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Below message has been announced as a public service for ATAA. Ataturk.com is not affiliated with ATAA other then sharing similar ideas and goals.
Dear Friends, Assembly of Turkish American Organizations (ATAA) has entered its 30th year. ATAA was founded in 1979 for the purpose of presenting a more balanced view of Turkey and the Turkish people, and thereby enhancing understanding between the Turks and the Americans.
During these 30 years, ATAA has developed to be the largest and most recognized Turkish-American umbrella organization in the United States (U.S.), encompassing many regional organizations in the U.S., Canada and Turkey. In 2009 ATAA is planning to celebrate its 30th birthday with a strong display of unity and join forces with major Turkish American Organizations at its annual Leadership Conference at the beginning of June 2009. Watch for announcements about the details.
In March and April 2009, ATAA is conducting its regular elections to replace half of its Board of Directors and all of its of Board of Trustees. The large number of young Turkish Americans interested in joining our boards or volunteering for our programs gives us confidence in our future. The challenges to the Turkish American Community are more dangerous than ever: The pending Armenian resolution, the baseless claims of the Greek community regarding Cyprus and the Aegean, ever present PKK threats and the defense of Turkmen rights. We relentlessly and diligently continue our efforts to educate the US Congress, the State Department, the White House, the American media and public in matters of importance to Turkish American relations. We also continue with our efforts to develop an informed and effective Turkish American citizenry. ATAA's mission is to represent the Turkish Community in the U.S. in the best way possible, to empower the Turkish Americans to be active and assertive in the political and civic arenas, to educate the American political establishment, media and the public on issues important to Turks, and cultivate the Turkish American relations. In pursuit of these goals, last year alone we have performed many activities and completed many projects. You have been informed about these activities and projects by the ATAA Grassroots Information Service (GIS) broadcasts and our Activities Report. Each activity and project require a large amount of human and financial resources. ATAA has a 15 member volunteer board, many volunteer committee members and project leaders. In addition to our large volunteer pool, ATAA's work is advanced by a small number of dedicated, hard working professional team. Please visit the ATAA website at www.ataa.org for detailed information. WE STARTED 2009 WITH MANY CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US. WE NEED YOUR ONGOING HELP MORE THAN EVER AND WE ASK YOU TO SUPPORT ATAA BY BECOMING A MEMBER IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY ONE. WE ARE ALSO APPEALING FOR A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION WHICH WILL HELP ATAA TO SUSTAIN ITS CURRENT ACTIVITIES. Needless to say, it is the financial support that we receive from our community that is the backbone of our organization. As long as this support is continuous we can achieve our objectives and work for the Turkish American community in the U.S. Your contribution is tax-exempt under the full extent of the law allowed under Internal Revenue Code 501(c) (3). Becoming a member and making an additional contribution are easy: You may send the Membership Application to us by e-mail, regular mail, or fax. You may also become a member online at www.ataa.org. On behalf of ATAA, I thank you for your confidence in what we do, and look forward to another successful year with your ongoing support. Sincerely,
Nurten Ural, President
Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) |
