Ji Hyun Kim – Wisdom
Korean War Veteran Organization of Media Representative
Astoria – Queens – New York
Dear Wisdom,
Warm greetings to you.
For more than 25 years, you have honored our community through your heartfelt representation of the heroic Turkish Korean War Veterans. Many of us in the Turkish-American community know this well, including numerous Turkish military officers who have served in New York throughout the last quarter century. In fact, past Turkish Military Advisors still ask about your health and remember your dedication with great appreciation.
My dear friend, I write to you with a sincere and respectful request: that you kindly refrain from sending further correspondence to the current Consul General of Türkiye, Mr. M. Ahmet Yazal. Unlike his predecessors who valued your efforts, engaged with the community, and showed genuine respect Mr. Yazal has not demonstrated the qualities deserving of the honor you traditionally extend to the office of the Consul General 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.
Most painfully, Mr. Yazal refused to attend the funeral of the highest-ranking and most decorated Turkish Korean War Veteran in the United States, who passed away in January 2025. This veteran was not only honored by the United States military for his heroism, but was the most decorated Turkish veteran recognized in America for his service during the Korean War. For our community, his funeral was a moment of profound respect and national pride. For Mr. Yazal, it was a moment ignored. We view this as an insult not only to the memory of a heroic Turkish soldier, but to the dignity of the Turkish nation itself.
No Consul General in our community’s history has shown such disregard. For more than 40 years, we have not seen a Consul General perform so poorly in representing the Republic of Türkiye or in engaging the community that funds and supports the very institution he represents.
A Consul General’s role is not merely ceremonial. It is a position funded by taxpayers, meant to maintain relationships, foster diplomacy, support citizens of the sending state, and actively engage with community, civic organizations, veterans, religious leaders, city officials, diplomats, and Americans of goodwill. When this engagement breaks, the mission of the Consulate suffers and the image of Türkiye is damaged.
For these reasons, I am urging friends in our American community including diplomats, veterans’ organizations, civic leaders, and city officials to suspend engagement with Mr. Yazal. He has not earned the respect nor the honor you have so generously extended to previous Consul Generals who valued your contributions and the contributions of our veterans.
You have always stood with those who served this nation and the Republic of Türkiye. Your moral clarity has never gone unnoticed, and it continues to inspire those of us who believe that respect must be earned, not assumed.
With my highest regards and respect,
Ibrahim Kurtulus
Honorary South Korean Citizen
Honorary Korean War Veteran
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