Assembly of Turkic American Federations together with its member organizations, Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians, the Council of Turkic American Associations (CTAA), Mid Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations (MAFTAA), , Turkic American Federation of Southeast (TAFS), Turkish American Federation of Midwest (TAFM) and West America Turkic Council (WATC) hosted 7 Senators, 53 House of Representatives, around 300 House and Senate Staffers at the Turkic Gala Reception.

The reception was held on Wednesday at the Willard InterContinental Washington.

The reception brought ambassadors, around 120 directors and representatives of Turkish, Turkic and Eurasian peoples together with members of the US Congress, and around 250 legislative directors and legislative assistants for foreign policy.

US senators Jeff Bingaman, Roger Wicker, Richard Lugar, Robert Casey, Frank Lautenberg, Mark Warner and Kay Hagen were present at the event.

Turkish Ambassador to the United States Namık Tan also attended the gala. The Turkish Parliament was represented by ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies Vahit Kirişçi, Mehmet Şahin, Mustafa Ataş, Mehmet Ceylan, İbrahim Hasgür, Alev Dedegil, Hacı Hasan Sönmez and Mehmet Çerçi.

Republican Senator Wicker of Mississippi said not everyone understands the Turkish-American relationship as well as those people in the hall where the gala was held. “Sometimes we have to stand up on the floor of the House and Senate and remind our colleagues of the strong and historic relationship that US and Turkey have, dating back to our treaty in 1839, making Turkey one of our earliest allies, and the Truman Doctrine post-World War II. The way we are working together with the NATO effort in Afghanistan, in Iraq and our efforts on counterterrorism. I’m proud to stand with my friends in Turkey. I’m proud to be part of this gala event. Everyone is having a good time, but when it’s all settled down, we are going to be there to stand up for the relationship that’s been so important to both of our countries,” he said.

Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas emphasized the importance of improving Turkish-American relations. “We would like to go forward together to have this wonderful relationship made stronger, because one thing I’ve observed being around Turkish friends, you love graciously, you are the most gracious hosts anyone can hope to have and when you are a friend you are a friend for life,” he said.

Stating that the relationship between Turkey and the US cannot be characterized as a strategic partnership, the AK Party’s Kirişçi said it is rather a model partnership that includes not only security issues but also issues related to socio-economics, technology, science and the military as well. “With the European Union harmonization process, Turkey has already taken almost all necessary steps to become a fully democratic nation. Having adopted our ‘zero problem with neighbors’ foreign policy, Turkey has played a critical role in building peace in the region. I’m so proud that Turkic Americans are so well organized under such a great umbrella organization. As a member of the Turkish Parliament, I strongly support the idea of coming together under such an organization,” he said.

A congressman from Oklahoma said he has long been an admirer of Turkey and its culture and looks forward to visiting very soon. “Although the US is relatively young as compared to Turkey, I think it’s tremendously important that both cultures continue to work together for the continued success of the Turkey-US relationship. I don’t have to tell you about the cultural importance of Turkey. For thousands of years, it served as a cultural epicenter of the world. Turkish people and traditions have influenced world religions, nation-building, art and history. In addition to the role of strategic partners, Turkey is a vital economic partner, and both our countries benefit from a healthy relationship with Turkey,” he said.