speeches

The Impact of an Effective Turkish-American Lobby  on Business Relations with the U.S.  Statement by Ambassador Eric Edelman

At the Conference Organised by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations and
Turkish American Association

Hilton Hotel, Ankara, May 31, 2004

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome all of you to this conference on the role of an effective Turkish-American lobby in promoting U.S. business relations.

I would like to commend the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations and the Turkish-American Association in Ankara for organizing this important event. While I regret that I cannot be with you this evening, I look forward to meeting with Mr. Kilic and members of this year’s ATAA delegation tomorrow and again on Wednesday.

The topic you are discussing this evening is an extremely important one. In two large, diverse, and populous countries such as the United States and Turkey, it can be a daunting challenge for all but the very largest companies in one country to establish strong business ties in the other country. Often an intermediary, whether the ATAA or one of the many other organizations dedicated to promoting closer commercial cooperation between the United States and Turkey, is not only desirable, but necessary.

The ATAA has dedicated itself for a quarter-century to strengthening U.S.-Turkish relations in a variety of arenas. These include promoting trade and investment between our two countries and building a deeper and more nuanced appreciation of Turkey, in all its complexity, among the American people and government.

As the presence of the distinguished delegation of ATAA members who are among you this evening demonstrates, the ATAA’s efforts are not confined to the United States alone. Each year, a cross-section of the Association’s members, ranging from businessmen to professors and from journalists to law enforcement officials to doctors and other professionals, travels to Turkey to gain firsthand insight into new developments in their native country and to bring to the attention of Turkish government officials at the highest level the interests and concerns of Turkish-Americans.

These annual trips help to strengthen relations between our two countries, not just in the political and commercial spheres, but also through promoting greater mutual understanding at the cultural and social levels.

I would like to congratulate the organizers of this evening’s gathering and thank all of you who are attending. I wish you much success in your discussions.

Thank you.