What we saw when we looked at Turkey was a country dealing with many problems, growing pains, one might say, but also a country with an enormous potential. A vibrant, young demographic profile increasingly integrating with the world, millions of young men and women who could feel at home in any Western city, businesspersons who pursue contracts all around the globe, civic activists who work on the problems Turkey faces and develop solutions that will fit the Turkish parameters, a proficient bureaucracy which increasingly supports private sector iniatives - in short, a country at work.

Our turning toward Turkey was based on a variety of realities that we are facing here in the United States. The most important realization was that the problems Turkey is confronted with in this country cannot be solved by the Turkish-American community alone. Turkish-Americans have a special and very important place in the network of relations between the two countries, and we all must carry this responsibility of being "spokespersons" for the US-Turkish partnership and Turkey with greater awareness and care. But we also must be realistic in our assessment of what our small and relatively new immigrant community can and cannot accomplish. Secondly, Turkey must achieve a higher level and continuity in the representation of its interests in the United States. Thirdly, the representation, or promotion, and protection of vital Turkish interests in G-7 countries, and particularly in the United States, has to be viewed for what it truly is - namely, a matter of national security for Turkey.

In light of these observations, and the fact that the constantly changing political cadres of Turkey hamper continuity in this as in many other policy areas, we decided to take the message to a larger audience - the Turkish public. We believe that Turkish-Americans and the Assembly are uniquely positioned to deliver such an important message to Turkey. As a non-profit organization, whose leadership and members are volunteers with no personal interest attached, and whose deeds are proof for its commitment to US-Turkish relations and Turkey, we feel that this is our privilege and responsibility. That is why ATAA decided to take Turkish-American delegations to Turkey. Participation in them was, of course, voluntary, and except for a proven interest in Turkish-American issues, there were no other limitations to join as a delegate. As part of this project three delegations have visited Turkey with a total number of 85 delegates. The Assembly organizes the program with the help of the Turkish and American Embassies and other organizations in Turkey, and delegates pay their own flight and accomodation expenses to participate.

Following the Turkish proverb, "Dost aci soyler" we decided to have these delegation visits go beyond mere courtesy calls, and deliver the ATAA message in an impartial, objective and honest manner to whoever was willing to listen.

And listen they did. The reception the last ATAA delegation received in Turkey was above and beyond our expectations. Surely, at this point we must acknowledge that the timing of the visit was opportune due to, unfortunately, the passing of the Armenian resolution in the French National Assembly. I would like to mention at this point that despite the heavy traffic to conclude an election protocol between the coalition partners on the very day we were scheduled to meet with them, we were granted generous time by PM Yilmaz, Mr.Deniz Baykal and Mr.Husamettin Cindoruk. Ministers of State Cavit Kavak and Hikmet Sami Turk even stepped out of a Council of Ministers emergency session to meet with our delegation. While for some Ministers our delegation had specific proposals, our general message to everyone we met, from President Suleyman Demirel to the director of a civil society organization, was the same: Please consider the promotion of Turkey and the lobbying of its interests as a matter of national security. The losses on the political and diplomatic battlefield, in today’s world, have direct consequences for every Turkish citizen. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every segment of the Turkish nation, the government, businessmen/women, civic activists, journalists, students etc. to do their share of work.

We found people we talked to, and particularly high level politicians and civil and military bureaucrats, very receptive to our message. As in previous years, we made a point to meet with political leaders representing a variety of political parties. In all these meetings we pressed the argument that policies regarding the international promotion of Turkey’s vital interests, should not become a matter of partisan politics. It was encouraging for us to observe that all the leaders we met agreed in private, and also publicly with this statement.

I would like to reiterate that Turkish-Americans have a unique challenge and opportunity in front of them. As Turkish-American citizens we have greater access to decision makers in both countries and have the right and strength to influence policy on US-Turkish relations. But this strength also endows us with a civic duty which no one but American citizens of Turkish descent can fulfill. While we must turn to Turks in Turkey and help them draw a more concise and accurate picture of how and why we, Turks, are perceived in a certain way in the US, and delineate the ramification of this perception on policies regarding Turkey and US-Turkish relations, we must also turn to ourselves and evaluate the scope of responsibilities that fall upon us in this respect.

During the reception that Ambassador Mark Parris hosted for our delegation in Ankara, Dr.Acikalin quipped that Turkey was waiting to receive American Patriots (missiles that is) -- and added: "Well, here we are!" We are truly Turkish-American patriots, and we are lucky that the interest between our ancestral homeland and our chosen one converge in so many vital areas. Contrary to some other ethnic groups in this country, we do not have the burden of split loyalties.

We all know that there are forces in this country, operating within the participatory American political system, whose main purpose is to derail the relationship between the US and Turkey. While we and all interested parties in Turkey should be well aware of the goals and actions of these circles, a struggle against them or the system they operate in would be misguided. As Turkish-Americans, our struggle should be to learn to play this game by its own rules, and our credo should be -- quoting JFK’s timeless motto -- to "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."