“New York’ta Turk Birliginin Mimari Buyukelci Baskonsolos Sayin Yazal’in iz birakan donemi”
A gentleman I meet several years ago wrote ethe above comments on Social Media . In English translated to the following: The statement claiming that “the era in which the Turkish Union was established in New York under the leadership of Ambassador and Consul General Mr. Ahmet Yazal left a lasting mark” I write Respectfully, reflects, at best, a limited and ahistorical perspective, and at worst, a profound misunderstanding of what genuine leadership and community legacy truly mean within the Turkish American experience in New York.
With respect, anyone making such an assertion appears not to have lived through nor personally experienced the distinguished tenures of former Turkish Consuls General who served this community with exceptional dedication, humility, and human connection. Figures such as Volkan Bozkır, Yusuf Buluc, Fuat Tanlay, Mehmet Nuri Ezen, Ömer Önhon, Mehmet Samsar, Mustafa Levent Bilgen, Ertan Yalçın, Alper Aktaş, and Reyhan Özgür did not merely occupy an office. They embodied it. Their service left indelible marks not because of ceremony or rhetoric, but because they became an integral part of the community’s daily life.
These Consuls General practiced a true open door policy long before the phrase became fashionable. They knew community members by their first names. They sat at kitchen tables, visited living rooms, attended funerals and weddings, met children, listened to elders, and stood shoulder to shoulder with people during moments of pride and moments of grief. They walked into Turkish cafés, storefronts, NGOs, and grassroots organizations not for photographs, but for conversation, trust, and solidarity. When they entered a room, the community naturally gathered around them, not out of obligation, but out of affection and respect earned over time.
By contrast, the claim that Mr. Yazal has left a comparable “iz” (footprint) does not withstand scrutiny when measured against concrete actions and omissions. The record to date shows repeated absences at moments when presence mattered the most:
the funeral of a Turkish–Korean War veteran, a hero who served both Türkiye and the United States;
the funeral of Ata Erim’s wife, honoring a man who devoted over half a century to the Turkish American community;
the 25th Annual Turkish Flag Raising on Wall Street for Cumhuriyet Bayramı, an unprecedented absence by a Consul General Yazal , despite participation by senior New York City officials; and neglecting to honor our Seyhitler (Police or Military Personal Who died in the line of duty,
and most tellingly a resent NYPD event in Brooklyn, a growing disconnect from the grassroots, evidenced by community gatherings where the overwhelming majority neither recognized nor had any meaningful interaction with Mr. Yazal.
Leadership is not defined by titles sir, social media praise, or carefully worded tributes. Nor is a “legacy” established through proximity to power or ceremonial appearances. A true footprint is measured by presence, empathy, continuity, and trust qualities that cannot be manufactured or retroactively declared.
It is also important to acknowledge an uncomfortable reality: many within the community share these concerns quietly. A silent majority refrains from speaking openly, not out of agreement, but out of fear, the fear of exclusion from receptions, invitations, or access. Silence, however, should never be mistaken for consent.
If one wishes to understand what a genuine and enduring “iz” looks like, one need only reflect on figures such as Ambassador Şükrü Elekdağ, eloquently remembered in a recent piece in TurkNetwork by Oya Bain a statesman whose legacy lives not in official statements, but in the hearts and conscience of the people he served. We the people.
Respectfully, before elevating present performance to historic status, one must look honestly at the past. When that comparison is made with integrity, the difference between symbolic presence and substantive leadership becomes unmistakably clear.
Ibrahim Kurtulus
Community Activist
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