:::TurkishPAC:::

With Representative Larry Kissell's (D-NC/8th) participation on September 24th, membership of the caucus on US-Turkish relations reached 95. Click here for an alphabetical list of the members and here for a breakdown by state. 

9th Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated the 2000 Poochigian Law, in Movsesian v. Victoria Versicherung, et al.

In 2000 California enacted a law sponsored by state Senator Chuck Poochigian that sought to force insurance companies that had sold life insurance in the Ottoman Empire to Ottoman Armenians in effect to pay reparations to Armenian claimants under the disputed theory that they died from acts of genocide.

       

With the newest additions of Robert Latta (R-Ohio/5th District), Brian Baird (D-Washington/3rd District), Rodney Alexander (R-Louisiana/5th District), Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas/2nd District) and Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri/3rd District), the Caucus on US-Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans in the US House of Representatives reached its highest membership since its formation and now includes 87 members of Congress. The Turkish Caucus is a bi-partisan platform for members of Caucus to focus on US-Turkish relations and issues that concern Turkish Americans. Many of its members have joined this Caucus due to the efforts of their Turkish American constituents and friends of Turkey.

A full list of the Caucus members can be found at TCA website.

TurkishPAC is organizing a fundraiser for Congresswoman Jean Schmidt in Houston, on June 20th, from 3:00PM to 5:00PM at the Pasha Restaurant. Jean Schmidt, who is the co-chairperson of the Congressional Turkish Caucus, has been working diligently getting our voice heard and supporting the Turkish causes. During the last election period, since she did not agree with and fought against the Armenian "Genocide" claims in the Congress, slander campaigns were carried out against her by her competitor, Ohio candidate David Krikorian.  Jean Schmidt won the election and, with our support, sued David Krikorian for making false claims and insulting her and she urgently needs our financial support.

Sacramento, CA - National and grassroots Turkish American associations joined power to defeat California Assembly Bill 961, a proposed law that sought to punish companies who did business in the Ottoman Empire or do who business in Turkey today.  The bill was introduced by Armenian Assemblyman Paul Krikorian and supported by nationalists Armenian groups. On the front line were activists from ATAA component organizations, the Turkish American Association of California (TAACA) and the Association of Turkish Americans of S. California (ATASC).  Ergun Kirlikovali and Karahan Mete lead over 25 local Turkish Americans to provide statements at the public hearings of the Business and Professions and Judiciary Committees.  An elderly Turkish American woman placed roses on the podium for each of her family members who were massacred during the Armenian Revolt (1885-1921), that caused the deaths and displacement of over 600,000 Muslims and Jews in Eastern Anatolia.

TurkishPAC reservedly welcomes President Obama’s avoidance of the term “genocide” in his statement on the occasion of the Armenian Remembrance Day, but deeply regrets his use of the nearly-as-offensive term "Medz Yeghern” to characterize the historical events. President Obama’s statement portrays a one-sided view of the historical events by grossly exaggerating the number of Armenian casualties while not mentioning Moslem, and even Jewish, sufferings. It is hoped that an impartial international commission of scholars, which we understand is envisioned in the road map prepared by the Armenian and Turkish parties in Switzerland, will pave the way for establishing historical truth related to the tragic events that took place nearly a century ago. Turkey has opened all its historical archives, while the Armenian archives remain mostly closed.

TurkishPAC supports President Obama’s call for a dialogue between Turks and Armenians and normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. It is hoped that this will contribute toward a long-term strategic alliance between Turkey and the United States. As outlined in our April 16 announcement, however, TurkishPAC believes that such normalization should be predicated on Armenia withdrawing from the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabagh and renouncing anti-Turkish reference in its constitution and modifying its stance toward Turkey in general.

TurkishPAC regrets that President Obama, while calling attention to the contributions of Americans of Armenian descent to the American society, has omitted a similar attribution to Turkish Americans, whose contributions have been no less significant.

TurkishPAC Board of Directors