Turkish Forum

Tag: Sedat Onal

  • Letter to Ambassador Sedat Onal / CC: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

    Letter to Ambassador Sedat Onal / CC: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

    Your Excellency Ambassador Sedat Onal
    Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye
    2525 Massachusetts Ave NW
    Washington, D.C. 20008

    October 31 2025

    Your Excellency,

    I write to you with profound disappointment and deep respect for the office you represent. For twenty-five years the Bowling Green Association  joined by New York City’s Mayor’s Office (represented at the highest levels), fellow Americans, professors, civic flag groups, many Turkish Americans, children who took time away from school, and visitors standing near the Charging Bull  has observed our annual Turkish Flag raising on Wall Street. This year also marked the fifty-seventh raising of the Turkish flag in the heart of the financial capital of the world. It was an occasion of shared civic pride and solemn remembrance: students, including Ms. Lara Çelik, a medical student at Harvard on full scholarship who travelled from Boston, came to honor those who sacrificed for our Republic and to celebrate the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

     This ceremony is not about any individual or a single organization. It is about the Republic of Türkiye, our history, and the collective respect we pay to those who gave their lives for our nation. It is in that spirit and with that gravity that I must register my astonishment and sorrow that, for the first time in a quarter century, the seated Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in New York did not attend this important commemoration. While Deputy Consul General Kemal Yüksektep attended and we appreciate his presence, his attendance cannot and should not be regarded as an adequate substitute for the Consul General’s absence on such a significant day.

     The absence of the Consul General  coming after a pattern of decreasing engagement reported privately by numerous community leaders and even by several foreign consuls in New York  has been interpreted by many in our community as a disengagement from the grassroots and from the very people the Consulate is entrusted to serve. I have heard, firsthand and from multiple respected quarters including community activists, clergy, educators, and members of the New York Police Department who work alongside us at civic events  a consistent note of concern about the tone and substance of the Consulate’s outreach since his appointment. These are not idle complaints; they are the considered observations of people who care deeply about Türkiye and its standing here. Ambassador Onal, the office of the Consul General carries institutional responsibilities that go beyond personal preference.

    The Consul General is the public face of Türkiye in one of the world’s most visible cities: to lead ceremonial observances, to sustain relationships with municipal partners, to support educational and cultural exchanges, and to foster the mutual respect that strengthens Türkiye’s soft power. When the senior representative of the Consulate is absent from an event of such symbolic and civic importance, it sends a message  intended or not that the ties between the Republic and its diaspora community are less than a priority. For many of us who have labored for decades to build bridges between our communities and Türkiye, that message is deeply hurtful.

     Let me be clear: my criticism is not personal; it is principled. I owe nothing to any political faction in Turkiye , and my sole obligation is to defending Turkiye as I have for 40 years and to the honor our Sehitler . We were honored to receive Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız at the ceremony just an outstanding person like you , and his attendance was warmly received; that very reception underlines how critical visible, respectful engagement is to our shared diplomatic and civic life here.

     Your Excellency, Türkiye’s presence in New York is measured not only by the activities that appear in official schedules, but by the relationships cultivated in parks, schools, houses of worship, and community halls. Where My Yazal is missing , but just collecting his $14,000 and seating in his office. I believe Türkiye deserves, and the community expects, steadfast, humble, and consistent representation. I hope you will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and help restore the confidence of those who felt overlooked on this most solemn of days.

     Thank you for your attention to this matter. I remain available to meet at your convenience and to work with the Embassy and Consulate to rebuild trust and to ensure that future commemorations reflect the dignity and unity our Republic merits.

    Respectfully,

    Ibrahim Kurtulus
    Community Activist

    CC:  Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
    Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz.

  • Letter to Turkish Ambassador Sedat Onal

    Letter to Turkish Ambassador Sedat Onal

    His Excellency Sedat Onal
    Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the United States
    Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye
    Washington, D.C.

    April 16, 2025 

    Your Excellency,

    I extend to you my sincere congratulations and deepest appreciation for your principled decision to cancel your appearance at the Assembly of Turkish American Association, ATAA annual meeting. Your refusal to lend legitimacy to an organization that has, under the guise of advocacy, recently served to organize and promote anti-Türkiye sentiment is both commendable and timely. At a moment when truth is so often distorted by misinformation and orchestrated campaigns, it is heartening to witness that ethics, loyalty, and integrity continue to serve as the guiding pillars of Türkiye’s diplomatic posture.

    Your decision resonates powerfully, much like TRT1’s recent action to exclude actress Aybüke Pusat from the Teşkilat series following her public boycott post. While personal opinions and artistic expression must always be respected in a democracy, leveraging one’s public platform to support campaigns that target the Republic of Türkiye its institutions, services, or image abroad is both irresponsible and divisive. Such actions do not reflect constructive criticism but rather serve to undermine national unity and international credibility.

    As  a Turkish Americans and many I know of friends of Türkiye, we recognize the necessity of respectful dialogue and even constructive disagreement. I have personally expressed policy differences with  Ambassador / Consul General Ahmet Yazal in a direct and professional manner, upholding mutual respect. However, I categorically reject the idea of undermining Türkiye’s diplomatic presence through street protests in New York or elsewhere in America—protests that often aim to mislead or confuse our fellow Americans, many of whom may lack even a basic understanding of Türkiye’s history, geography, or governance.

    It is equally troubling that political activism here in America has become a platform for divisive, threatening, and polarizing discourse that disregards democratic processes and the rule of law. When political rhetoric seeks not engagement but humiliation—particularly towards our  NATO ally and sovereign state, it becomes a weapon in the larger campaign to delegitimize Türkiye’s standing on the international stage.

    Even more disturbing is the fact that threats to the Republic of Türkiye’s economic stability and statements aimed at damaging civilian and investor confidence are being disseminated abroad, especially in the United States, by certain circles within the grassroots community. This goes beyond political rivalry—it is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the national interests of the Republic of Türkiye. I have been a community activist for over 35 years, steadfastly advocating for Türkiye’s rightful place in the global community especially here in America . I have spoken out on matters ranging from World War I distortions to Cold War alliances and modern national security and national Interest of mothers homeland of Turkiye. Yet, I have never seen 55% of these individuals at our community meetings, never heard their voices raised in defense of Türkiye’s interests. However, when it comes to defaming Türkiye, they are suddenly at the front of the line without even needing an invitation.

    This issue has become yet another tool in an international campaign to delegitimize the Turkish state. The groups in America who hold Turkish or dual citizenship and engage in these activities are not seeking accommodation, democratic normalization, or unity in grassroots politics. Their intent is clear: to humiliate the Republic of Türkiye on American soil, to sap its international reputation, and to harm it politically and economically.

    Therefore, Your Excellency, I once again commend your ethically sound and strategically wise decision. It sends a message that should resonate across all of our diplomatic and community institutions that the Republic of Türkiye will not stand idly by while its values, people, and sovereignty are maligned. I respectfully urge the Turkish Consulate General in New York and all those in positions of public representation to adopt the same principled stance. Individuals and organizations subcontracted to serve Türkiye’s interests whether as providing a service , event organizers, or consultants must be held to a standard that reflects loyalty and ethical responsibility. I firmly believe just as you demonstrated, Mr. Ambassador that it is higher principles such as national dignity, truth, and moral clarity that must ultimately guide our choices.

    Thank you, Your Excellency, for your service and for setting a powerful example in these difficult times.

    Respectfully,

    Ibrahim Kurtulus 
    Community Activist