Turkish Forum

Tag: Musa Çetin

  • 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

  • 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