bylaws were adopted, officers were elected and Articles of Incorporation were filed. During this time 18 Turkish American Associations ratified the bylaws and became official members of the Assembly. Dr. Ülgü Ülgür, became the first President assisted by Yavuz Somen, Vice President; Ali Ferda Sevin, Secretary; and Dr. Sengun Nuri, Treasurer.

The first meeting of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) was held on May 17-18, 1980 in the Embassy Row Hotel in Washington, DC, with representatives from 26 organizations and five student associations attending.

There used to be a saying that when ten Greeks get together, they form one association; when ten Turks get together, they form ten associations. No longer true! After two years of preparation, the American Turkish Association of Washington, D. C. (ATA-DC) and Maryland American Turkish Association (MATA) finally saw a dream come true when the first meeting of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations was held here in May. ATA-DC and MATA owe a great debt to the Ambassador from Turkey Şükrü Elekdağ who actively supported the idea since arriving in Washington last year. In his travels across the country, Ambassador Elekdağ has talked with various Turkish organizations and espoused the idea of the national assembly.

More than 120 persons registered for the first day of the Assembly. This historic day started with welcoming speeches from ATA-DC and MATA presidents, followed by addresses by Ambassador Elekdağ, Russell Warren Howe, a well-known author and journalist, and the Honorable Stephen J. Solarz, U. S. Representative from New York. The first day celebrations continued with a reception at the Turkish Embassy, with Ambassador and Mrs. Elekdağ welcoming the delegates and their families to this joyful occasion.

May 18 meeting was a work session open to delegates only and started with brief presentations by each delegate, describing the activities and goals of their organizations. Clearly, the ATA-DC-MATA dream of joining forces under the Assembly was shared by all, as each delegate expressed their hopes and good wishes.

After a hard day’s work, ably chaired by Professor Cenap Kıratlı, who was also the master of ceremonies for the first day activities, the delegates agreed on the following. First, the major objective of the Assembly is to coordinate the activities of the existing Turkish American associations for the purpose of presenting a more balanced view of Turkey and Turkish people, and emphasizing the importance of better understanding between the Turkish and American peoples. Further, it was agreed that Assembly activities would be targeted to:

1. Collection and dissemination of relevant cultural, ethnic, commercial, spiritual, and other information pertaining to international relations and human rights to increase the mutual appreciation and friendship between American and Turkish peoples.
2. Preservation of the identities and legal entities of the respective member Turkish American Associations and the recognition of their equal representation in the Assembly.
3. Supporting the necessary needs and- concerns of Turkish peoples abroad within the ability of the Assembly.

In addition, it was resolved that the structure of the Assembly would be the following: (1) General Assembly, (2) Executive Board, (3) Board of Trustees, and (4) Regional Committees. The Assembly headquarters will be in Washington, D.C.

The Assembly, with delegations from 26 member organizations, elected the existing ATA-DC – MATA Coordinating Committee (Yavuz Somen, Alp Karahasan, Yurdakul Göker, Cenap Kıraltı, Ekrem Bulgur, and Ülkü Ülgür and additionally Sengun Nuri and Taşkın Atıl as members of the Steering Committee. Advisory Associate members elected were Erol Gürün (Federation of American Turkish Associations of New York), Aydın Çağınalp (The American Turkish Society of New York), Hasan Akdemir and Tuncer Kuzay (United Turkish Americans of Chicago), and Özcan Tuncel (New England American Turkish Association of Boston).

The Steering Committee was given the mandate to complete the drafting of the by-laws and the articles of incorporation for the Assembly. The Committee met every other week since Tune and worked long hours to accomplish this task. The Advisory Associates were kept informed as to the progress of the Committee and received copies of the final draft for review in July. On August 9 and 10, the Steering Committee had its final meeting in Ocean City, Maryland and, working with the suggestions of the Advisory Associates, finalized the by-laws. Local associations around the country will receive copies of the by-laws which will be adopted in the Second General As­sembly Meeting, scheduled for No­vember 15 and 16 in Washington, D.C.

Statement by H.E. Şükrü Elekdağ, Ambassador of Türkiye to the United States
Embassy Row Hotel on May 17, 1980 in Washington, D.C.

It is with great pleasure that I am attending this historic Assembly of the Turkish-American Associations together with the delegates repre­senting Turkish-American Associ­ations of various states and cities in the United States.

Although the initiative for organizing and harmonizing the activities of these associations on a nation-wide scale is rather recent, the fact that 19 separate associations are being represented in this Assembly proves that there is a strong desire for concrete action in this field. I greet representatives participating as Presidents and Delegates, and wish them success in their work of today and tomorrow.

Congressman Stephen Solarz from New York, who has honored us with his presence, will be addressing the Assembly. We are extremely happy to see Congressman Solarz amongst us. He has realistically appraised that allied relationship and close cooperation between Turkey and the United States is to the benefit of both countries and greatly contributes to the security of the West. He has always been friendly to Turkey and to the Turkish society.

A known writer and journalist, Mr. Russell Warren Howe, is also among today’s speakers. Mr. Howe knows Turkey and the Turkish people well. I should like to thank him for attending this meeting and for agreeing to speak.

Not a year has elapsed since I assumed my duties here. Yet, I have been able to visit the parts of the United States where Turkish-Americans are concentrated and to meet our compatriots and citizens. I have been able to meet with many of them and with the members of the Associations in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and in states near D. C My meetings also covered associations of Cyprus, Crimea, Karacay and Turkmen. I can summarize what I have been told during these contacts in the following manner:

• The arms embargo against Turkey has shocked the Turkish Americans and has convinced them that it is high time to meet the intensive campaign conducted by some circles against Turkey and Turks.
• The general feeling is that elements hostile to Turkey have found the field wide open and have been able to guide the American public opinion and the US. Congress in erroneous and unjust directions without any resistance.
• The best way to meet such activities aimed at distorting Turkey’s image is to organize Turkish-Americans in the United States on a nation-wide basis with a view to starting the necessary initiatives for creating a public opinion based on true facts that will show Turkey in the proper light to the US. citizens.
• Although the associations formed prior to 1975 for cultural purposes have tried to meet the campaign against Turkey after the Embargo, these activities have been local and insufficient.
• Turkish-Americans are not content with what they have done in this field. They think these ac­tivities are insufficient. They believe that unless this campaign against Turkey and Turks is met, this will either mean helplessness or acceptance of the accusations. Most of the people I met told me that some of our compatriots were in a state of timidity and that they felt that should they defend Turkey, this’ might be interpreted as placing Turkey’s interests above those of the United States where they are working and living. Again, I was told that even our compatriots who wanted to be active in this field did not clearly know what to do and complained that they lacked the convincing and factual information to meet the accusations levelled against Turkey. They were complaining that since they did not have the facts, they could not do what they desired to do.

The holders of these views dwelled on the importance of explaining to those Turkish-Americans who entertain such baseless worries that American laws and traditions, far from condemning activities aimed at clarifying an ethnic image, approved of them. They stressed in particular that Turkish-Americans should be continuously enlightened on the kind of responses needed against accusations aimed at defamation of Turkey.

The views expressed to me during my contacts with Turkish-Americans are that unity is the key to strength and that a nation-wide organization harmonizing the activities of nearly 60 Turkish-American Associations would yield more effective results on a regional and national basis.

Turkey has many friends in various departments of the US. Government and in talking with these gentlemen from time to time, I find that they feel strongly that it is of great importance for the Turkish American community to speak out frankly, truly and forcefully concerning the friendship and the mutual advantage to both of our countries in working together for the good of the democratic form of government.

As we all know, public relations, the news media and television, together with other forms of commu­nication, are also used to clear up misunderstandings and to put forth the true facts so that the American public can see what is in its best interest. Because the Turkish population is small in the United States, in the past the Turkish-American community could not act effectively in this field and therefore I feel that with coordinating your activities and malting a joint effort to perform a public relations job throughout the country, from the little towns to the big cities, a vital need will be satisfied and will be not only in the best interest of Turkey, but also in the best interest of the United States, with whom Turkey has worked so effectively until the recent embargo.

I am sure you will find of interest a conversation I had with an American Congressman concerning this sub­ject. This gentleman pointed out that there were many different ethnic groups in his congressional district, one group of which consisted of 600 constituents. He stated the following:

“Though small in number, they try to keep me under pressure on subjects concerning them by use of” the mail, telephone, telegraph and personal calls. During my campaigns, they take a place in front and ask me questions. They contribute what they can legally to my campaign in order to show their respect and interest. Therefore, they are always there to remind me of their presence. They force me to learn matters which concern them and of course that is why I am in Congress. They invite me to a religious ceremony at least once a year by creating an occa­sion and they ask me to speak They are so much after me and bother me to such an extent that finally I feel obliged to attend the ceremony. This is not the end of things. When a sub­ject concerning their ethnic group is raised in Congress, my office in Washington is flooded with tele­phone calls and they send small del­egations to call on me. As a result, a group of 600 people creates what seems to be a constituency of 6,000. In the case of Turkey, there are about 100 Turks who are in my congres­sional district, but they have done nothing to indicate to me their presence. They do not even vex me by telephoning as others do. In view of this, I reached the conclusion that they showed no interest in matters concerning them. I said to myself, ‘if Turkish-Americans show no interest in their matters, why should I sacrifice 600 votes.’ When I voted in Congress against Turkey, it was be­cause of this and not because I thought the Turkish case was unjus­tified. I am sure that you have been told that the 150,000 Turkish-Americans cannot meet the negative ac­tivities of other more numerous ethnic groups. Those who have proffered such views may have lived in America for a long time, but they do not have enough insight into the American political system since our system is, above all, one of consen­sus. This system is susceptible to the views of each ethnic group that has organized itself, being conscious of its problems. Even if the group is small, if it can make its voice heard, we cannot remain indifferent to their problems and their message. I gave you an example from my own dis­trict. If those 100 Turkish-Amer­icans, in cooperation and solidarity with other Turkish-Americans, were to imitate to some extent what the other group was doing, they would at least have neutralized them.”

This is what the American Con­gressman told me. It reflects and confirms what many other Americans, friendly to Turkey and holding responsible positions have told me.

In my view, Turkish-Americans, though not numerous, constitute a select group in this country. Owing to the nature of their professions and their level of education, they have distinguished themselves by their valuable and productive capacity in contributing to the welfare of this country. We consider you, our Turkish-American compatriots, as en­voys and representatives of Turkish culture and civilization, and are proud of your achievements. Let me go on to say that Turkish-Americans though not numerous, but because of their qualities that I mentioned, can make their voices sufficiently heard if they arc to organize them­selves. Again, because of their qual­ities, there is no reason why Turk­ish-Americans should feel inhibited to make their voices heard on causes they have espoused and in which they are interested. It is one of their essential lights to address this coun­try’s public opinion and enlighten it on these questions.

The American political system, taking its pride from being based on ‘fundamental rights and freedoms, encourages all of these groups, free from fear, to put forward their views within the framework of this coun­try’s laws. The American political structure, possessing distinct charac­teristics of its own, and based on delicate checks and balances, is formed by reciprocal actions and compro­mises. In this political process, the tendencies of each group which is organized to make its voice heard, have an impact on the decision-mak­ing authorities. Although this is the situation, Turkish-Americans have not yet been able to make full and legitimate use of an environment of equality and tolerance. Since Turk­ish-Americans have not been able to organize themselves on a national scale and to make their voices heard and their views known, the balance has always been in favor of those who have been successful in making their own ethnic message heard.

I should like to congratulate you all, for being the initiators of this historic project which will pave the way to eliminate this imbalance and to make the voices of Turkish-Americans heard within this political system. Your main goal of reflecting a more favourable image of Turkey more widely and effectively will no doubt prepare the ground for con­ducting Turkish-American relations in a more propitious environment. The elimination of negative effects emanating from activities of the cir­cles which try to distort Turkey’s image in America, the removal of prejudices regarding Turkey resulting from wrong or insufficient information will contribute to the formation of a sound basis which, in turn, will make possible an appraisal of Turk­ish-American relations on their own merits. Thus, these relations would be dissociated from alien elements.

I consider all of you present at this historic Assembly as the forerunners of this valuable project. Therefore, I should like to present my feelings of sincere appreciation. In this context, I should like to congratulate the Presidents of the American-Turkish As­sociation and the Maryland Amer­ican-Turkish Association, Mr. Yavuz Somen and Mr. Alp Karahasan and members of the Board of both Asso­ciations, who by interpreting the feelings of Turkish-Americans, have greatly contributed to the realization of this Assembly.

The second issue of ATA-USA has been published. One of its goals is to equip Turkish-Americans with in­formation concerning Turkey, thus giving them the basis for explaining to the American public in a clear and convincing manner basic matters re­lating to Turkey. I should also like to express my appreciation to the Board of Editors who have published the newsletter in a manner worthy of praise,

As representatives of 19 associations attending this Assembly from various parts of the United States, you are the creators of a new spirit and enthusiasm. Doubtless, this project will be closely followed in Turkey and will be praised. I should again like to welcome you and wish you success.

Address by Stephen Solarz, Representative from State of New York, 13th District
Embassy Row Hotel on May 17, 1980 in Washington, D.C.

Let me begin first of all by paying tribute to Ambassador Elekdağ for the marvelous job he has done in representing Turkey in our country. I consider him one of the most able and articulate Ambassadors in Wash­ington, and I think he has made some very significant contributions toward the improvement of relations between our two countries.

I am particularly pleased to be here today on what is truly an historic occasion, not only in the history of the Turkish-American community but in a larger sense, in the history of our own nation. I say this because the organization of a national Turk­ish-American association represents the coming of age of the Turkish American community in our country.

There are, according to the Directory of Ethnic Organizations in the United States, 1,475 ethnic organizations in the United States. They include such groups as: The Albanian-American organization, the Australian-American organization, the Cossack-American organization, the Eskimo-American organization, the Hungarian-American organization, the Korean-American organization, the Polish-American organization, the Scandinavian-American organization and, most recently, the Vietnamese-American organization as well. Ours truly is, above all else, a nation of immigrants and I am particularly pleased that the Turkish American community will now be adding, through this Association, its own very special contribution to the cultural fabric of our nation.

There was a time in the history of America when we used to talk about the United States as a melting pot in which people from so many different races, believing in so many different religions, originating in so many different countries, would somehow all blend together in one homogeneous American mass. Yet over time we have learned that the melting pot theory really does not describe the reality of America, the richness of America, the uniqueness of America. The greatness of America depends not on the extent to which every one of us becomes alike but on the extent to which all of us can continue to contribute the specialness of our own past and cultural heritage to the larger diversity of our country. It is in this sense that the establishment of the Turkish-American association is an event which is truly welcomed not only by those who belong to your community but by all Americans.

I want today to dwell not so much on the differences between Turkey and America – although obviously. there are many: Turkey, after all, has a civilization which is over 2000 years old while America is a country which is only slightly over 200 years old-but to speak instead about our similarities. The United States, for example, has become increasingly concerned in the last decade about the role of women in our society. Yet what other nation has contributed someone who has done more to advance the cause of women in the 20th century than Turkey, when one thinks of the enormous role which Kemal Ataturk played in the liberation of women in Turkey fifty years ago.

I had the opportunity this summer to read Lord Kinross’ biography of Ataturk and it seemed to me that maybe once in 1000 years is such an individual born. What a great leader: a man of enormous intelligence, of incredible dedication, of unparalleled political brilliance, a man who serves as an inspiration not only to Turks but to free men and women wherever they may be in the world. During the course of a trip, I took this summer to Turkey I was privileged one day to have lunch with Mrs. Ismet Inonu. Simply to be in the presence of someone who was part of Ataturk’s inner circle at the time that the Turkish Republic was established was a very special privilege and experience. But above and beyond concern about the role of women in our society there is a shared recognition in both Turkey and the United States that the greatness of a country is dependent on the contribution of all of its people whatever their sex may be.

We also share a common concern about the threat and danger of communism in the world today. The United States within the framework of the NATO Alliance has, of course, a special contribution to make in terms of the strategic deterrent that provides the nuclear umbrella which makes peace ultimately possible in Europe. But Turkey too has an absolutely indispensable contribution to make in terms of our capacity to establish a conventional deterrent to the spread of Soviet influence in Western Europe. Turkey, after all, is the key to the southern flank of NATO. It has the second largest army in the NATO Alliance and effectively ties down at least 26 Warsaw Pact divisions that might otherwise be shifted to the central front. Through its control of the Bosphorous and the Dardenelles it provides the key to the Mediterranean. Through the Air Defense Warning System which exists on Turkish territory, it enables the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean to be confident of receiving the early warning upon which, in the context of the outbreak of war with the Soviet Union, its very survival would depend. So, I think both of our nations, in different ways, make an absolutely essential contribution not only to the maintenance of NATO but to the preservation of peace in Europe.

We also, perhaps most importantly of all, share a common commitment to democracy. When one thinks of the extent to which Turkey, in spite of all of its economic problems and in spite of the widespread violence with which it has to contend, has nonetheless maintained a commitment to democracy, it is truly an inspiration to those people in our own country who believe very deeply in a democratic way of life. To the extent that Turkey is also, in a sense, a developing country, it also provides a dramatic demonstration that democracy is not only not incompatible with development but, in a larger sense, may even he a precondition for it.

But above and beyond our shared values, above and beyond our commitment to the equality of women, above and beyond our commitment to NATO, above and beyond our commitment to democracy, I must tell you that the American people will never forget the fact that 30 years ago our sons and soldiers stood and died together in Korea in an effort to contain the advancement of communism in Asia. We owe a tremendous debt to the Turkish people for their willingness to make the sacrifices which they made at that time and we will never forget the very special heroism which Turkish troops displayed under incredibly adverse circumstances during the course of the Korean War.

I suppose I would be less than candid if I didn’t acknowledge the fact that, in the last several years, there have been some troublesome times in the relationship between Turkey and the United States. But I truly believe we have turned the comer and that, particularly in the course of

the last one or two years, there has been a significant improvement in the relationship between Turkey and the United States. The embargo has been repealed and it will never, in my judgement, be reestablished. We have recently signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement which will provide for a much more stable defense rela­tionship between Turkey and the United States. Hopefully, the prisoner exchange treaty which has already been negotiated will be ratified as well.

As a reflection of both the improvement in Turkish-American relations as well as the significance which we attach to the relationship with Turkey, Turkey has now become the third largest recipient of American foreign aid in the world today It is getting approximately 450 million dollars a year: 250 million in military assistance and 200 million in economic assistance. While I realize that compared to the magnitude of Turkey’s needs this might, to coin a phrase, be considered, “peanuts,” it is important to note that Turkey, unlike some other countries,

has not refused our aid. I can only tell you that I am hopeful, based on the improvement in Turkish-American relations and the growing recognition in our country, in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the developments which have recently taken place in Iran, that Turkey is one of our most important democratic allies in that critically important part of the world, and that it will be possible for our country, in cooperation with the nations of Western Europe, to provide increasing levels of assistance to Turkey in the future. I have no doubt that, in the effort to muster support in the Congress and around the country on behalf of a more generous foreign aid program for Turkey and on behalf of a better understanding between our two nations, that your association will play an absolutely critical role.

I hope that you will not hesitate to call upon me for assistance in this effort because I truly consider myself not only the Congressman from Brooklyn, but in a symbolic sense, the Congressman from Ankara as well.