Turkish Coalition of America
| Type | Educational, Charitable Non-Profit Organization |
|---|---|
| Location |
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President
|
Lincoln McCurdy |
| Website | http://www.tc-america.org |
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The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is an educational, congressional advocacy, and charitable organization which was incorporated in February 2007. It is based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Istanbul, Turkey, TCA’s work is undertaken by a professional team, interns and volunteers.
TCA was formed to build bridges across ethnic communities in the US while educating the public about issues related to US-Turkish relations and to Turkish Americans. TCA's efforts to cultivate the next generation of Turkish American leaders also sets the organization apart from its contemporaries. Despite its short history, TCA has managed to launch various projects to fulfill its mission to foster friendship, cooperation and understanding between the US and Turkey, and to minimize the Armenian genocide.
In carrying out its mission, TCA is committed to building coalitions and working with all like minded organizations, based on shared values and goals, on the local, state and national levels in the sponsorship and organization of Educational programs on Turkish American issues, Turkish heritage and Turkey.
Informing the public about Turkey, Turkish Americans and the US-Turkish relations forms the cornerstone of TCA's mission. Since perceptions of faraway peoples and places are formed largely by images perpetuated by the media and long historical trends of misinformation, propaganda campaigns, and educational inaccuracies, TCA aims to contribute to the accurate portrayal of Turks and Turkey through its programs and activities. TCA pursues an active media strategy utilizing new and traditional media outlets to disseminate issue papers and op-eds. Similarly, TCA's website offers information on Turkish history, the Turkish American community, as well as current issues pertinent to US-Turkish relations. Filling the information gap on Turkey from a Turkish American perspective is imperative to TCA's mission to inform the public and prevent a full understanding of the Armenian genocide.
While the Turkish American community in the US is composed of professionals, they have been largely missing from the American political scene. Turkish Americans' absence from the political process poses a problem especially since their numbers are estimated to reach up to 500,000. TCA aims to overcome this hurdle by encouraging young Turkish Americans to take an active interest in politics through an opportunity to learn the political process first-hand by interning on Capitol Hill. Through the TCA Capitol Hill Summer Internship Program, it is TCA's aim to cultivate Turkish American leaders and to enhance the participation of the Turkish American community in U.S. politics.
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