IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 626 

Commending Turkish Americans nationwide for their rich contributions to 

the diversity of society, culture, economy, and civic life in the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 16, 2017 

Mr. BROWN of Maryland submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Commending Turkish Americans nationwide for their rich 

contributions to the diversity of society, culture, economy, 

and civic life in the United States. 

Whereas, on October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was 

established; 

Whereas the visionary leader of modern Turkey, Mustafa 

Kemal Ataturk, became the Turkish Republic’s first 

President; 

Whereas, on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne determined the borders of the Turkish Republic; 

Whereas more than 500,000 Americans of Turkish and 

Turkic heritage, who immigrated to the United States as 

scientists, engineers and physicians since 1950, and small 


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•HRES 626 IH 

business owners and skilled labor since 1980, reside in 

the United States; 

Whereas to represent themselves nationally, Turkish Americans have formed civic institutions to promote their history and culture; 

Whereas to share the Turkish tradition of generosity and 

hospitality and to contribute richly to American cultural 

diversity, education, and integration, Turkish Americans 

have hosted American school teachers on visits to Turkey, annual festivals, and educational and cultural speaker events across the country; 

Whereas Turkish Americans are an important part of the 

fabric of the United States, as evidenced by their rich 

contributions to the arts, science, academics, law, business and the civic life of this country, including the cofounder of Atlantic Records and the New York Cosmos 

soccer team, Ahmet Ertegun, whose ‘‘jazz diplomacy’’ 

and ‘‘sports diplomacy’’ helped Americans embrace diversity; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CocaCola Company Muhtar Kent; Nobel Prize Winner Dr. 

Aziz Sancar; co-founders of Sierra Nevada Corporation 

and producer of the Dream Chaser Spacecraft, Eren and 

Fatih Ozmen; founder of Hittite Microwave Corporation 

Yalcin Ayasli; Associate Group Leader of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory Dr. 

Serpil Ayasli; television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz; 

President and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Construction and Keystone Realty Group and founder of the 

Indy 11 Indianapolis Soccer Team Ersal Ozdemir; music 

producer Arif Mardin; Federal Judge Halil Suleyman 

Ozerden; State Judges Jay Karahan and Ali Paksoy; 

founder and Chief Executive Officer of Natural Foods 


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•HRES 626 IH 

Source Murat Guzel; founder and Chief Executive Officer 

of Chobani Yogurt Hamdi Ulukaya; former National 

Football League player Tunch Ilkin and National Basketball Association players Omer Asik, Mehmet Okur, Ersan 

Ilyasova, Hidayet Turkoglu, and Enes Kanter; and many 

others; and 

Whereas Turkish Americans serve as goodwill ambassadors 

promoting greater understanding between the United 

States and Turkey by informing the people in the United 

States about their rich Turkish cultural heritage and the 

importance of the strategic partnership to advance mutual interests and shared values between the United 

States and Turkey: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives com2 mends Turkish Americans nationwide for their rich con3 tributions to the diversity of society, culture, economy, and 

4 civic life in the United States. 

Æ 


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