US Foreign Policy in the Middle East and US-Turkey Security Cooperation in 2019
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This
Thursday,
December 6th, THO will be hosting a panel discussion on
"
US Foreign Policy in the Middle East and US-Turkey Security Cooperation in 2019."
Lt. General Daniel Christman, U.S. Army (Ret.), Senior Counselor for International Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
Turkish Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Naim Baburoglu, Istanbul Aydin University
, and
Dov S. Zakheim
, Senior Fellow at Center for Naval Analyses, Former Department of Defense Official, will partake in the panel discussion.
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THO’s latest program will offer the D.C. audience an opportunity to hear from various ambassadors on the issues of importance to their respective nations. On
December 17th, THO will host
His Excellency, Ambassador
Elin Suleymanov
,
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the United States
, for a roundtable discussion about the the trilateral relationship between
Turkey, U.S. and Azerbaijan
.
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Roundtable on US-Turkey Energy Collaboration with Minister Albayraktar
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On Thursday,
November 29th
, THO partnered with
U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s US-Turkey Business Council
and the
Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
to host Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar for a
“Roundtable on US-Turkey Energy Collaboration.”
The invite only roundtable discussion included US and Turkish government officials, business representatives from various major US and international companies, and top officials from think tank organizations. Deputy Minister Bayraktar talked about Turkey’s increasing energy demand, its relationship with the United States with regard to foreign investment in the energy sector and Turkey’s efforts to expand its use of, and investment in, renewable energy sources.
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THO Hosts 2018 Summer Research Symposium
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Last Friday, November 30th, THO welcomed back four of its
2018 Summer Research Program alumni. The researchers travelled to Washington, D.C. to partake in
"Refugees and Turkey: A Research Symposium." Along with the symposium, the students met with Congressman Jamie Raskin and officials from the Atlantic Council, U.S. State Department and the Turkish embassy to present their research findings and discuss the refugee crisis in Turkey.
At the Atlantic Council headquarters in Washington, DC, the students presented their research and discussed their findings with top officials from the EU Parliament and the Atlantic Council. These included
Daniel Bennett
, Director, Millennium Fellowship Program,
Laura Batalla
, Secretary General, European Parliament’s Turkey Forum, and
Pinar Dost
, Deputy Director, Atlantic Council in Turkey and Istanbul Summit. This meeting was of significance due to THO’s close relationship with the Atlantic Council, as THO was a proud sponsor of
Atlantic Council’s Millennium Fellowship Program.
The students also met
Congressman Jamie Raskin
to discuss the 2018 Summer Research Program and their findings. They then visited the U.S. Department of State, where they met with
Sonia Kim
, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration,
Gina Kassem
, Turkey desk,
Kate Osterloh
, Foreign Service Officer, and
Andrea Samuelson
, Foreign Affairs Officer. Having met with many of the State Department officials before the trip, the visit allowed the researchers to share their findings from their research and answer questions.
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THO Media Outreach Continues
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THO President
Ali Cinar
was hosted by Turkish and American media this week, which included CNNTurk, TRT Haber and Sputnik Turkey. Cinar discussed the two countries’ relationship as part of the NATO alliance.
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THO Congressional Outreach Continues
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THO's Executive Director Elvir Klempic met with
Congressman
Dave Loebsack.
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THO Partnership Manager Pinar Gezgec met with
Congressman Matt Gaetz.
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THO Guest at World Bank Group Youth Summit
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THO Executive Director
Elvir Klempic
was a guest at the World Bank Group Youth Summit. Established in 2013, the Youth Summit is an annual event held by the World Bank Group (WBG) to engage with youth globally on the most pressing topics facing their generation
.
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Exclusive Insight Interview: Daniel Bennett
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This
June
, the Turkish Heritage Organization held an Exclusive Insight interview with
Daniel Bennett, Director, Millennium Leadership Program. Bennett discussed the importance of leadership opportunities, the refugee crisis in Turkey and people-to-people relations between the two countries.
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THO Statement on Passing of President George H.W. Bush
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Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family as we mourn the passing of George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. In a challenging world, President Bush was committed to security and prosperity in our world. He believed in assuring the U.S. and Turkey maintained strong relations, “I’ve always considered Turkey a fundamentally strong part of NATO and a very important contributor to the common security.” We thank President Bush for his service to our nation and the world.
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TOP NEWS IN U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS
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Erdogan, Trump Meet at G20 Summit in Argentina
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, marking the second meeting between the two leaders in Buenos Aires.
The leaders met amid a global outcry over the death of a U.S.-based columnist who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
"We had an opportunity to discuss the ongoing process in Northern Syria with the U.S. as two strategic partners. We discussed situation in Manbij, Idlib and terrorist groups in northern Syria with U.S. President Donald Trump," Erdoğan said later on Saturday.
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Trump, Erdogan Talk About Russia-Ukraine Dispute
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have spoken on the phone to express their concerns about the Russia-Ukraine clash in the Kerch Strait and Russia's detainment of three Ukrainian ships and 24 crew members.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the two spoke on the phone Wednesday about Sunday's incident in which Russian border guards fired on the Ukrainian vessels and seized the ships.
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Turkish Lira Hits 4-month High Against US Dollar
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The Turkish lira hit a 4-month high against the U.S. dollar on Thursday as Turkey's benchmark stock index surged 1.12 percent to close at 95,125.57 points.
On Thursday, the Turkish lira continued its upward against the U.S. dollar. By market close, the USD/TRY fell to 5.1620, versus 5.2610 at the previous close.
The exchange rate was around 5.15 on Aug. 6, while it saw its historic high at over 7.00 on Aug. 13.
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Turkey, US Carry Out 2nd Round of Training for Manbij Patrols
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Turkish and U.S. troops carried out the second round of trainings for combined patrols in Manbij, northeast of the Aleppo Governorate in Syria, as part of a deal to rid the area of the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorist group, the military said Sunday.
The Turkish Armed Forces said on Twitter: "In accordance with the Manbij Road Map and Security Principles, Turkish and the U.S. Armed Forces troops completed the second joint trainings on combined patrol activities in Manbij."
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Turkish Red Crescent Helps Orphans in Northern Iraq
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The
Turkish
Red
Crescent
handed out winter humanitarian aid packs to at least 150 orphans and their families in a refugee camp in northern
Iraq
on Nov. 26.
Hakan Karaçay, Turkey’s consul in
Erbil
, told state-run Anadolu Agency that they distributed winter clothes and food aid packages to 155 orphans and their families living in the Bahirka camp near
Erbil
thanks to the cooperation between the
Turkish
Red
Crescent
and its
Erbil
branch.
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Turkish Chairwoman to Lead Med Energy Association
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The Turkish energy regulator decided on the presidency of the Mediterranean Energy Regulators, MEDREG on Thursday with the election of Gülefşan Demirbaş, the head of the Strategy Development Department for Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA).
Member regulators from 21 countries including Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia convened in Istanbul for the 26th General Assembly to elect the association's new president for a period of two years.
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UN's Istanbul Event Focuses on Technology, Governance
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Istanbul Innovation Days have started Tuesday to gather technology experts, academics and politicians to discuss global trends and innovative approaches impacting governance mechanisms.
Hosted by the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP), the three-day event kicked off under the theme of Next Generation Governments.
The participants are discussing several topics such as technology and governance, technology's effects on the economy, future challenges and innovation experiments.
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Education Vital for the Continuity of Turkish Cultural Identity
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Turkey's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) on Saturday held a consultation meeting to discuss ways and means to provide more education opportunities for Turkish nationals living abroad.
Speaking at the the meeting, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said: “We are aware of that our children play a key role in preserving our cultural identity. We should support them to get right education and also help them to get prestigious jobs.”
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