Turkish Forum

Author: Ibrahim Kurtulus

  • Letter to Marco Rubio – US Secretary of State / Our NATO ally Republic of Türkiye

    Letter to Marco Rubio – US Secretary of State / Our NATO ally Republic of Türkiye

    The Honorable Marco Rubio -Secretary of State
    U.S. Department of State
    2201 C Street NW
    Washington, DC 20520
    United States

    September 29, 2025 

    Dear Secretary Rubio,

    Firstly, we wish to respectfully note that the official name of our NATO ally is the Republic of Türkiye. Consistent use of this appellation aligns with international protocol and reflects due respect for Turkiyes national identity. The primary challenge confronting U.S.-Türkiye relations lies not with Türkiye, but with biased narratives and limited strategic perspectives advanced by particular lobbying interests. Undermining Türkiye weakens NATO, damages U.S. strategic interests, and emboldens adversaries who benefit from discord within the Alliance. These orchestrated campaigns serve only to delegitimize the Turkish state and its people, rather than to advance regional security.

     Recent letters sent to your office urging opposition to Türkiye’s acquisition of F-16 fighter aircraft and the reconsideration of Türkiye’s rightful participation in the F-35 program are emblematic of this troubling pattern. The arguments therein are deeply flawed, selectively invoke U.S. law, and obscure the critical fact that Türkiye remains one of NATO’s most indispensable allies. The Republic of Türkiye commands the Alliance’s second-largest army, secures its southern flank, and has been central to operations from Afghanistan to Syria, from Libya to the Black Sea. Former U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack correctly described Türkiye as “our greatest ally in NATO,” and Counselor to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Morgan Ortagus underscored that “Türkiye is one of the most important countries in the region and indeed the world.” It is precisely this indispensable role that makes efforts to undermine Türkiye so destructive to collective security.

     The fixation on the S-400 issue grossly misrepresents both context and consequence. Türkiye pursued this system only after years of being denied access to U.S. and NATO alternatives, most notably the Patriot missile system. To penalize Türkiye while permitting NATO members such as Greece, Slovakia, Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria to operate Russian-made S-300s -S400 India, Belarus, Algeria without consequence exposes the hypocrisy of such objections. Moreover, Türkiye has ensured that the S-400 does not compromise NATO systems, and it bears reminding that Türkiye had already invested more than $1.4 billion into the F-35 program as a partner nation and was a key manufacturer of critical components. Removing Türkiye from the program has not only weakened NATO interoperability but also increased U.S. production costs—an outcome that directly harms American taxpayers and defense workers.

     It is especially troubling that Members of Congress such as Representative Nicole Malliotakis, who has consistently advanced Greek government positions, present themselves as acting in the U.S. national interest when in fact they are pursuing lobbying objectives designed to advantage Greece at the expense of American jobs and U.S. strategic posture. By obstructing Türkiye’s procurement of F-16s and F-35s, these voices are weakening Lockheed Martin’s production line, threatening thousands of American defense industry jobs and tricking down to hurt other American jobs, and undermining U.S. export competitiveness. Türkiye remains the single largest buyer of the F-16 globally. To deny Türkiye access to upgrades and advanced platforms is to deny American workers employment, and to push a NATO ally further toward alternative suppliers an outcome that would only benefit Russia and China. Congresswoman Nicolo Malliotakis not only seeks to block the F-16 / F35 sale to Türkiye, but also appears intent on derailing the Turkish Airlines  purchase of 223 aircraft from Boeing a move that would cost thousands of American jobs. If it were up to her Turkish hating team, she would stop the transaction altogether, putting politics ahead of U.S. workers and U.S economic interest

     Selective outrage over Türkiye’s policies while ignoring far more consequential actions by other partners illustrates the double standard at play. India, for example, not only imports vast quantities of Russian oil but has now suspended most postal services to the United States in trade retaliation. Effective August 25, 2025, India Post halted parcel deliveries to the U.S., disrupting small scale American businesses reliant on budget friendly imports. Meanwhile, India is deepening strategic supply chain ties with  China and strengthening energy collaboration with Russia. Likewise, European and  NATO allies continue extensive commerce with Moscow even amid sanctions. Yet Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis and others remain silent on these issues while reserving their sharpest criticisms exclusively to our NATO ally Türkiye. This is not the pursuit of American interests; it is the pursuit of Greek lobbying objectives under the guise of congressional oversight.

     Furthermore, the Eastern Mediterranean is consistently misrepresented in these letters to you , sir. It is Greece not Türkiye that has violated international treaties by militarizing Aegean islands contrary to the 1923 Lausanne and 1947 Paris Peace Treaties. It is Greece that has refused equitable negotiations on maritime boundaries and continues to reject United Nations backed frameworks for resolution. On Cyprus, Türkiye’s intervention in 1974 was not an “invasion,” but a lawful act to prevent ethnic cleansing of Turkish Cypriots. Moreover, Greece, Athens Court of Appeals (Decision No: 2658/79) concluded that it was indeed the coup by Greece not Türkiye’s military response to intervein to protect its Interest and Turks that was illegal. The international community has yet to hold Greek Cypriot authorities accountable for their rejection of the 2004 Annan Plan, which Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly supported. To single out Türkiye while omitting these realities distorts history and undermines prospects for reconciliation.

     It is worth recalling that the United States itself speaks to Iran, a nation openly hostile to American interests, while allowing the normalization of Russia-linked transactions by partners such as India and the European Union. As Steven Witkoff observed, it is contradictory to resist constructive engagement with Türkiye an ally that has provided Bayraktar drones to Ukraine, closed the Bosporus and Dardanelles to Russian warships, and brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative that prevented a global food crisis. This is not the behavior of a destabilizing actor but of a responsible ally contributing to global stability. 

     As for Israel, we once again witness a smear campaign suggesting that Türkiye seeks aggression, a falsehood actively promoted by Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. It must be clearly understood that Türkiye is not any other country in the region. Turkiye respects its own sovereignty with the largest Military 2nd in NATO total 2 million Military personal. Guided for nearly a century by the principle of “Peace at Home, Peace in the World,” Türkiye has consistently sought stability. Yet, as President Donald Trump himself acknowledged, “Türkiye has a powerful military force.” Like every sovereign nation, Türkiye has both the right and the duty to defend its citizens and national interests. Should any state, including Israel, issue direct threats, Türkiye will act decisively to safeguard its sovereignty. Malliotakis and her congressional allies are not advancing U.S. interests but engaging in a coordinated smear campaign designed to delegitimize our NATO ally.

     Mr. Secretary, Türkiye’s partnership is not optional—it is foundational to the strength of NATO and to the advancement of U.S. national interests. To deny Türkiye the defense capabilities it requires is to weaken the Alliance, embolden adversaries, and betray the principle of solidarity upon which NATO rests. Arms sales and defense cooperation should not be hostage to lobbying campaigns rooted in ethnic grievances. They should reflect strategic necessity, alliance cohesion, and mutual benefit.

     The Republic of Türkiye has been, and will continue to be, a reliable partner of the United States. We urge you to resist attempts by special interests to derail this partnership lead by Greek Agent Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, to proceed with the modernization of Türkiye’s F-16 fleet, and to reengage Türkiye in the F-35 program as a matter of strategic imperative to create more American jobs. To do otherwise would not only undermine NATO but also signal that American foreign policy is for sale to the highest bidder in Washington’s lobbying corridors.

    Respectfully,

    Ibrahim Kurtulus

    Community Activist

  • Constitution Day  September 17th  America

    Constitution Day  September 17th  America

    Constitution Day  September 17th  America: A Constitutional Republic Built on Democratic and Secular Foundations

    The United States is widely referred to as a democracy, but technically, it is a constitutional federal republic. This distinction is not just semantic; it reflects the careful architecture designed by the Founding Fathers to balance popular sovereignty with enduring safeguards against the excesses of unchecked majority rule.

    The Constitution itself never uses the word democracy. Instead, it guarantees a republican form of government. Article IV, Section 4 clearly states: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government…” In essence, the federal government must ensure that no state devolves into monarchy, dictatorship, or mob rule. Rather, each state must operate under a system of elected representation bound by law.

    Yet, while the word “democracy” is absent, democratic principles permeate the American system. Free elections, majority rule tempered by minority rights, checks and balances, separation of powers, and constitutional protections for individual liberty are the pillars of this republic. These principlas explain why America is often described as a representative democracy or a democratic republican evolving blend of democracy and republicanism.

    The Founders were deliberate in avoiding “pure democracy.” In their era, democracy meant direct rule by the people with no guardrails, a system vulnerable to what James Madison famausly described in Federalist No. 10 as the “tyranny of the majority.” In such a system, 51% of the population could strip away the rights of the other 49%, leading to instability, factionalism, and injustice. Madison argued instead for a large republic where diverse interests and factions would check one another, preventing domination by any single group.

    Thus, the American republic was designed with strong safeguards:

    • Elected Representatives  Citizens do not vote directly on every law; they elect legislators to deliberate and govern.
    • Checks and Balances  The Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches limit each other’s powers, ensuring no single branch can overreach.
    • Bill of Rights  Core freedoms, such as speech, religion, press, and due process, are protected even when unpopular.
    • Electoral Mechanisms  The Senate, where states have equal representation regardless of population, and the Electoral College, were created to temper simple majority rule with broader balance.

    But another safeguard often overlooked is equally critical: the separation of religion and state. The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a state religion while protecting the free exercise of faith. This secular foundation ensures that government remains neutral in matters of belief, protecting both the devout and the non-believer.

    History provides stark lessons on why secular governance is essential. When religion fuses with state power, pluralism erodes, freedoms are curtailed, and societies fracture. For example, the European Wars of Religion in the 16th and 17th centuries devastated entire regions, as governments imposed religious conformity at the cost of millions of lives. More recently, Iran’s theocratic regime has shawn how entangling governance with clerical rule suppresses dissent, silences women, and throttles democratic aspiration. In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s extremist interpretation of Islam has stripped citizens especially women and minorities of basic rights, parelyzing the country’s development.

    In contrast, secular states flourish. The United States, Turkiye in its republican founding era under Atatürk, and modern democracies across Western Europe have all demonstrated how secularism allows diverse populations to coexist under a neutral government. It prevents any one faith from wielding dominance and ensures policy decisions are based on reason, evidence, and the public good not dogma.

    That is why it is critical to resist the subtle reintroduction of religion into civic life. Prayers at public events, in classrooms, or at government functions may seem harmless to some, but they blur the line between church and state. Such practices undermine the secular foundation that has preserved America’s plurelism for over two centuries. Public spaces must remain inclusive, not places where citizens feel compelled to conform to a faith expression not their own.

    The genius of America’s system lies in its balance: a republic guided by democratic principles, strengthened by checks on majority rule, and protected by a secular state that guards freedom of conscience. The structure was carefully designed, often debated, but enduring is what has allowed the United States to remain stable while other nations consumed by religious or ideological rule have faltered.

    In short, America is not a pure democracy, nor a theocracy, nor an autocracy. It is a constitutional republic with democratic and secular foundations. Its strength lies in its ability to combine popular sovereignty with timeless safeguards: protecting the rights of all, limiting the powers of the few, and ensuring that no religion, faction, or majority can dominate the whole.

    Ibrahim Kurtulus 
    Community Activist 

  • Are You from Turkiye ? Do You Really Need an Immigration Lawyer in USA ?

    Are You from Turkiye ? Do You Really Need an Immigration Lawyer in USA ?

    Are You from Turkiye ? 

    Do You Really Need an Immigration Lawyer? The Answer May Surprise You.

    Every day, thousands of individuals attempt to cross into the United States through the southern border. Reports suggest that many pay an average of $10,000 to criminal smuggling networks on the Mexican side just to make the journey. Sadly, the financial burden does not end there. Once inside the country, many new arrivals are told they must spend an additional $10,000–$20,000 on immigration lawyers. But the real question is: Do you truly need an immigration lawyer to file your documents with the U.S. government?

    The simple answer is no.

    With today’s technology, anyone can access the official forms directly from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website here is the link https://www.uscis.gov/ . All forms from asylum applications (Form I-589) to visa extensions (Form I-539) and document for visa extension you need  are free to download. Filing fees may apply, but there is no cost for the forms themselves. Even more importantly, thanks to tools like Google Translate or you can contact Asil Cavlak at email  [email protected] for translation of any document for much less money , instructions can be translated into nearly any language, including Turkish, helping applicants understand what is required.

    Let’s take asylum as an example.

    • Lawyer not required: The law does not require you to have an attorney to file Form I-589 for asylum.
    • Forms are available for free: USCIS provides both the forms and step-by-step instructions on its official site.
    • Interpreter provided: If your case advances to an interview, Homeland Security provides an interpreter at no cost.

    The same applies for visa extensions, student visas, and other filings. Many individuals successfully complete these documents on their own. The government has designed the system so that people can access and file the necessary paperwork without legal representation.

    Of course, there are times when a lawyer is helpful—particularly in complex cases involving prior deportations, criminal records, or unusual legal circumstances. But for most straightforward filings, the process is simpler than many realize.

    It is time, especially for newcomers from our NATO ally, the Republic of Türkiye, to pause, take a deep breath, and realize: you can start this process yourself. Don’t be intimidated by those who insist you must pay thousands of dollars to an attorney whose main task is filling out the same USCIS forms you can access online.

    Knowledge is empowerment. The forms are free, the instructions are clear, and interpreters are available when needed. Korkma /  don’t be afraid. Begin the process yourself, save thousands of dollars, and take control of your own future.

    Ibrahim Kurtulus
    Community Activist 

  • Letter to Turkish Foreign MinisterH.E. Hakan Fidan

    Letter to Turkish Foreign MinisterH.E. Hakan Fidan

    To: H.E. Hakan Fidan
    Minister of Foreign Affairs
    Republic of Türkiye
    T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı
    Dr. Sadık Ahmet Cad. No: 8
    06100 Balgat/Ankara, Türkiye

    September 4th 2025 

    Your Excellency,

    I write with once again with deep concern and disappointment regarding the continued conduct of Consul General Ahmet Yazal, whose absence at the funeral of Musa Çetin has once again caused great pain within the Turkish American community. At a moment when our community has been grieving since Saturday night, his presence and solidarity were expected and greatly needed. Yet, Mr. Yazal was nowhere to be found.

    What I have come to learn is even more troubling: he not only failed to attend the funeral but also reportedly canceled a scheduled meeting with a New Jersey mayor for the third or fourth time. Even more distressing is the information conveyed to me that Mr. Yazal chose instead to watch a soccer game, rather than stand with the community during a time of mourning. If this is accurate, it is deeply shameful and raises the question of how Ankara can allow such disregard for our community to continue without consequence.

    Sadly, this is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern. Mr. Yazal has consistently demonstrated a lack of communication, failing to return calls or emails. This reputation is not confined to the Turkish American community; officials from the NYPD and other diplomats in New York have personally expressed disbelief that such an important post could be entrusted to someone so unresponsive and ineffective in building relationships.

    Adding further insult, one individual at the funeral shared with me that Mr. Yazal claimed he was “unaware” of the funeral — an assertion that is impossible to accept. The death of Musa Çetin was covered not only by the New York Times but also by every Turkish American media outlet, with details of the funeral’s time and location widely circulated, including to law enforcement officials. For the Consul General to suggest ignorance of such a significant event is nothing short of an abdication of responsibility.

    It is profoundly disheartening that Mr. Yazal occupies an office with a salary of $12,000 a month, funded for the purpose of serving the Turkish American community in the New York Tri-State area, yet he repeatedly fails to fulfill even the most basic expectations of his role. His position exists because of the presence, contributions, and needs of our community — a reality he appears to neither respect nor understand.

    The question must be asked: how can Ankara allow such an important post, one meant to embody the dignity and representation of the Republic of Türkiye, to be entrusted to someone whose actions reflect such irresponsibility and disengagement? 

    As President Erdoğan himself often emphasizes, representation abroad is not a ceremonial role but a sacred duty to serve the nation and its citizens. In Mr. Yazal, unfortunately, we see the opposite.

    With regret, but also with hope that this matter will be taken seriously,

    Ibrahim Kurtulus

    Community Activist 
    New York, Staten Island
    6462677488

  • Netanyahu’s recent remarks on the so-called “Armenian genocide” Look in the mirror

    Netanyahu’s recent remarks on the so-called “Armenian genocide” Look in the mirror

    Netanyahu’s recent remarks on the so-called “Armenian genocide”  Look in the mirror 

    Dear Screener: The letter is intended for the editors and key staff members; please forward copies of this message to especially the following personnel:


    1) David Horovitz, Founding Editor
    2) Joshua Davidovich, Deputy Editor
    3) Elie Leshem, Deputy Editor
    4) Gavin Rabinowitz, News Editor
    5) Lazar Berman,  Diplomatic Reporter
    6) Nava Freiberg, Deputy Diplomatic Correspondent.
    7) Sam Sokol, Political Correspondent

    David Horovitz
    cc: Lazar Berman, Nava Freiberg
    The Times of Israel
    September 5, 2025

    Dear Mr. Horovitz and Select Times of Israel Staff Members,

    It was noticed from your “About” page that perhaps a third of the staff originated from, or has had ties with, the United States. A special hello to those of you who are our fellow Americans.

    That same page claimed your publication “seeks to present the news fair-mindedly.” Here is a profound test of whether that is only talk, or if the ones who are reading sincerely care about walking this walk.

    On Aug. 27, both Lazar Berman and Nava Freiberg tackled the news about your leader recognizing the “Armenian genocide.” That phrase was not placed between quotation marks, with both writers making it seem as though this claim was an established fact. Neither they nor their supervising editors had any care as far as whether there was evidence. (It is immoral to make a criminal charge without evidence; anyone at the receiving end knows such charges lead to hatred.)

    In the text of their articles, both authors instructed readers there was no doubt that the Ottomans engaged in a deliberate plan to systematically murder all Armenians. Mr. Berman included “Assyrians and Greeks” as additional victims, because in his and his editors’ prejudiced minds, these are Turks, and Turks love to kill (especially when there is no reason). Never mind historical facts such as how Britain, France, Russia and later Italy had a secret early 1915 treaty to wipe the Ottoman nation off the face of the earth, dividing its territorial riches between themselves. Never mind the bankrupt “Sick Man” barely having the manpower to stave off three superpowers invading on all fronts, let alone to go off and kill  for no reason other than for the love of killing  valuable men needed for the war effort, poor, innocent Christians (most of whom traitorously rebelled, and were fighting on the side of the Allies; the only minority that did not rebel was the Jews).

    At least Ms. Freberg made some attempt to present the so-called “evidence”: “…Nations including France, Germany, Canada, Russia, and the United States have recognized…”—as if the unqualified politicians of these nations had actually taken the time to conduct an honest investigation. For centuries, the “Terrible Turks” have been cast as the stock villains of the West.

    Americans may recall that when the United States finally recognized this hatred-inducing claim in late 2019, it was not out of historical conviction but rather as retribution—directed against Türkiye’s moves in Syria, against Israeli actions in Gaza/Palestine, and based on the perceived notion of an alleged “genocide” against the Kurds.

    Netanyahu’s recent remarks on the so-called “Armenian genocide” come at a time when Israel itself is being accused by international and Israeli diplomats, former prime ministers, Israeli human rights organizations, and scholars of committing genocide against the Palestinians.

    Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated: “What Israel is doing in Gaza is nothing short of extermination, criminal killing of civilians, and an explicit government policy.” He further admitted: “We are committing war crimes.” This context makes it clear why Netanyahu chose to invoke the “Armenian genocide”: not out of sincerity, but as a retaliatory response to Türkiye’s accusations against Israel regarding Gaza. Revenge and get back time.

    Many Jews are Holocaust-fixated, automatically accepting the Armenian claim as the “number two” case, because that is what the corrupt genocide industry, driven by politics and money (certainly not scholarship), has simply “told” them (while ignoring countless cases of inhumanities throughout history; it’s always about the two big cases, and the “by the way” ones, Rwanda, Cambodia and Darfur  none of which adheres to the 1948 Genocide Convention’s rules or any one taking the case to the Human rights court or any court of law).

    There seems to be not one among you seeking “to present the news fair-mindedly” who cares about facts, maybe in this case because emotions have clouded your minds. You could pick up The Armenian File by Kamuran Gurun, around since 1985, which makes its case through Turk-despising Western/Armenian sources, as well as the Ottoman archives. The archives, prepared for internal usage (as with any nation’s archives) and not for P.R. purposes, have counted over half-a-million “Turks” systematically exterminated by “innocent” Armenians, from 1914 until the early 1920s. The Armenians also mass-murdered an equal number of Turkic Azerbaijanis. The racist genocide industry never speaks of these cases, obviously considering some humans as more valuable, and less valuable, than other humans. Check out as well Prof. Justin McCarthy’s Death and Exile, around since 1995 (so ignorance cannot be an excuse); Orthodox Christians killed over five million, expunging another five million, in the century ending on 1922. (A toll comparable to the Holocaust, only everybody knows about the Holocaust, and no one knows or cares to know about the extermination of “Turks.”) When Greece invaded in 1919, they mass-murdered over 600,000 in what WWI British propagandist Arnold Toynbee called “A War for Extermination” in The Western Question in Greece and Turkey (1922).

    None of you seem to care that from 1324 until the end of WWII (that’s when the USA took over), the Turkish nation, both Ottoman and Republic, especially during periods when Jews were being hunted down like dogs in many European nations, arguably served as history’s greatest rescuers and protectors of Jews (regarding the Holocaust, often at the risk of their own lives, Turks saved one hundred times more Jews than the 1,200 admirably saved by Oskar Schindler.)

    Here’s the kicker for many of you: when Armenians went about their mad plan to kill non-Armenians (to transform eastern Turkey into “Greater Armenia”), Jews were targeted. The crimes committed by Armenians served as the first systematic extermination against Jews, before the Nazis (whom Armenians happily joined in the 1930s, and during WWII).

    There is no evidence for an “Armenian genocide.” While corrupt “genocide scholars” have made excuses in regard to the following fact, Great Britain (the chief nation hoping to send Turks back to the hell from whence they came, “bag and baggage,” and thus the Turks’ worst enemy) looked under every rock (including the U.S. archives) for almost three years, in preparation for the aborted Malta Tribunal, and they finally had to release their prisoners, given findings as with a July 21, 1921 telegram sent from Washington’s British embassy to Lord Curzon: “I regret to inform your Lordship that there was nothing therein which could be used as evidence against the Turks who are being detained for trial in Malta.”  (British archives, F. O. 371/ 6504/E.8515.) The British even set an Armenian team to scour the Ottoman archives.

    Not only is there no evidence, the factual evidence makes the possibility of an “Armenian genocide” to be null and void. 1,673 of those who had hurt Armenians were taken to trial by the Ottomans in 1915-1916, with ten percent of decided cases punished via execution — the Americans among you may be aware our nation’s Lt. Calley received three days’ imprisonment for My Lai — and many of the rest sentenced to hard labor in shackles, which in itself would make the idea of “genocide” to be inconceivable. (To state the obvious, genocide perpetrators cannot punish their killers.) Even The New York Times lent evidence to this paradox in 1915, although the writer felt the need to describe one of the three Young Turk leaders as a “rebel,” to lessen the risk of invalidating the rest of The Times’ conflicting hate propaganda.

    A 2020 letter from us to the Associated Press, which had at the time made use of one of your biased articles to support their notion of this baseless charge, contained the following: “The Biden letter allowed us to learn the way The Times of Israel has handled itself over the years, a publication which has been particularly zealous in their utilization of hateful ‘Armenian genocide’ propaganda (their page on the subject includes nearly one hundred articles; meanwhile, as just one example, we could not find one syllable written by this ‘race-valuing’ publication on the rare ‘genocide’ that was virtually 100% successful, the elimination of Tasmanians by British-ruled Australians).”

    It’s not as though some of you haven’t heard from us in the past, either. We all make mistakes, certainly, but when the mistake is pointed out and supported by irrefutable facts, what does an honorable person do? A person of honor corrects the record, without delay. Especially if the person is a newsperson, supposedly devoted to nothing but the facts. Yet you have continued to present this vile claim that perpetuates the worst stereotype of them all, the idea of which is to create and foster hatred against Turks and those of Turkish heritage. (What’s the primary negative stereotype against Jews? It’s love of money. That is almost quaint, isn’t it, compared to the love of killing.)

    Beyond the fact that you make for unprofessional news people, it’s also open to question whether any of you are good Jews. Are you aware of the beautiful concept behind Tikkun Olam? When you reinforce this repulsive and evidenceless charge, you express only contempt for repairing the world; instead, you are gleefully choosing to engage in destruction. It’s time for all of you to look in the mirror, in order to conduct some very serious soul-searching. It says a lot about every one of you when you are not bothered by the exceptional evil your publication has been perpetrating — and for so many years — and your consciences permit you to not write the truth about this subject, as if doing so would be sacrilege.

    Sincerely,

    Ibrahim Kurtulus
    Community Activist

  • Death in Turkish Community

    Death in Turkish Community

    Death in Turkish Community – New York Consul General Missing in Action (Nerde New York Baskonsolosu Ahmet Yazal ?)

    To: H.E. Hakan Fidan
    Minister of Foreign Affairs
    Republic of Türkiye
    T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı
    Dr. Sadık Ahmet Cad. No: 8
    06100 Balgat/Ankara, Türkiye

    Your Excellency, 

    It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the tragic passing of Musa Çetin, 29, a young Turkish citizen who died while in police custody in New York City. His sudden and heartbreaking death has shaken the Turkish American community to its core. In moments like these, the community naturally turns to its diplomatic representatives for guidance, leadership, and support. Yet the question echoing in every corner of our community is:

    Where is our Consul General, Ahmet Yazal?

    The silence and absence of the Consul General during such a devastating event is both alarming and unacceptable. Since his appointment last August, Mr. Yazal has consistently failed to engage with the Turkish American community. He has been unreachable by phone, does not return digital messages, and ignores emails. In over 35 years, our community has not witnessed such a disengaged and unresponsive Consul General. This is not a matter of mere inconvenience; it is a matter of trust, responsibility, and duty. At a time when the Turkish community in New York is grieving, reporters, community leaders, and ordinary citizens are all asking the same question: why has the Consul General abandoned his post in the face of tragedy? His absence is more glaring now than ever. In failing to show up for Musa Çetin’s family and for the wider Turkish community, Mr. Yazal has failed in the most fundamental duty of his office.

    This is not simply about one tragic death it is about a dangerous pattern of neglect. For more than a year, the Consul General has shown no meaningful presence in the community, no proactive leadership, and no willingness to respond even to the most urgent matters. In a city where Turkish Americans contribute so much to civic life, such indifference is unacceptable.

    Your Excellency, Ankara must hear the voices of Turkish Americans. The credibility of Türkiye abroad, especially in New York City the world’s crossroads cannot be represented by a Consul General who is invisible in times of crisis. We are compelled to state plainly: this has been the most disappointing tenure of any New York Consul General in over three decades.

    We urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take immediate action: recall Consul General Ahmet Yazal and appoint a representative who will uphold the responsibilities of the office one who will stand with the community, especially in times of grief, hardship, and crisis. The Turkish American community deserves a leader who will answer calls, respond to messages, and above all, honor their duty to protect and support Turkish citizens abroad.

    The tragic death of Musa Çetin demands not only an investigation in New York but also accountability within our own institutions. Silence is not diplomacy. Absence is not leadership. Ankara must act now.

    Respectfully,

    Ibrahim Kurtulus

    Community Activist