" ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 113TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

113–176 

House Calendar No. 48 

IN THE MATTER OF ALLEGATIONS RELATING TO STAFF TRAVEL PROVIDED BY THE 

TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA IN AUGUST 2008 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON ETHICS 

JULY 26, 2013.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 

printed 


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IN THE MATTER OF ALLEGATIONS RELATING TO STAFF TRAVEL PROVIDED BY THE 

TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA IN AUGUST 2008 


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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

82–207 

" ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 113TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2013

113–176 

House Calendar No. 48 

IN THE MATTER OF ALLEGATIONS RELATING TO STAFF TRAVEL PROVIDED BY THE 

TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA IN AUGUST 2008 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON ETHICS 

JULY 26, 2013.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 

printed 


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(II) 

COMMITTEE ON ETHICS 

K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas 

Chairman 

CHARLES W. DENT, Pennsylvania 

PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania 

TREY GOWDY, South Carolina 

SUSAN W. BROOKS, Indiana 

LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ, California 

Ranking Member 

PEDRO R. PIERLUISI, Puerto Rico 

MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts 

YVETTE D. CLARKE, New York 

TED DEUTCH, Florida 

REPORT STAFF

DANIEL A. SCHWAGER, Chief Counsel/Staff Director 

THOMAS A. RUST, Acting Director of Investigations 

JACKIE M. BARBER, Counsel to Chairman 

DANIEL J. TAYLOR, Counsel to the Ranking Member 

CLIFFORD C. STODDARD, JR., Senior Counsel 

BRITTANY M. BOHREN, Investigative Clerk 


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(III)

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON ETHICS, 

Washington, DC, July 26, 2013. 

Hon. KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk, House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MS. HAAS: Pursuant to clauses 3(a)(2) and 3(b) of rule XI 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, we herewith transmit 

the attached report, ‘‘In the Matter of Allegations Relating to Staff 

Travel Provided by the Turkish Coalition of America in August 

2008.’’ 

Sincerely, 

K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, 

Chairman. 

LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ, 

Ranking Member. 


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(V) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

I. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 

II. House Rules, Laws, Regulations, or Other Standards of Conduct ............... 2 

III. Background ....................................................................................................... 2 

IV. Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 6 

V. Statement Under Rule XIII, Clause 3(c) of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives ............................................................................................. 7 

Appendix A: Report and Findings of the Office of Congressional Ethics (Review No. 13–5845) ................................................................................................ 8 

Appendix B: Report and Findings of the Office of Congressional Ethics (Review No. 13–6123) ................................................................................................ 175 

Appendix C: Subject Response to the Report and Findings of the Office 

of Congressional Ethics (Review No. 13–6123) .................................................. 340 


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113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 113–176 

IN THE MATTER OF ALLEGATIONS RELATING TO STAFF 

TRAVEL PROVIDED BY THE TURKISH COALITION OF 

AMERICA IN AUGUST 2008 

JULY 26, 2013.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. CONAWAY, from the Committee on Ethics, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

I. INTRODUCTION 

Beginning in the last Congress, the Committee on Ethics (Committee) undertook a review of a multi-day, privately-sponsored trip 

to Turkey in August 2008 that was paid for, in part, by the Turkish 

Coalition of America (TCA). Five House employees sought and received Committee approval to participate in the trip. However, the 

Committee later learned that at the time of the travel, TCA employed or retained a federally-registered lobbyist, making it ineligible to sponsor a multi-day trip under the House’s privately-sponsored travel rules. 

The Committee’s review found that the employees who traveled 

acted in good faith, relied on the Committee’s review and approval 

of the trip, and had no knowledge that TCA employed or retained 

a lobbyist. The Committee determined that no investigation or further action was necessary. After concluding its review, the Committee received three referrals from the Office of Congressional 

Ethics (OCE) regarding the same matter on June 13, 2013. In its 

referrals, OCE also determined that the employees acted in good 

faith, were not aware that TCA employed a lobbyist, and thus did 

not knowingly accept an impermissible gift. 

Accordingly, after careful consideration, the Committee has 

unanimously voted to dismiss the matters referred by OCE, determined that no further action is required, and agreed to end its review of this matter with the publication of this Report, which includes the materials referred to the Committee by the OCE. 


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1 House Rule XXV, clause 5(d)(2). See also, House Ethics Manual (2008) at 89. 2 House Rule XXV, clause 5(b)(1)(A) and (C). 

3 House Rule XXV, clause 5(c)(2). See also, House Ethics Manual (2008) at 89. 4 House Rule XXV, clause 5(b)(1)(C)(ii). See also, House Ethics Manual (2008) at 89. 5 House Ethics Manual at 328. 6 Id. at 328. 7 Id. at 329. 8 House Ethics Manual at 73. 9See Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, In the Matter of the Investigation into Officially Connected Travel of House Members to Attend the Carib News Foundation Multinational 

Business Conferences in 2007 and 2008, H. Rpt. 111–422, 111th Congress (February 25, 2010). 

II. HOUSE RULES, LAWS, REGULATIONS, OR OTHER 

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT 

House Rule XXV, clause 5 (the Gift Rule), permits Members and 

staff to accept travel paid for by a private source under certain circumstances and only after pre-approval by the Committee.1 The 

rule provides that if the traveler receives advance authorization 

from the Committee, the necessary travel costs ‘‘shall be considered 

a reimbursement to the House and not a gift prohibited by’’ the 

Gift Rule.2 One of the restrictions to the acceptance of such travel 

is that federally-registered lobbyists or registered foreign agents 

are banned from being involved in the planning, organizing, requesting, or arranging of most trips.3 Additionally, travel paid for 

by private sponsors who retain or employ lobbyists is limited to one 

day of officially-connected activity.4

House Rule XXIV prohibits a Member, Delegate, or Resident 

Commissioner from maintaining an unofficial office account. This 

prohibition applies to accounts maintained by third parties for a 

Member’s benefit, even if they are not maintained for the Member’s 

direct use. It further extends to any process whereby funds are received or expended regardless of whether an actual account or repository is maintained.5 Thus, private, in-kind contribution of 

goods or services for official purposes are banned under House Rule 

XXIV.6 However, one exception to this rule allows Members to use 

funds from their principal campaign accounts for official expenses 

with some restrictions. For example, expenses for officially-connected travel may be reimbursed out of the principal campaign account and not violate the unofficial office account prohibition. Additionally, a Member may use personal funds to pay any official expenses.7 However, House employees may not reimburse official expenses from their own funds. For this reason, although Members 

may repay the costs for privately-sponsored travel out of their personal or campaign funds, were employees to do so, they might run 

afoul of House Rule XXIV. 

When a Member or employee receives a gift that is unacceptable 

under the gift rule, and for which a gift waiver is not available, the 

recipient generally must either return the gift or pay the market 

value of the gift.8 In a case where travel was an impermissible gift, 

the Committee has traditionally requested the recipients pay back 

the cost of the travel to the original sponsors or to the United 

States Treasury if the sponsors could not be specifically identified.9

III. BACKGROUND 

A. COMMITTEE PRACTICE

In 2007, the House Rules were amended to require House Members and employees to seek prior written approval of the ComVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:53 Aug 01, 2013 Jkt 082207 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR176.XXX HR176

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10The time-consuming nature of this thorough review is one of the reasons the Committee 

found it necessary at the end of the 112th Congress to amend the travel regulations to push 

back the deadline for submission of privately-sponsored travel forms to the Committee from 14 

days before the trip to 30 days before the trip. 11Of the five employees who attended the trip, two had left their employment with the House 

before OCE began its review. A third employee was employed during the OCE review, but informed OCE that he would be leaving his House employment before OCE voted on that employee’s referral. However, he apparently did not provide written confirmation of his impending departure to OCE. That employee left the House on June 1, 2013, one day after OCE voted to 

refer the matter to the Committee. Because House Rules appear to intend that the Committee 

only be required to publish referrals if the subject is a Member, officer, or employee of the House 

on the day of (or at least the day before) the publication deadline, the Committee is not releasing the report of the third subject of OCE’s referral at this time. See House Rule XI clause 

3(b)(8)(A)(ii). However, the Committee concluded that the facts regarding that individual’s travel 

were indistinguishable from the other two House employees, and that it would have dismissed 

that referral had he remained within the Committee’s jurisdiction. 

mittee before accepting travel paid for by a private source, and the 

Committee adopted regulations to implement this new requirement. Pursuant to those rules and regulations, the Committee has 

conducted a thorough review of each proposed privately-sponsored 

trip. Committee staff recommends changes where necessary to 

bring trips into compliance with relevant laws, rules, or regulations 

and, on occasion, informs House Members and employees that a 

proposed trip is not permissible.10

In 2008, the Committee’s practice for multi-sponsor trips was to 

require only one private sponsor of a trip, not all private sponsors, 

to sign and complete the Sponsor Form. The Committee has since 

changed its policy to now require all sponsors of a multi-sponsor 

trip to complete and sign the Sponsor Form in most cases. A private sponsor is required to complete a Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form and must certify that the information on the form 

is true, complete, and correct to the best of their knowledge. The 

Committee was relying on the representations made on the travel 

forms as certified by the trip sponsor. At the time of this trip, just 

over one year after the mandatory approval process began, the 

Committee did not independently verify a sponsor’s assertion that 

it did or did not retain or employ a federally-registered lobbyist or 

registered foreign agent. 

Since that time, as the Committee has seen various concerns 

arise, such inquiries, and other similar extra steps, have become a 

regular part of the Committee’s review of privately-sponsored travel. These changes to the Committee’s process for review of privately-sponsored travel reflect the Committee’s constant effort to 

improve its work and better serve the House community and the 

public. The Committee recognizes both the significant benefit the 

public receives when their Representatives and their Representatives’ staff receive hands-on education and experience, as well as 

the mandate that outside groups be appropriately limited in what 

gifts and support they are allowed to provide to Members of Congress and congressional staff. 

B. COMMITTEE REVIEW

The Committee found that five House employees participated in 

a privately-sponsored, officially connected trip to Turkey from August 2, 2008, through August 8, 2008.11 The trip was sponsored by 

the American Turkish Coalition (ATC) and TCA. At the time of the 

trip, TCA employed or retained a federally-registered lobbyist, but 

ATC did not. Under the privately-sponsored travel rules and regulations, entities that employ or retain lobbyists may sponsor travel 


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12 As of July 2013, only two of the travelers on this trip are still employees of the House, and 

only one of those travelers still works for the same employing Member. The employing Members 

at the time of travel for the other employees are no longer Members of the House. 

for House Members and employees, but such travel may only be for 

a one-day trip. 

Prior to participating in the trip, the five House employees 

sought and received the Committee’s approval of the trip.12 Following the Committee’s privately-sponsored travel regulations, the 

employees each submitted to the Committee both the Privately 

Sponsored Travel: Traveler Form (Traveler Form) and the Private 

Sponsor Travel Certification Form (Sponsor Form). While the Sponsor Form, which was prepared by ATC, correctly identified both 

ATC and TCA as sponsors of the trip, only ATC completed the 

Sponsor Form. Thus, when ATC responded to question 9 on the 

Sponsor Form by indicating that ‘‘[t]he sponsor of the trip does not 

retain or employ a federally registered lobbyist or registered foreign agent,’’ this statement was correct for ATC, but it was not true 

of TCA. 

Because the Committee was not aware that TCA employed or retained a lobbyist at the time of the trip, and all other information 

reflected that the trip was permissible, the Committee granted approval to all travelers who had sought to attend the trip. There is 

no indication that any of the travelers knew or had reason to know 

that TCA employed or retained a lobbyist. 

C. OCE REFERRAL

As noted above, the OCE also reviewed three employees’ acceptance of the 2008 trip to Turkey. On June 13, 2013, the OCE sent 

three referrals to the Committee recommending further review of 

allegations regarding two current House employees and one former 

House employee who participated in the 2008 trip to Turkey that 

was paid for in part by TCA. Consistent with the Committee’s findings, the OCE determined that there was no evidence that any of 

the House employees knew that TCA retained a lobbyist at the 

time of the trip. Instead, the OCE found that all three travelers relied on ATC’s ‘‘pre-travel disclosure form’’ in ‘‘good faith.’’ The OCE 

also found that TCA only learned of the potential House rule violation after the August 2008 trip, and that, when TCA became aware 

of the change in the House Rules regarding sponsorship of privately-sponsored travel by entities that employ or retain lobbyists, 

TCA terminated its relationship with its lobbyist and contacted 

Committee staff to receive advice about how to address the August 

2008 trip. TCA told the OCE that Committee staff informed TCA 

that they would get back to TCA about the issue but never did. The 

Committee has no record of any such communications with TCA. 

Despite the lack of evidence of wrongdoing, OCE referred the 

matter to the Committee with a recommendation for further review 

because ‘‘pursuant to precedent of the Committee on Ethics, a person’s ignorance of the true source of travel expenses is not an absolute shield from liability for receipt of travel expenses from an improper source.’’ While this is a true statement, such precedents are 

distinguishable from this case for several reasons. 


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13See Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, In the Matter of the Investigation into Officially Connected Travel of House Members to Attend the Carib News Foundation Multinational 

Business Conferences in 2007 and 2008, H. Rpt. 111–422, 111th Congress (February 25, 2010). 

D. RELEVANT PRECEDENT

The most significant Committee precedent holding that a traveler may need to repay privately-sponsored travel from an improper source is the Committee’s investigation and conclusion in 

the ‘‘Carib News’’ matter.13 In the Carib News matter, the travel 

did not conform to the facts addressed in the Committee’s approval, 

because there were numerous unnamed sponsors of the trip. In addition, the Committee concluded that individuals associated with 

the sponsor made false statements to the Committee. (Ultimately, 

the Department of Justice obtained a conviction against the 

signator of the Sponsor Form for false statements to the Committee 

about that trip.) Still, despite the Committee’s finding that all but 

one of the travelers in that case had no reason to be aware of the 

false information, the Committee did determine that the travelers 

all needed to refund to the Treasury the cost of the impermissible 

trip. 

The Committee’s determination in the Carib News matter that 

House travelers needed to refund the costs of the trip, however, 

was based to a large extent on the fact that two of the improper 

trip sponsors were foreign governments. The U.S. Constitution prohibits federal government officials from receiving ‘‘any present . . . 

of any kind whatever’’ from a foreign state or representative of a 

foreign state without the consent of Congress. Congress has primarily consented through two statutes, the Foreign Gifts and Decoration Act and the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, 

but neither statute applied to the circumstances of that matter and 

the Committee does not have the discretion to waive this constitutional prohibition. Thus, the Committee requested that the travelers in the Carib News matter repay the costs of the trip, largely 

to keep them from being in violation of the U.S. Constitution. 

Another important distinction between this matter and the Carib 

News matter is that the travelers in Carib News were Members, 

whereas the travelers in this case were all staffers. House Rule 

XXV provides that if a traveler receives advance authorization from 

the Committee to accept privately sponsored travel, the necessary 

travel costs ‘‘shall be considered a reimbursement to the House and 

not a gift prohibited by’’ the House Gift Rule. For this reason, any 

reimbursement of privately-sponsored travel costs would be considered a gift to the House. Such support by an employee for official 

activities of the employing Member could potentially run afoul of 

House Rule XXIV, which generally prohibits outside or staff financial support for official activities. Thus, while the use of a Member’s own personal funds to supplement the work of the House does 

not violate House Rule XXIV, the use of staff funds to do so would. 

For this reason, Members may repay the costs for privately-sponsored travel out of their personal funds, but were employees to do 

so, they might run afoul of House Rule XXIV. Therefore, when a 

House employee participates in an improper trip, it is generally the 

employing Member at the time of the trip that is asked to refund 

the improper gift. 


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14 House Rule XI, clauses 3(a)(2) and 3(b). 

IV. CONCLUSION 

Only two of the travelers on this trip are still employees of the 

House, and only one of those travelers still works for the same employing Member. The employing Members at the time of travel for 

the other employees are no longer Members of the House, and thus, 

are outside of the Committee’s jurisdiction. Therefore, were the 

Committee to require refunding the cost of this trip, only one of 

five applicable Members would be required to produce the funds. 

To be clear, nothing in either the Committee’s review or OCE’s 

three referrals suggested that any Member acted improperly or inadvertently violated any House Rule. 

While TCA should not have been permitted to sponsor a trip of 

this length while they retained a lobbyist, because the House employees made a good faith effort to comply with the travel regulations and neither the other sponsor nor the House employees knowingly submitted misleading travel approval forms, the Committee 

has determined that the employees may rely on the Committee’s 

pre-travel approval and that they did not themselves violate any 

House Rules, laws, or regulations. Further, because there is no prohibition on the trip that is outside of the Committee’s discretion to 

waive, the Committee has determined to waive the gift rule in this 

unique circumstance and not require the one remaining Member to 

refund the cost of the trip to Turkey. 

Finally, while TCA should not have sponsored the trip, they did 

not themselves make any false statements to the Committee. The 

Committee can neither confirm nor dispute that TCA made efforts 

to self-report and remedy their violation when they discovered it. 

TCA did indeed terminate their relationship with a registered lobbyist effective December 31, 2008. For all these reasons, the Committee will take no further action regarding TCA with respect to 

the August 2008 trip. 

For all these reasons, and after careful consideration, the Committee has unanimously voted to dismiss the matters referred by 

OCE, determined that no further action is required, and agreed to 

end its review of this matter with the publication of this Report. 

Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A) and Committee 

Rules 17A(c)(2), the Committee hereby publishes the OCE’s Report 

and Findings related to the allegations that the two current House 

employees participated in a privately-sponsored, officially connected trip, that was paid for in part by TCA. 

The Chair is directed, upon providing the notices required pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A), and Committee Rule 

17A(a)(2), to file this report with the House, together with copies 

of OCE’s Reports and Findings in this matter.14 The filing of this 

report, along with its publication on the Committee’s Web site, 

shall serve as publication of OCE’s Reports and Findings in this 

matter, pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A), and Committee Rule 17A(b)(3) and 17A(c)(2). 


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VI. STATEMENT UNDER RULE XIII, CLAUSE 3(c) OF THE 

RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

The Committee made no special oversight findings in this report. 

No budget statement is submitted. No funding is authorized by any 

measure in this report. 


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APPENDIX A 
9 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

REPORT 

Review No. 13-5845 

The Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics (the "Board"), by a vote of no less than four 

members, on May 31, 2013, adopted the following report and ordered it to be transmitted to the 

Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives. 

SUBJECT: Mr. Walter Gonzales 

NATURE OF THE ALLEGED VIOLATION: Walter Gonzales accepted travel expenses for a 

trip to Turkey in August 2008 that the American-Turkish Coalition and the Turkish Coalition of 

America ("TCA") co-sponsored. TCA retained a lobbyist. The pre-travel disclosure form that 

the co-sponsors filed with the House of Representatives certified that TCA did not retain a 

lobbyist. Mr. Gonzales relied on the co-sponsors' certification that TCA did not retain a lobbyist 

and received the travel expenses. 

If Mr. Gonzales received travel expenses for a multiple-day trip from an entity that retained a 

lobbyist, he may have violated House rules. 

RECOMMENDATION: The Board recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review 

the allegation above because there is substantial reason to believe that although Mr. Gonzales did 

not knowingly accept, he nevertheless received, an impermissible gift proscribed by House rules. 

VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE: 4 

VOTES IN THE NEGATIVE: 2 

ABSTENTIONS: 0 

MEMBER OF THE BOARD OR STAFF DESIGNATED TO PRESENT THIS REPORT TO 

THE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS: Omar S. Ashmawy, Staff Director and Chief Counsel. 
10 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 1 10th Congress as Amended 

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CITATIONS TO LAW 

Review No. 13-5845 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3 

A. Summary of Allegations .................................................................................................. 3 

B. Jurisdictional Statement ................................................................................................... 4 

C. Procedural History ........................................................................................................... 4 

D. Summary ofInvestigative Activity .................................................................................. 4 

II. THE TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA HAD A REGISTERED LOBBYIST 

WHEN IT FINANCED THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY IN 

2008 ...................................................................................................................................... 5 

A. Laws, Regulations, Rules, and Standards of Conduct ..................................................... 5 

B. TCA Co-Sponsored a Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey in 2008 ................................. 6 

C. TCA Retained a Lobbyist ................................................................................................ 7 

D. TCA Did Not Disclose that it Retained a Lobbyist ......................................................... 8 

E. TCA Knew of the Potential House Rule Violation after the Trip .................................. 10 

F. Mr. Gonzales' Knowledge ofTCA's Lobbyist... ........................................................... II 

III. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 12 

2 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CIT A TIONS TO LAW 

Review No. 13-5845 

On May 31,2013, the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics (the "Board") adopted the 

following findings offact and accompanying citations to law, regulations, rules, and standards of 

conduct (in italics). 

The Board notes that these fmdings do not constitute a determination that a violation actually 

occurred. 

I. INTRODUCTION 

1. The American-Turkish Council ("ATC") invited Walter Gonzales to attend a 

congressional staff trip to Turkey in 2008. 

2. ATC provided a pre-travel disclosure form to Mr. Gonzales that listed the Turkish 

Coalition of America ("TCA") as a co-sponsor. Despite the fact that TCA retained a 

lobbyist, the form certified that the co-sponsors did not retain a lobbyist. 

3. Mr. Gonzales attended the trip that was financed by TCA. However, as described in 

the Board's findings below, there is no evidence that Mr. Gonzales knew that TCA 

retained a lobbyist. 

4. The Board finds that Mr. Gonzales relied on the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure 

form in good faith. 

5. Nevertheless, pursuant to precedent of the Committee on Ethics, a person's ignorance 

of the true source of travel expenses is not an absolute shield from liability for receipt 

of travel expenses from an improper source. 

A. Summary of Allegations 

6. Mr. Gonzales may have violated House rules by receiving travel expenses for a multipleday trip from an entity that retained a lobbyist. 

7. The Board recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review the allegation above 

because there is substantial reason to believe that although Mr. Gonzales did not 

3 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the I lOth Congress as Amended 

knowingly accept, he nevertheless received, an impermissible gift proscribed by House 

rules. 

B. Jurisdictional Statement 

8. The allegations that are the subject ofthis review concern Walter Gonzales, Senior Policy 

Advisor for Representative Dutch Ruppersberger. The Resolution the United States 

House of Representatives adopted creating the Office of Congressional Ethics ("OCE") 

directs that, "[nlo review shall be undertaken ... by the board of any alleged violation 

that occurred before the date of adoption of this resolution."j The House adopted this 

Resolution on March 11, 2008. Because the conduct under review occurred after March 

11,2008, the OCE has jurisdiction in this matter. 

C. Procedural History 

9. The OCE received a written request for a preliminary review in this matter signed by at 

least two members of the Board on January 25,2013. The preliminary review 

commenced on January 26, 2013.2 The preliminary review was scheduled to end on 

February 24,2013. 

lO. At least three members of the Board voted to initiate a second-phase review in this matter 

on February 22, 2013. The second-phase review commenced on February 25, 2013.3 

The second-phase review was scheduled to end on April 1 0, 2013. 

11. The Board voted to extend the second-phase review for an additional period of fourteen 

days on March 22, 2013. The second-phase review ended on April 24, 2013. 

12. The Board voted to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and adopted these 

findings on May 31, 2013. 

13. This report and findings were transmitted to the Committee on Ethics on June 13,2013. 

D. Summary of Investigative Activity 

14. The OCE requested and received documentary and, in some cases, testimonial 

information from the following sources: 

(1) Walter Gonzales; 

(2) ATC President; 

I H. Res. 895, HOth Congo §J(e), as amended (the "Resolution'). 

2 A preliminary review is "requested" in writing by members of the Board of the aCE. The request for a 

preliminary review is "received" by the aCE on a date certain. According to the Resolution, the timeframe for 

conducting a preliminary review is thirty days from the date of receipt of the Board's request. 

3 According to the Resolution, the Board must vote on whether to conduct a second-phase review in a matter before 

the expiration of the thirty-day preliminary review. If the Board votes for a second-phase, the second-phase begins 

when the preliminary review ends. The second-phase review does not begin on the date of the Board vote. 

4 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

(3) A TC Executive Director; 

(4) ATC Government Affairs Director; 

(5) TCA President; 

(6) TCA Vice President; 

(7) TCA Attorney; 

(8) Former TCA Project Coordinator; and 

(9) Former TCA Lobbyist. 

II. THE TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA HAD A REGISTERED LOBBYIST 

WHEN IT FINANCED THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY IN 

2008 

A. Laws, Regulations, Rules, and Standards of Conduct 

15. Pursuant to the House Rule 25, clause 5, an "employee of the House may not knowingly 

accept a gift from a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal or from a private 

entity that retains or employs registered lobbyists or agents of a foreign principal except 

as provided in sub paragraph (3) of this paragraph. ,04 

16. "A reimbursement (including payment in kind) to a Member, Delegate, Resident 

Commissioner, officer, or employee of the Housefor transportation, lodging, and related 

expenses for travel to a meeting, speaking engagement, facifinding trip, or similar event 

in connection with the duties of such individual as an officeholder shall be considered as 

a reimbursement to the House and not a gift prohibited by this clause when it is from a 

private source other than a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal or a 

private entity that retains or employees registered lobbyists. . .. ,,5 

17. One-Day Event Trip. The sole exception to the general prohibition on accepting 

officially-connected travel from a private source that retains or employs lobbyists or 

agents of a foreign principal is for trips involving attendance at or participation in oneday event (exclusive of travel time and an overnight stay). 

Under the rule, it is permissible for a Member or staff person to accept and meals related 

to a single night's lodging and meals related to the trip, if offered by the trip sponsor. 

Members and staff must limit their involvement in connection with the event to a single 

calendar day, exclusive of travel time and an overnight stay. A Member or staff person 

4 House Rule 25, clause 5(a)(J)(A)(ii). 

5 House Rule 25, clause 5(b)(1) (emphasis added). 

5 
14 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 20 HR176.007

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the II Oth Congress as Amended 

may therefore attend only a single day of a multiple-day conference, forum, or other 

event that is being hosted primarily for individuals other than congressional invitees.6 

18. In the Report of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the Investigation into 

Officially Connected Travel of House Members to Attend the Carib News Foundation 

Multi-National Business Conferences in 2007 and 2008, the Committee found that 

"[b]ecause [the Representative] did not have any knowledge of the true source of 

funding for these two trips, the Subcommittee does not find that he violated any law, 

House Rule, regulation, or any other standard of conduct. However, because he received 

impermissible gifts proscribed by House Rules, other remedies are necessary. [The 

Representative] should return or pay for any gifts or benefits he received that were 

impermissible ... 7 

B. TCA Co-Sponsored a Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey in 2008 

19. TCA co-sponsored a congressional staff trip to Turkey from August 2,2008 to August 

10, 2008 ("2008 Turkey Trip,,). 8 TCA "was founded in 2007 as an educational, 

charitable organization and works to [f]oster friendship, understanding and cooperation 

between the United States and Turkey .... ,,9 TCA donated approximately $35,000 to 

A TC to [mance the 2008 Turkey Trip. 10 

20. ATC is a trade association "dedicated to effectively strengthening US-Turkish relations 

through the promotion of commercial, defense, technology and cultural relations."!! Its 

membership includes "US and Turkish companies, multinationals, nonprofit 

organizations and individuals with an interest in US-Turkish relations.,,12 

21. ATC used TCA's donation to pay for travel expenses of the congressional staff including 

transportation, meals, and 10dging. 13 

22. A total of thirteen individuals attended the trip: six House staff members; two Senate 

staff members; two ATC staff members; one TCA staff member; and two representatives 

from A TC membership organizations.!4 

6 House Ethics Manual (2008) at 92-93 (citing House Rule 25, clause 5(b)(1 )(C) (emphasis in original». 

7 Report of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct ofthe Investigation into Officially Connected Travel of 

House Members to Attend the Carib News Foundation Multi-National Business Conferences in 2007 and 2008, Feb. 

25,2010, at 172. 

S Mr. Gonzales Pre- and Post-Travel Disclosure Forms ("Travel Disclosure Forms") (Exhibit 1 at 13-5845_0002-

0021). 

9 Turkish Coalition of America 2011 Annual Report 2, available at http://www.tcamerica.org/files/aboutfTCA _ Annual_ Report_ 20l1.pdf. 

10 ATC Invoice for TCA (Exhibit 2 at 13-5845_0023-0024); TCA Profit and Loss Detail (Exhibit 3 at 13-

5845_0026-). 

11 ATC Mission Statement and Overview, available at http://www.the-atc.org/dataJaboutus/. 

12 Id. 

JJ ATC Congressional Staff Trip 2008 Budget (Exhibit 4 at 13-5845_0028-0031). 

14 ATC 2008 Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey Briefing Book (Exhibit 5 at 13-5845_0033-0115). 

6 
15 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. S95 of the II Oth Congress as Amended 

23. The invitation for the trip that A TC sent to congressional staff stated that the trip was 

intended to provide "a unique opportunity for select Congressional Staff to gain personal 

insights about Turkey.,,15 

24. Based on the evidence before the OCE, Mr. Gonzales accepted approximately $6,120 in 

travel expenses for the 200S Turkey Trip. 16 

C. TCA Retained a Lobbyist 

25. TCA retained an outside lobbyist from March 200S to December 2008. 17 The lobbyist 

worked for his own lobbying firm and filed his lobbyist refistration on behalf ofTCA on 

AprilS, 200S (effective registration date March 1, 200S).1 He filed his report 

terminating his lobbying registration for TCA on January 15, 2009 (effective termination 

date December 31, 2008).19 

26. Former TCA Lobbyist told the OCE that TCA hired him primarily to increase the number 

of Members of Congress on the Congressional Turkey Caucus.20 TCA President told the 

OCE that Former TCA Lobbyist was hired to educate TCA on how Congress functions 

and to provide opinions on legislation.21 He also stated that Former TCA Lobbyist 

advised him on how to encourage Members of Congress to join the Turkish Caucus22 

15 Letter from James H. Holmes to Walter Gonzales, dated June 23, 2008 (Exhibit 6 at 13-5845_0017-0018).; Draft 

Invitation Letter (Exhibit 7 at 13-5845_0120-0121). 

16 Travel Disclosure Forms (Exhibit 1 at 13-5845 0002). 

17 TCA Lobbyist LDA Registration and Termination Reports (Exhibit 8 at 13-5845 0123-0126). 

18 Id. at 13-5845 0123. -

19 Id. at 13-5845-0125. 

20 Memorandum -ofInterview of Former TCA Lobbyist, March 13,2013 ("Former TCA Lobbyist MOl") (Exhibit 9 

at 13-5845 0129). 

21 Memorandum ofInterview ofTCA President, March 7, 2013 ("TCA President MOl") (Exhibit 1 Oat 13-

5845_0133). 

22Id. 

7 
16 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 22 HR176.009

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

D. TCA Did Not Disclose that it Retained a Lobbyist 

27. Although TCA retained a lobbyist at the time of the 2008 Turkey Trip, the pre-trip Private 

Sponsor Travel Certification Form that ATC submitted to House staff members for filing 

with the House Committee on Ethics certifies on question 9(b) that "the sponsor of the trip 

does not retain or employ a federally registered lobbyist or registered foreign agent.,,23 

U.S. HtHlSeofRepresentlltivclj 

Committee on Standards: of Official Condud 

PRIVATE SPONSOR TRAVEL CERTIFlCATION FORM 

(provide directly to each House invitee) 

'.Thi:; fQffii shouhi be cQtupleted by private enlit(.-~ offering to provide tn.Ycl or mi.mbu:m=nt fur trn'Rll to House 

Memben, (lfiktr! or etnpkyees ut!der House l!.ule XXV, ct.:ruw 5 A oolUpleted (;opy of the furm (aud all)' 

attachlromtll) ~hould beprovided 10 ImCll invited House Ml;mb.:!. officer 0( employee. who 'loin tbcu. fMwaro it to the: 

Commii~. '('h(; trip 'poluor shoUM NOT ruhmit the iom; di:n:edy to. me C..nmrniltoo. 

Private Jpmuflf"S al1: urgdd ,,, $u."miJ !rn..jQnJl W each Hqm~' inviltu at l~ JO 41fyJ be{Cl111 ~vd is Klledu!td 1.0 

blfg/n. The faihue to pt~vide the Cowmttcc ""'th adcqudc time to t'l:vicw the form and alttlchmerrn> may re8lllt in 

tJv:; invitee tKlt rocc:iving IlWro\llI fot the trip TIm suhmi,~~ion oran ~kltll: f>lUll will dc:!ay tlu: lCvicw pro,(:SS. 

Bd()f(J rompJeting 1M. furm,. 1lpI>IISOrs. 1m: urged I.(l CQriifuJ/y ,-«"jllW the Co.1mrn.iltee'l pri~ travel amdditae$ and 

advisor)' nlllm~<k!.liing the MeS Md tes~cti(ms fllr printe ~vcl, 4., ~I! 8~ the I~ furoompletiug 

IIW form. SPQmQt3 should call !he Committee WIth anyquesuons pnor to SuOlI1\ttmg the- form. plf!1I.>1J IJpdfrmll. 

PvrIerieal't-rurldsh COOM$ aM the TlI(Iosh CoaliMflot IVTW!ca. 1. Spo;UM(s){wb()willbepa.yin&futth~!rip): _~.""_ ••• _" 

2:. 1r>:l"res~ttbaltht: tripwlll oot be finnnced (m whole tlr in p:lrt) by a federatly.regillilltedlllbbyi;t.xa 

legiSWt~to~O\ge."lI:{""gll'W "yu'"llycp..«l:mgbcx-): 0 

I repm'lellt that tbt!rip Jlponwr(s} ba~ OO! accepted from any tlUwr .wnu:~ funds ~ dilel:dyOf il\,ruedJy 

to finaoce any u.peet t>fthc tnp(npify "yr-s" by clMI':ki1fg box): G 

S. Provi.-lc l13tnes snd litla~ -of ALL a,)US\'l invitee:!; for each in<{il~ p!ovilb explaua!fun of why lite md!vidU4! 

WlIsinvi.ttd(incj!lil~addilionuJi»g~lfnece;ls;;:rji): !:oaSoli':lalheatta~~~",,""=""c-___ _ 

(j, Pa(e3<Jftl;t\'l)] Oei)(lttW~~~.~.'_?~:::_~~~~.~~~~~::~~.~:.~~.~:, :O::~ 

7. CiUe' atd"'Pamrre "' d~'llinm:io:1 ~ rntmn: ~'::!lIlr~.~~~. 0 c. to Istmtrul W!U I\~ijum. In add,tiGf' Itw group \'WI 

.~~~TwM:=,~"AM~'=m=,"="d~~='~='" ____________________ __ 

8 AtIa~heJ is a duuiled ~ge.'Ida of me a{;tiVlhes Ulking p[;,;;(> d~ U\¢ travel (i.~, an hoody d~S<:t1ptlo!1 Qf 

pltnned ar:I[vHk~) (!>igl1ify 'y~~" by cht;dcmg oox)' 0 

9 r l"Cr;r<::IJC.'lt tiw! (cAuk <me a/lita!ol!Qw'.l'lg): 

a. The Sp<1lI60! af:he trip \$ aa Iil'lhl",uQflQ[lugber edllQ;UQll within th~ rneaning<)f;e.;timll()i of the HIghet 

EdU£:lltiC!1 Act Df J965: Q m: b Tha SJlfollSQr orlht trip ~ hOt tNllill \"\r empl{)y II tedet"lllly registered lQbbyisl or registered foreign ilgeflt 

B", c. 'nlll tt:p I> fOl alremiauI.;e;11 ~ Q,,~-day ('YCllt and !*byist hWQlver."ICIl.t tll plaMing, OfW'Jm;!Mj!;, reqtle.!tin~ (If 

ammiPng the Mp WJ$ df! minimis unller the Committee's lrawl reglllati<m,;. [J 

l{l. ftu:\wo:::! is f(}j" p:lltlc!p4ti ... '0 J.U. :me--da.y e,ent (i,e., If yw cli;:ei:.ed Q-JCU\Ql1 9(e», c1:to;:J.: one- Ilftke follow:mg: 

a, One..mght'g IQ<lging and muts 3(l: bdlll!. offutt.ll" Q ill: 

b. Twtl-nightj' !iJdging a~d meal:;;tre bf:iog offered: 0 

If''b'' ill o.;hei;k<:!<i explain why the .>C:l;QrnlUII::;h! is wltl.fant<:d: _. ___ ._ 

."--~----"-~~-.---~ 

28. The Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form was signed by ATC President.24 ATC 

President told the OCE that ATC Government Affairs Director prepared the travel 

23 Travel Disclosure FOnTIS (Exhibit 1 at 13-5845_0006). 

24Id. at 13-5845_o008. 

8 
17 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 23 HR176.010

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

disclosure form and ATC President reviewed and signed it.25 He said that he thought the 

disclosure form was accurate and he did not know Former TCA Lobbyist26 

29. ATC Government Affairs Director told the OCE that she checked the box on Question 

9(b) that indicated that the sponsors did not retain a federally registered lobbyist. She 

stated that she likely asked the TCA Vice President whether TCA had a 10bbyist.27 She 

does not know Former TCA Lobbyist.28 

30. On the contrary, TCA Vice President told the OCE that no one ever asked her whether 

TCA retained a lobbyist, including ATC Government Affairs Director.29 She also stated 

that she was not involved in the ~reparation of the pre-travel disclosure form and does not 

recall ever seeing the document. 0 

31. The OCE asked TCA President, who hired Former TCA Lobbyist, about the Private 

Sponsor Certification Form. He told the OCE that at the time of the 2008 Turkey Trip he 

never saw the Private Sponsor Travel Disclosure Form and he understood that ATC was 

responsible for filing the form and that TCA would be listed as a sponsor.

3

! 

32. The pre-travel disclosure form that Mr. Gonzales filed with the House Ethics Cornmittee 

asks "Did the trip sponsor answer 'yes' to Question 9(b) on The Trip Sponsor from (i.e., 

the travel is being sponsored by an entity that employs a lobbyist)?" Mr. Gonzales 

checked the "No" box. 

33. When asked why he answered "No" to the question whether the sponsor retained a 

lobbyist, Mr. Gonzales told the OCE that he asked A TC Government Affairs Director 

over the phone whether they had a 10bbyist.32 He said she must have told him no for him 

to check answer the question "No.,,33 

34. Mr. Gonzales told the OCE that he did not know Former TCA Lobbyist and never 

communicated with him.34 

35. Former TCA Lobbyist told the OCE that he did not know Mr. Gonzales and does not 

recall ever communicating with him.35 

25 Memorandum of Interview of ATC President, March 14,2013 (Exhibit 15 at 13-5845_0153-0154). 26 Id. 

27 Memorandum of Interview of ATC Government Affairs Director, March 14,2013 ("ATC Government Affairs 

Director MOI")(Exhibit 11 at 13-5845_0139). 

28 [d. at 13-5845 0137. 

29 Memorandum -;'fInterview ofTCA Vice President, Apri116, 2013 (Exhibit 12 at 13-5845_0142). 30 Id. 

3l TCA President MOl (Exhibit 10 at 13-5845 0134). 

32 Memorandum of Interview of Walter Gonzales, March 27, 2013 ("Gonzales MOl") (Exhibit 13 at 13-5845_0146). 33 Id. 

34 !d. 

35 Former TCA Lobbyist MOl (Exhibit 9 at 13-5845_0129). 

9 
18 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 24 HR176.011

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

36. Former TCA Lobbyist was not involved in ~lanning or organizing the 2008 Turkey Trip 

and he did not attend the 2008 Turkey Trip. 6 

E. TeA Knew of the Potential House Rule Violation after the Trip 

37. TCA knew of the potential House Rule violation after the 2008 Turkey Trip.37 

3S. According to TCA President, around November 200S, he learned during a casual 

conversation about ethics rules at a reception that TCA could not sponsor congressional 

trips if it had a lobbyist.38 

39. TCA President then asked TCA Attorney to research the issue of whether TCA could 

sponsor congressional tripS.39 TCA President also notified Former TCA Lobbyist of the 

issue, which Former TCA Lobbyist had his attorneys research.4o 

40. In December 2008, TCA Attorney determined that TCA could not retain lobbyists if it 

planned to conduct congressional tripS.41 

41. With respect to the 2008 Turkey Trip, TCA Attorney contacted ATC's attorney in 

January in 2009 and told her that TCA retained a lobbyist at the time that it sponsored the 

trip.42 They decided to alert the House Ethics Committee of the issue.43 

42. TCA Attorney stated that he called the House Ethics Committee on January 27,2009, 

explained the issue with the 2008 Turkey Trip, and asked for advice on how to disclose 

and remedy the problem.44 He was told that he would receive a call back from the House 

Ethics Committee.45 When he did not receive a call, he assumed that the House Ethics 

Committee contacted ATC directly to resolve the problem.46 ATC Government Affairs 

Director stated that she did not have any contacts with the House Committee on Ethics 

following the trip.47 

43. TCA President did not notifY Mr. Gonzales or any of the congressional staff who 

attended the 2008 Turkey Trip of the issue concerning the travel expenses.48 

36 [d. 

37 TCA President MOl (Exhibit 10 at 13-5845_0134-0135); Memorandum ofInterview ofTCA Attorney, March 8, 

2013 ("TCA Attorney MOl") (Exhibit 14 at 13-5845_0150). 

18 TCA President MOl (Exhibit 10 at 13-5845_0134). 

39 [d. 

40 [d. 

41 TCA Attorney MOl (Exhibit 14 at 13-5845_0150). 42 [d. 

43 Id. 

44 Id. 

45 Id. 

46 !d. 

47 ATC Government Affairs Director MOl (Exhibit II at 13-5845_0139). 

4' TCA President MOl (Exhibit 10 at 13-5845_0134). 

10 
19 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 25 HR176.012

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

44. Mr. Gonzales told the OCE that no one from ATC or TCA ever contacted him following 

the trip concerning the issue ofTCA's employment of a lobbyist.49 

F. Mr. Gonzales' Knowledge of TCA's Lobbyist 

45. The OCE did not receive any evidence that Mr. Gonzales knew that TCA retained a 

lobbyist at the time that he accepted the travel expenses. 

46. Based on the following facts, the Board fmds that Mr. Gonzales did not knowingly accept 

travel expenses from an entity that retained a lobbyist: 

a. Mr. Gonzales submitted the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure form to the 

Committee on Ethics for pre-approval; 

b. Mr. Gonzales submitted his personal pre-travel disclosure form, which was based 

on information that he received from the co-sponsors, to the Committee on Ethics 

for pre-approval; 

c. Mr. Gonzales provided a complete and accurate statement of all material facts 

related to the co-sponsors' employment of a lobbyist to the extent known to him 

at the time; and 

d. The Committee on Ethics provided written approval of his acceptance of the 

travel expenses. 

47. In many circumstances, the apparent lack of knowledge and good faith reliance on both 

the assertions of the private sponsor and the written approval of the Committee on Ethics 

would result in no liability on the part of Mr. Gonzales. However, under the precedent 

established by the Committee on Ethics in certain, limited circumstances, an individual 

who relies on approval from the Committee on Ethics in accepting a proscribed gift, may 

nevertheless be liable for its receipt. 

48. In this matter, the Board finds that Mr. Gonzales acted in good faith reliance on the 

written pre-approval that the Committee on Ethics provided. However, he still received 

travel expenses from a private entity that retained a lobbyist during the 2008 Turkey Trip. 

In similar matters, the Committee on Ethics has found that the receipt of the gift was 

impermissible and proscribed by House rules even though an individual may reasonably 

have believed otherwise. 

49. Accordingly, the OCE Board finds there is substantial reason to believe that although Mr. 

Gonzales did not knowingly accept, he nevertheless received, an impermissible gift 

proscribed by House rules. 

49 Walter Gonzales MOl (Exhibit 13 at 13-5845_0147). 

11 
20 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 26 HR176.013

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

III. CONCLUSION 

50. ATC and TCA submitted a pre-travel disclosure form for the 2008 Turkey Trip to Mr. 

Gonzales, which did not disclose that TCA retained a lobbyist. 

51. The Board finds that Mr. Gonzales' did not knowingly accept travel expenses from an 

entity that retained a lobbyist because: 

a. Mr. Gonzales submitted the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure form to the 

Committee on Ethics for pre-approval; 

b. Mr. Gonzales submitted his personal pre-travel disclosure form, which was based 

on information that he received from the co-sponsors, to the Committee on Ethics 

for pre-approval; 

c. Mr. Gonzales provided a complete and accurate statement of all material facts 

related to the co-sponsors' employment of a lobbyist to the extent that it was 

known to him at the time; and 

d. The Committee on Ethics provided written pre-approval of his acceptance of the 

travel expenses. 

52. Based on the above findings, Mr. Gonzales acted in good faith and did not know that 

TCA retained a lobbyist at the time of the trip. However, the Board recommends that the 

Committee on Ethics further review the allegation above because there is substantial 

reason to believe that although Mr. Gonzales did not knowingly accept, he nevertheless 

received, an impermissible gift proscribed by House rules. 

12 
21 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 27 HR176.014

EXHIBIT 1 
22 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 28 HR176.015

il Original J2lAmendmeltt 

EMI'LOYEE 

2n.CJOCT 21 Aflll: 33 POST -TRA V~:L DISCLOSURI, FORM 

2. a. Name of Accompanying Family Member (if any): 

b. Relationship to Employee: 0 Sponse D Child ,D. Other (specify): 

3. ll. Date of Departure and Date of Return: 

b. Dates at personal expense (if any): 

08/0212008 to 08/1012008 

4. Itinerary (cities ofJeparturc '" destination .. return): !stanbIJ] A Ankara· Istanbul· Patera- istanbul '~~~"-------'-~'~-~~'-

5. Spollsor(s) (who paid for the trip): American Turkish C¢uncil ,~~~ 

Md Turkish _______ CQalition of America . ___ ··_~~ __ ·"w~,_~~_~ __ _ 

6. Describe meetings and event') attended (attach additional pages if necessary): ~_~~~ta~ ____ ~,_ 

7. Attached to this form arc EACli of the folluwing (sig/lifj' that each item is attached by checking the 

corresponding box): 

a. £] the Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form completed by the trip sponsor, including all 

attachments; 

h. 0 the Traveler Form cmnplctcd hy the employee; and 

c. 0 the Commitlce OIl Stalldards' letter approving my participation on this trip. 

8. a. I represent that I participated in each of the activities reflected in the sponsor's agetlda. (S(gnijY 

that statement is true by checking bux): [2] 

b. I[not, explain: 

9. TRA VEL EXPENSES: Obtain actual dollar amounts from the .\1JOnsor. If e;uu;t dollar amounts are 

unavailable by the du£~ daft>;, provide a good faith estimate and jile an amended form once the correct amounts 

are received. 
23 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 29 HR176.016

u.s. House of Representatives 

110.11 Congress 

~D¥ Origina.l MAmendltumt 

EMPLOYEE 

POST-TRAVEL DISCLOSURE FORM 

This form is for disclosing the receipt of travel expenses from private sources for meetings, speaking 

engagements, fact-finding trips, or similar evenls underL~ken in counection with olTicial duties. This form 

docs not eliminate the need to report all privately-funded travel on the annual Financial Disclosure 

Statements of tll0se persons reqnired to file them. In accordance with House Rule 25, clause 5, complete 

this form and file it with the Clerk of the lIouse of Representatives, 8-106 Cannon House Office 

Building, within 15 days after travel is completed. The Clerk is to make the second page of this form 

publicly available as soon as possible aller it is filed. 

Name of Traveler (print or !yp~): .I'Ialte, G"I5'.le~ 

I certify that the [nfUmlation contained on all pages of/his [om is true, complete, and correct to the best 

of my knowledge. '"-

SIGNATURE OF TRA VELER: .. fJl.~. 

[ authorized this travel in advance. I have determined that all of the expenses listed on this [(wO! were 

necessary and that the tfilvel was in connection with the employee's official duties and would not create 

the appearance that the employee is using public office fur private gain. 

NAME OF SUPERVISING MEMBER: RuppersOO'9e< 

SIONATUIlR OfSlJPEOV1S1NG MEM"~-~~I"~, DATE: O.:tnbe, 21. 2008 

f'i~rsiOI1 dai,; 9J2i)()8 b}' Cf)1tfmittt.'" on Standwds o/Ojjki(li ('mu/uc/ 
24 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 30 HR176.017

Turkey StaffTrip 

August 2, 2008 to August 10, 2008 

List of Meetings and Events Attended 

DinnerlMeeting with Turkish Council of America- Overview meeting. 

Meeting with Turkish Council of America and Turkish Council FoundationMeeting with four NGO's ranging from women participation in government to education 

reform- NGO views on issues in Turkey and how to resolve them. 

Meeting with local Turkish Minority Leaders from Jewish and Armenian CommunitiesAddressing Turkey/ Am1enian issues and treatment of minorities in Turkey. 

Dinner with Turkish Am!!rican Businessmen- How to create bettcr relations between 

USlTurkey in all sectors. 

Meeting with US Co~ulate General- US views on Turkey. 

Meeting with TUSKON- How to create botter relations between USlTurkey in temlS of 

businesses. 

Dinner with Turkish American Business Assoeiation 

Wreath Laying Ceremony and Singing Official Visitors Book 

Meeting with Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs- USrrurkish relations intelligence 

sharing, fighting terrorism, regional seeurity, role with Iraq. 

Meeting with Undersecretary [or Defense Industries- USlTurkex Defense cooperation. 

Meeting with US Ambassador and Embassy Staff- Future ofUSlTurkish relations and 

what to expeet 5-20 years dovm the line. 

Meeting with Eurasian Strategic Research Instilutc- US-Turkey relations in contect of 

regional security. 

Dimlcr with American Turkish Council Corporate Partners 

Visited site of endangered Loggerhead Turtles 

Dinner with local elected officials and businessmen in Kalkan. 
25 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 31 HR176.018

Turkey Staff Trip 

August 2, 2008 to August 10. 2008 

List of Meetings and Events Attended 

DinnerlMeeting with Turkish Council of America 

Meeting with Tnrkish Council of America and Turkish Council Foundation 

Meeting with four NGO's ranging from women participation in government to education 

reform. 

Meeting with local Turkish Minority Leaders from Jewish and Arm.cnian Communities. 

Di1111er with Turkish American Businessmen 

Meeting with US Consuillte General 

Meeting with TUSKQN 

Dinner with Turkish American Busincss Associatio11 

Wreath Laying Ceremony and Singing Official Visitors Book 

Meeting with Undersecretary of Forcign Affairs 

Meeting with Undersecretary ror Detense Industries 

Meeting with US AmlJassador and Embassy Staff 

Meeting with Eurasian Strategic Research Institute 

Dinner with American Turkish Council Corporate Partners 

Visited site of endangered Loggerhcad Turtles 

Dinner with local elected officials and businessmen in Kalkan. 
26 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 32 HR176.019

U.S. Honse of Representatives 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 

PRIVATE SPONSOR TRAVEL CERTIFICATION FORM 

(provide directly to eaeh House invitee) 

This fonn should be completed by private entities offering to provide travel or reimbursement for travel to House 

Members, officers or employees under House Rule XXV, clause 5. A completed copy of the form (and any 

atlllcbments) should be provided fj) each invited House Member, officer or employee, who will then forward it to the 

Committee. The trip sponsor should NOT submit the form directly fj) the Committee. 

Private sponsors are urged to submit this Jonn to each House illvilee at 1east 30 days before travel is scheduled /0 

begin. The fru1ure to provide the Committee with .dequate time fj) review the form and attachments may result in 

the invitee not receiving approval for the trip. The submission of an incomplete form will delay the review process. 

Before completing this form, sponsors are urged to carefully review the Committee's private travel guidelines and 

advisory memoranda detailing the rules and restrictions for priv.te trave~ as well as the instructions for completing 

this form. Sponsors should call the Committee with any questions prior to submitting tlle form. Please typeJorm. 

American-Turkish CounCil and the T wf<ish CoaUUon 01 Amor;ca 1. Sponsor(s) {who will be paying for the trip}; 

2. J represent that the trip will not be: rmaneed (in whole or in part) by a federally-registered lobbyist Or a 

registered foreign agent f.lJ"ignify "yes" by checking box): 0 

3. I represent that !lie trip sponsor(s) has not accepted from any other source funds eannarl<:ed directly or indirectly 

to finance any aspect ofthe trip (signify 'yes" by checking box): !Zl 

4. Is travel being offered to an accompanying family member of the House invitee(s)? 0 Yes 0 No 

5. Provide names and titles of ALL House invitees; for each invitee, provide explanation of why the individual 

was invited (include additional pages if necessary): Please see the attached document 

6. Dates of trdvcl: Depart Washington, Dulles Airport on August 2 and return 10 August, 2008 

7. Cities of departure _ destination _ return: wa~h~?~,,: .?C. to Istanbul and retum. In addition the group will 

travel to two other cities within and Patara. 

8. AtIlIched is a detailed agenda of the activities laking place during the travel (i.e., an hourly description of 

planned activities) (signify ''yes'' by checking box): 121 

9. I represent that (check one oJthefollowing): 

a, The sponsor of the trip is an institution of higher education within the meaning ofs,e<'.tion 101 oftlll'! Higher 

Education Act of1965: Cl Qr 

b. The spollsor of the trip does not retain or employ a federally registered lobbyist or registered foreign agent: 

lilQr 

e. The trip is for attendance at a ono-day event and lobbyist involvement in planning, organizing, requesting, or 

arranging the trip was de minimis nnder the Committee's !ravel regulations. Q 

10. Ifltavel is for participation in a one-day event (i. e., if you chec~d Question 9( c», check one of the follOWing: 

a. Ono-night's lodging and meals .. e being offered: 0 Qr 

b. Two-nights' lodging and meals are being offered: 0 

If "b" is checked, explain why the second night is warranted: 
27 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 33 HR176.020

II. If the trip is not sponsored by all institution of higher education, I represent that a federally-registered lobbyist 

or foreign .g~'llt Will not accompany House Members or employees on any segment of the trip (signifY 'yes" by 

chocking box): IZl 

12. Private sponsors must have a direct and immediate relationship to the purpose of the trip or location being 

visited. Describe the role of each sponsor in organizing aed conducting the trip: __________ _ 

Please see the attached document 

13_ Describe each sponsor's organizational interest in the purpose of the trip: 

Please see the attached document 

14. De,cribe the type and class of tbe transportation being provided. Indicate whether coach, busin=-clas. or 

ftrst-elasa transportation will be provided. In addition, for travel via aircraft, please indicate if travel is being 

offered on a corrunercial flight, chartered flight or on an aircraft operated or paid for by a carrier not licensed by 

the Federal Aviation Administration to operate fur compensation or hire (i.e., a private aircraft). lffltst.;:lass 

fare is being provided, or if travel is via chartered or private aircraft, please provide an explan.tion describing 

why such travel is warranted: _ ~ ______ _ 

Each class on a commercial airline. 

15. I represent that the expenditures related to local area travel during the trip wiU be unrelated to pernonaJ or 

recreational activities of the invitee(s). (signifY 'yes" by checking box): 0 

16. I represent that either (check one ofthefollowing): 

•. The trip involves an event that is arranged or organized without regard to congressional participation nnd that 

meals provided to congressional participants are similar to those provided to or purchased by other event 

.ttendees: 0 ill: 

b. The trip involves events that arc arranged or organized specifically with regard to congressional participation: 

&'I 

If"b" is checked, detail the cost per day of meals (approximate cost may be provided): 

17. Reason for selecting the location of the event or trip: 

Please sea the attached document 

1&. Name ofhotcl or other lodging facility: Please seo attached document 

19. Cost per night afhotol or otber lodging facility (approximate cost may be provided): _. ________ _ 

ApproXimate cost per ni§1ht at oach of tho hotels is $250 + tax 

20. Reason(s) for selecting hotel or other lodging facility: ______________ _ 

---------------~- ~.-~.~--.~---

2 
28 


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21. TOTAL llXl'ENSES FQB BACH PARTICleAN'j': 

Total Lbdging l!Xpenses 

P.rtici ant 

$1970.00 

Total Meall!Xpons"" por 

Partiei' ant 

$850.00 

Taxi lare, entrance fes. security, interprelet faos, etc. 

22. ! represent that reimbursement for miscellaneous travel expenses for tire trip, such as travel to and from airpol1s, 

security costs, interpretet. fees, visa application fees, and similar expenses, will be for actual costs incurred and 

are necessary for the purpose of the trip (signf,Y ''yes'' by checking box): €l 

23. r certify that the information contained in Uus form is true, complete, and correct to the best of my knowledge. 

S· 19nature! ~ -~ II _'-.!:'_- IL-E'_ ___ .. . __ ~ 

Name and title James H. Holmes 

Organization: American-T\Jr~_._h_Cou_n_clJ_· ________ _ 

Address: 1'1 114th Street N.W., Suito 1050, Washl"9ton, D.C. 20005 

-------------------------- Telephone number: 2022~~_ . ____ ._~_~ __ _ 

Fax number: 202-78_3_0_5_11 ____ _ 

Email Address: ~th&-atc.org 

The Cemmille. staff may contact the above individual above if additional infonnation is requited. 

Ifthere are any questions regarding this form plea.e contact the Committee at tbe following address; 

Committee on Standards ofOffieial Conduct 

U.S. House of Representatives 

HT-2, The Capitol 

Washington, DC 20515 

(202) 225·7103 (phone) 

(202) 225·7392 (general fax) 

(202) 226·7172 (fax for travel approvals) 

Yersion date 41201)1 by CQ/nmi(fl!f!. 011 S{andgtds ofOffidtd Camilfe! 

3 
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ATC-TCf Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program 8< Details 

American-Turkish Council Congressional Staff Visit to Turkey 

Objectives for congressional Staffers 

Promote and enhance the U.S.-Turkey relationship. 

Engage in dialogue with Senior Turkish government offidals, u.s. Embassy 

representatives, NGOs, and Turkish business executives. 

Experience the heritage, landscape and overall cultural richness of Turkey. 

Observe first-hand the workings of the Turkish business community and government. 

Understand the political, cultural and social dynamics ofTurkey and its region. 

Gain valuable infomlation and insight from the Turkish media. 

Overview of Potential Briefing Topics 

> strengths and weaknesses of Turkey's current economic and political 

situation . 

.,.. International issues central to Turkish foreign relations 

o The war in Iraq and Afghanistan and implications for the 

surrounding region 

o Turkey/lran relations 

o Turkey's EU accession process 

() Turkey's role in NATO and with its neighbors 

() caucasus, induding Turkey/Armenian relations. 

o U.S. -Turkey cooperation against terrorism in the region. 

o Turkey's role in the rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

o Cyprus and the continued isolation ofTurkish Cypriots 

> Areas of economic and political bilateral relations between the U.S. and 

Turkey 

o Defense and Security Affair.; 

o Construction and Energy Security 

o Foreign Direct Investment 

o Pharmaceuticals 

o Agribusiness and Food Industries 

o Banking and Finance 

o Health 

o Information Technology and Telecommunications 

" Turkish Export Market 

" Bi-Iateral Trade Promotion 

" Turkish GovernmentIssues 

o Constitutional Court case 

o Secularism versus democracy 

o Management of Kurdish issues 

Meetings with Turkish Goyernment Officials 

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Other Officials of the Ministry 

Defense procurement issues with Undersecretary for National Defense (SSM) 

Local and Municipal Government Leaders 

Parliamentarians 
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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip. to Turkev 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Details 

Names and titles of each invitee and the reason for their selection (question 5 on 

both Senate and House form): ' 

House: 

Mr. lawrence J. Halloran 

Minority Staff Director 

House Committee on Oversight 

Ms. Helen Hardin 

Chief of Staff 

Office of Representative Zach Wamp «R-3rd TN) 

Mr. Kenneth Kraft 

Deputy Chief of Staff and Appropriations Counsel 

Office of Representative David L. Hobson (R7'" OH) 

Mr. Sean O'Brien 

legislative Director 

Office of Representative Heath Shuler (0-11'" NC) 

Mr. Walter Gozales 

Senior Policy Advisor 

Office of Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D_2nd MD) 

Senate: 

Mr. Paul Kong 

Legislative Director 

Office of Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 

Mr. Garrett Eucalitto 

Deputy Foreign Policy Legislative Assistant 

Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman (Independent-eT) 

Invited staffers are selectecl according to one or several of the following: 

Staffers from the Congressional offices of the members of The caucus on U.S.-Turkish 

Relations and Turkish Americans 

Offices of Representatives and Senators who follow issues with regards to Turkey and 

the region and let us know of their interest 

Names of interested parties are given to us by our membership 

Word-of-mouth recommendations from past trip participants from the House and Senate 

A balanced group of both Dernocrdlic and Republican offices are given opportunities to 

send Staff members on these trips 

2 
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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Details 

Description of each Sponsor organizing the trip and their interest in the purpose of 

the trip (questions 12 and 13 on both Senate and House forms): 

American-Turkish Council each year selects group of Congressional Staffers who are invited to 

visit Turkey. This is an educational trip that combines meetings with top-level Government of 

Turkey and parliamentarians, U.S. Embassy and Consulate officials, NGOs, and opportunities to 

visit some of the outstanding historical and cultural sights of the country. This trip also gives ATC 

an opportunity to show the achievements of Member US companies within Turkey such as power 

plants, factories, healthcare and educational facilities, joint ventures and other businesses. This 

is the eleventh year that the ATC is organizing this trip. 

American-Turkish Coundl: (A non-profit organization, is exempt from federal income taxation 

under Section 501 @6 of the Internal Revenue Code. Dues, contributions, or gifts to ATC are not 

tax deductible as chart table contributions. Howevet; they may be tax deductible as orpinary and 

necessary bUSiness expenses to the extent such contributions are not applied for the purposes of 

influencing legislation as tflat term is defined under the Internal Revenue Code.) 

As one of the leading business associations in the United States, American Turkish Council (ATC) 

is dedicated to strengthening US-Turkish relations through the promotion of commercial, 

defense, technology and cultural relations. Its diverse membership Includes Fortune 500, US and 

Turkish companies, m.ultinationals, nonprofit organizations and individuals with an interest in USTurkish relations. Guided by member interests, ATC strives to enhance the growing ties between 

the US and Turkey by initiating and facilitating efforts to increase investment and trade between 

the two countries. 

GOALS OF AMERICAN TURKISH COUNCIL 

• To help resolve problems and disputes that affect US-Turkish commercial, defense and cultural 

relations. 

• To encourage trade and investment between the United States and Turkey. 

• To educate the public and private sectors on the importance of the strategic alliance between 

the United States and Turkey. 

• To increase the understanding and appreciation of the history, culture and traditions of the 

United States and Turkey. 

• To promote awareness of US-Turkish issues.To facilitate dialogue between the govemment 

agencies of both Turkey and the United States and the private sector. 

Turkish Coalition of America: 

The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is an educational, charitable organization incorporated in 

February 2007. Based in Washington, D.C. , TCA's objectives are to: 

Educate the general public about Turkey and Turkish Americans and voice their opinion 

on critical issues to interested parties. 

Engage and cultivate a new generation of young politically activeTurkish American 

leaders. 

Promote and advance the interests of the Turkish American community and Turks. 

Foster friendship, understanding and cooperation between the United States and Turkey. 

Protect the character and ensure a realistic portrayal of Turkey and Turkish Americans in 

the media and the arts. 

Serve as a think tank of expertise and a clearinghouse of information on Turkey and 

Americans of Turkish descent. 

3 
32 


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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Details 

Identify and recognize the achievements of Turkish Americans in academia, arts, 

business, education, government, public service and sdence. 

In carrying out its mission, TCA is committed to building coalitions and working with all like 

minded organizations, based on shared values and goals, at local, state and national levelS 

through the sponsorship and organization of : 

Educational programs on Turkish American issues, Turkish heritage and Turkey. 

CiviC consdousness seminars on issues affecting Turkish Americans and the importance 

for Turkish Americans being involved in the political process. 

Scholarships and internship programs for Turkish Americans interested in political 

SCience, public administration and communication. 

Dissemination of news about the activities and achievements of Turkish Americans and 

the Turkish American perspective on critical issues. 

Educational and cultural tours of Turkey and the United States. 

Sister City relationships between Turkish and American cities. 

Reason for selecting the iocation of the trip (Question 17 on House form and 18 on 

Senate form): 

Every year the trip encompasses the capital dty of Ankara where meetings with the Government 

and Military offiCials are conducted, and Istanbul for the NGO and business communities. In 

order to give Staff members opportunity to see some of the vast diversity and cultural richness of 

Turkey and the delegation visits a third location in the country. This year we've chosen the 

antique dty of Patara, which has a unique historical relationship to the United States and is 

important for modern Turkey for its environmental activism and as a region rich in agriculture 

and land development. 

Name of hotel or other lodging facility (Question 18 on the House and 19 on the 

Senate form) 

Whenever possible ATe uses facilities owned or operated by ATe's members, as is the case with 

the Hyatt Hotel in Istanbul. It is the aim of ATe and TCA to make sure that the visitors return 

home with positive impressions. Proper and affordable lodging within the limits set by the USG's 

PJl[ l1iilln standards, creates a positive impression. 

4 
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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Details 

Monday August 4, 2008 

08:15 Depart Hotel for Breakfast with TCA & TCF 

08:30 Arrive at the Turkish Coalition of America and Turkish Cultural 

08:45 - 09:45 

10:00 - 11:00 

11:10 

11:30 - 13:30 

Foundation Offices 

Breakfast briefing with TCF & TCA Chairman & Officers 

Meeting with NGO's 

Depart Meeting for leaders of the minOrity community at Zeyrekhane 

Meeting with Leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian Communities & 

lunch 

MINORITY COMMUNmES IN TURKEY: 

The Empire of the Occident had ancient Rome as the capftal, while the Eastern Roman 

Empire, kept Constantinople as its capital. Western Rome did not survive this partition for a long 

time and the barbarians (Francs, Goths, lombardic, Norman) used the weakness of the 

Westerners, to Invade all territory and to enter Rome in 476. Roman Empire limited itself to its 

Eastern part, including the territories of the south of the Balkans, Southern Italy and Sicily, the 

north of Africa including Ttipolitaine, the Near East with Syria and Mesopotamia. In spite of the 

wars of succession, collapses of small regional States, the plagues, Eastem Roman Empire 

remained intact until 1453, the date when the Ottomans invaded Constantinople and put an end 

to the empire of the mIllennium. When Constantine moved the capital, he also deported a part of 

the population of Rome. The Latin language prevailed in the administration, in the court and in 

the middle classes, while Greek was spoken by the majority population of the city, the Balkans 

and Asia Minor. The capital had the name of New-Rome, in the course of the centuries, the Latin 

language disappeared replaced by Greek and the city was named Constantinople, after its 

founder, Constantine. Empire was multi-ethnic, just as the capital, but t\1e Greek language 

remained as the only administrative language used by almost aU the population until 1453. 

Constantinople remilined as the capital of powerful Ottoman Empire until the formation 

of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. The population of the Empire did not change radically, and the 

Greek language was still widely spread beSide Slavic and Turkish. Islam had made its appearance 

at the end of the XIth century, but Christianity held on strong until the territories of Ottoman 

Empire from the Arab countries of North Africa to the East of the Caucuses began converting to 

Islam. Multi-ethnicity and multi-religions were therefore two main characteristics of the Empire, 

from its creation and till its end in 1923. To manage this cosmopolitan population, Sultan Mehmet 

II gave statutes to four main nations of his empire. These statutes, which had only religious 

bases, envisaged a broad autonomy in the administration of communities. The Muslims fell 

directly under the authority of the sultan, himself admitted by the mOftO (religious authority), 

who also had the poSSibility of displacing the sultan; the Orthodox Christians had a leader and 

representative of the community, the Greek Patriarch who assembled in the Fener (Phanar) 

district of Constantinople; the Gregorian Christians had their own patriarchy, first established in 

the district of Samatya, then in Kumkapi. Finally, all Jews were under the authority of the Big 

Ottoman Rabbinate, which assembled in the district of Balat. Every Cbmmunity kept its 

instituti9ns and its particular language: Turkish - Ottoman for the Muslims, Greek for the 

Orthodoxes, Armenian for the Gregorian, and Judaeo-Spanish for the Jews (also known as 

Ladino), from 1492 onwards. Later, other "nations" were admitted by the Ottoman State. The 

Ottoman system of "nations", allowed the Romans to keep Greek language and orthodox 

Christian religion. It is noted by historian today that if it had not been for this particular system, 

the Greek language would have the same fate as that of Latin, and would have disappeared. 

(, 
34 


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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Oetails 

In 1829-30, the Peloponnese declared independence, which later became the Kingdom of 

Greece. Always supported by Russia and the Balkan States, this small kingdom several times 

went to war against the ottoman Empire whldl, umk, tilleats of the foreign powers, left large 

territories between 1876 and 1912 (Thessalie, Epire of the South, Macedonia, Western Thrace 

and Crete). However, the last Greek offensive against the Empire was a disaster. Indeed, after 

Ottoman defeat in the conflict of 1914-18, the imperialist armies (England, France, Italy) 

occupied all of the Ottoman territories, with the aim of distributing it among themselves. Greece, 

with the downstream part of Great Britain, had annexed the oriental Thrace to Silivri (to 40 km of 

the capital), but especially the city of Smyrne (Izmir) and the neighbouring provinces. 

Encouraged by the orthodox populations of the region, the Greek army attacked the rest of the 

Asia Minor and fought with the Turkish revolutionary army. Defeat was disasterous for the 

Greeks, who were deriven out of Izmir by the Turks. In 1922 Greece Signed the capitulation and 

in 1923, Greece and the Turkish Republic signed the Treaty of Lausanne, which determined the 

borders of the new Turkish State and Greece. This was followed by an exchange of populations. 

The Greeks of Muslim origin let Greece, while Greek population of Anatolia and Thrace returned 

to Greece. This exchangE' of population between both countries, displaced a total of two million 

Greeks, with millions of Muslims of the caucasus and the Balkans, who took refuge in the new 

Turkish Republic. Since 19:;3, the Greeks of Turkish nationality together with the other minorities 

IMng in Turkey, benefit from a specific status, which allows them to keep their culture, language, 

schools, and religious institutions. This status admitted by the Treaty of Lausanne, is based on 

the Ottoman system c>C'nations". 

Throughout history, hundreds, thousands, millions of people lived in Anatolia, the present 

day Turkey. At times, their existence was marked by battles, and at others, peace reigned. The 

Armenians were among the inhabitants of this rich and vast area, which over the centuries was 

ruled by the Persians, Macedonians, Seljuks, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs. When the Turks 

gained sovereignty over Anatolia, in 1071, fighting gradually diminished and Byzantine 

persecution left its place to the just, tolerant, humanitarian and unifying beliefs and traditions of 

the Seljuks. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who put an end to Byzantine rule in 1453, allowed 

the foundation of the Armenian Patriarchate, an unprecedented move for the Armenians to whom 

he granted freedom of conscience and faith. The transformation of the Armenian Episcopate in 

Western Anatolia to the Istanbul Patriarchate, following a decree he issued in 1461, is clear 

evidence of the vision and tolerance displayed by Mehmed and of the subsequent ottoman 

Sultans toward other faiths. 

As a matter of fact, the present day Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II was quoated by 

saying: ' We can duly grasp the significance of tolerance between different religions and cultures, 

as well as the value of this incident dating back to 538 years, by taking into account the tensions 

witnessed throughout the world on the threshold of a new millennium, the ongoing wars beyond 

our borders in particular." 

following the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, Turco-Armenian relations 

continued excellently until the end of the 19th century. In fact, Armenians were by far, the 

greatest beneficiaries of the opportunities offered by the Ottoman Empire to all industrious, 

efficient, honest and productive subjects of the non-muslim communities. Being exempted from 

the military service and to a great extent from taxation, the Armenians had the opportunity to 

make headway in trade, agriculture, craftsmanship and administration, and by reason of their 

loyalty to the Empire, as well as their ability to intermingle with other subjects, they had duly 

attained the title of 'loyal people' 

Today the Armenians continue to enjoy the "nations" status given to all the minorities 

during the Ottoman Empire. They are the largest Christian minority, over than 100,000, living in 

present day Turkey. 

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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Details 

Of the 25,000 Jews living in Turkey, 22,000 of them reside in Istanbul. Most of them are 

ancestors of those expelled from Spain in 1492, and offered a safe haven by the Sultan Mehmet. 

Although they are Orthodox Jews, their practices are a bit different. They do not belong to a 

synagogue - only to the Jewish community. OVerall, there are seventeen synagogues in Istanbul 

and most of them are still active. The most important of these are the Neve Salom Synagogue, 

the Askenazi Synagogue, the Ahrida (Ohrida) Synagoue, the Sisli and Ortakoy Synagogues. Jews 

are active in every aspect of Turkish life: education, politiCS, media, finandng, the arts, and trade 

and commerce. 

13:45 

14:30 - 17:30 

17:30 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

22:00 

Depart Zeyrekhane for Sultanahmet 

Visit to the HistorIcal sites in Sultanahmet including the Topkapi Palace, 

Hagia Sophia, Museum of Islamic Art & Archeology 

Depart for the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for the Kabatas Dock 

Board boat at Kabatas for dinner with the Business community in 

Istanbul 

Arrive at Kabatas Dock and depart for Hotel 

Tuesday August 5, 2008 

07:30 Check out from Hotel and depart for the US Consulate General 

08:00 - 09:00 '-- Breakfast Meetin9 with the US Consul General and Officers of the 

09:15 

09:45 - 11:00 

11:10 

11:45 - 13:30 

13:30 

14:00 

15:00 

16:00 

ANKARA: 

Consulate 

Depart Consulate for Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control HQ 

Briefing and visit at the BSTC HQ 

Depart· BSTC HQ for luncheon meeting with TUSKON Board and 

members at their HQ 

Meeting & Lunch at TUSKON (Confederation of Businessmen & 

Industrialist) at their Sisli HQ 

Depart TUSKON for the Airport 

Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport 

Depart Istanbul for Ankara on TK 128 

Arrive at Ankara Esenboga Airport 

Ankara lies deep within the heartland, protected and insulated from uninvited guests. 

Atatiirk chose Ankara as the political capital for his new republic. While Istanbul was the seat of 

an imperial and dissolute empire, he saw Ankara as the dean-slate capital of an entirely new 

Turkish state. In the 80 years since AtatUrk rode in on a dirt road and literally lifted Ankara out 

of the ashes, the dty has established itself as the political and cultural center of Turkey. 

Ankara is almost exclusively geared toward sustaining all elements of the national 

government, a wide-ranging population of foreign ambassadors, visiting dignitaries, local 

politidans, nnd politically minded business enterprises. It also boasts a number of prestigious 

universities and technical colleges, as well as the largest library in the country. 

Ankara is a center for opera, ballet, jazz, and modern dance, and is home of the 

Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the State Theatre, and the State Opera and Ballet. Ankara has 

transformed from the quiet center of the Turkish Republic to a city of more than three million and 

a hub of non-stop activity. The dty is bubbling over with new construction, chic restaurants, 

cozy cafes, and daufing nightlife. 

16:30 

17:30 

19:30 

20;00 - 22:00 

Depart Ankara Airport for Hotel 

Check in to the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Kale Washington Restaurant 

Briefing and Dinner with TABA (Turkish-American Business Association) 

8 
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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program & Details 

and the Press at Kale Washington 

Wednesday August 6, 2008 

07:45 Breakfast at Hotel 

08:45 Depart Hotel for Anitkabir 

ATATURK'S MAUSOLEUM - ANITKABIR 

In an imposing position in the Anittepe quarter of the dty stands the Mausoleum of 

Mustafa Kemal AtatUrk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Completed in 1953, it represents the 

fusion of ancient and modem architectural ideas and was at its building considered the best of 

modern Turkish architecture. There is a museum housing a superior statue of Atatilrk, writings, 

letters and other items belonging to AtatUrk, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording 

important moments in his life and the establishment of the Republic. 

Construction of Anitkabir commenced on 9 October 1944 with a splendid ceremony by 

laying the first stone of the foundation. Construction of Anitkabir took nine years in four stages. 

You will be expected to sign its book of visitors with an appropriate note of respect. 

09:30 - 10:00 

10:00 - 10:30 

10:30 

11:00 

12:00 

Wreath laying Ceremony and the signing of the Official Visitors Book 

VIsit the Mausoleum Museum 

Depart Anitkabir for the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) 

Meeting with Mr. Murad Bayar, Undersecretary of SSM 

- Depart SSM for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) 

Since the inception of the Republic, the vision and principles of the founder of the 

Republic, AtatUrk (meaning Father of the Turks, a name given to him by the people), have 

guided Turkish foreign policy and his maxim "peace at home, peace in the world" continues to 

constitute the fundamental objective of Turkish foreign policy. The Republic of Turkey is now 

represented by 162 missions throughout the world. These missions comprise of 93 EmbaSSies, 11 

Permanent Missions to international organizations, and 58 Consulate Generals. 

Serving under the leadership of the former Minister for the Economy the 41" t4inister of 

Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Ali Babacan, the Turkish Foreign Service consists of 

approximately 90 diplomats who conduct and promote Turkey's international political, economic 

and cultural relations in its region and beyond. 

For nearly half a century, NATO ally Turkey was a bulwark in NATO's Cold War policy of 

containment against the Soviet Union. While Turkey's relations with Russia are good today, 

issues throughout Turkey's region make it no less important for U.S. foreign and national security 

policy. Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East Peace Initiative, Aegean Affairs, Syria, Kurdish policy 

and the PKK, the Turkish states of Central Asia - all are issues of U.S.-Turkey diplomatic 

discussion and exchange. 

12:30 - 13:50 

14:00 

14:00 - 15:00 

15:00 

16:00 - 17:00 

17:00 18:00 

18:00 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Luncheon Briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Depart MFA for US Embassy 

Briefing at the US Embassy 

Depart Embassy for ASAM (Eurasian Strategic Research Center) 

Meeting and Lecture at ASAM on US-Turkish Relations 

Reception 

Depart ASAM for Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with ATe Corporate Members at Tike Restaurant 

Thursday August 7, 2008 

07: 00 Breakfast & Checkout from Hotel 

07:15 Depart for Ankara Airport 

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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program &. Details 

09:00 

10:00 

11:45 

13:05 

13:30 

16:30 

17:00 

19:00 - 21:30 

PATARA: 

Depart Ankara for Istanbul on TK 113 

Arrive at Istanbul Airport 

Depart Istanbul on TK 216 to Dalaman 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman for Patara, Kalkan by bus 

Arrive at Patara 

Check in to Hotel 

Dinner with former Congressman Steve Solarz and Dr. Yale!n Ayasli, 

Chairman ofTCA and TCF (Turkish Cultural Foundation) 

The antique city of Patara emerged at the turn of the 21st Century thanks to an 

archeological team led by Akdeniz University Professors Fahri Isik and Havva Iskan Isik. It has a 

unique political relationship to the United States. Recently the archeological team unearthed an 

ancient parliament buitding in Patara -- the meeting place of the first federal republic in recorded 

human history. Authors of the Federalist papers made at least two Specific references to the 

lydan ledgue as an example of the federal structre of government they envisioned for the 

United States. 

The unearthed parliament building, called the Bouleuterion, housed representatives of at 

least twenty-three city-states of the Lycian league, which existed along the Mediterranean coast 

of Turkey from about 167 BC until 400 AD. The archeological team has rescued numerous 

buildings and items from the sand and scrub brush, beSides the Bouleuterion parliament building, 

induding: a large necropolis; a Roman bath; a sizeable semicircular theater; a sprawling main 

avenue leading to the market square; a Byzantine basilica (one of 22 churches once packed into 

Patara); one of the world's oldest lighthouses; and a fortified wall. 

Modern-day Patara sports what the london Sunday Times decribes as one of the world's 

best beaches and a nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtie, locally known as the -Caretta 

Caretta. During the turtle hatching season environmentalists from all around the world, come to 

Patara where the eggs and nesting sites of the Carelta Caretta turtles are protected and 

pemlanenl structures on the coast forbidden. 

Friday August 8, 2008 

08:30 Breakfast at the Hotel 

09:30 Depart Hotel for the Lycian City of Patara 

10:30 - 12:30 Visit and lecture at the site where the Federalists papers originated (see 

attached document describing in detail the importance of this site for the 

origins of American Democracy) 

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch at Patara 

13:30 - 14:30 Visit the site where the endangered Loggerhead Turtles lay their eggs 

This project is supported by UNEP & WWF. 

14:45 Depart Palara to visit Organic Farms and production facilities within the 

region 

15:30 -17:00 

17:00 

19:30 

20:00 - 22:00 

Visit to the Organic Farms 

Depart for Patara 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with the local Municipal authorities 

Saturday August 9,2008 

08:40 Depart Hotel for Kas (Lycian city of Habesos) 

10:30 Arrive at Kas and visit the ancient ruins of the city 

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch at Kale Island Restaurant 

13:30 Depart Kale for Dalaman Airport 

17:45 Arrive at Dalaman Airport > 

19:30 Depart Dalaman Airport for Istanbul on TK 219 

10 
38 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 44 HR176.031

ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program &. Details 

20:S0 

21:1S 

Arrive in Istanbul Airport 

Depart Airport for Hotel 

Sunday August 10, 2008 

04:00 Breakfast & Oleckout 

04:15 Depart Hotel for Airport 

05:55 Depart on LH 3345 for Frankfurt 

07:55 Arrive at Frankfurt Airport 

09:55 Depart Frankfurt for DC on LH 416 

13:00 Arrive at Washington Dulles Airport 

II 
39 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 45 HR176.032

U.S. House of Representatives 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 

PRIVATELY SPONSORED TRAVEL: TRAVELER FORM 

For Members, Officers and Employees 

(submit directly to the Committee) 

This fOlm should be completed by House Members, officers or employees seeking Committee approval 

of privately-sponsored travel or reimbursement for travel under House Rule XXV, clause 5. "Inc 

completed fonn should be submitted directly to the Conunittee by each invited House Member. offieer or 

employee, together with the completed and signed Private Sponsor Travel Certification Fonn. 

Members. officers and employees seeking approval for travel are urged to submit all forms to the 

Committee at least 30 days hefore Irrrvel is scheduled to begin. The failure to provide the Conunittee 

with adequate time to review the fonn and attachments may result in the invitee not receiving approval 

for the trip. A copy of this (orm will be made available for public inspection. Please type form. Form 

(alld allY attachments) may be faxed to the LO/nfl/ittee (It (202) 225-7392. 

I. Name of Member, officer or employee (traveler): ..c.:..=c....:.===-..... _____________ _ 

2. Sponsor(s) (who will be paying for the trip): ~~erican Turkish Council and Turkish Coalition of Amerl<:il... 

3. Travel destination(s): ____ -' ___ . _______________ . __________________________ ._ 

4. 8_ Dates of travel: 

b. Will you be extending the trip at your personal expense? [J Yes IB1l No 

If yes, dates at personal expense: ____ .. _______________________________ _ 

5. a. Name of accompanying family member (if any): n_/a ___________ _ 

b. Relationsbip to Member/Officer: JJ. Spouse [J Chlld..o.. Other (specify): _____ _ 

6. a. Did the trip sponsor answer "yes" to Question9(c) on the Trip SE5'nsor form (i.e., the travel is 

being sponsored by an entity that employs a lobbyist)? [Jyes Il1l No 

b. If yes, check one oflhe following: 

(1) Approval for one-night's lodging and meals is being requested: [Jm: • 

(2) Approval for two-nights' lodging and meals is being requested: [] 

If"(2)" is checked, explain why the second night is warranted: ___ . _________ _ 

7. Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form is attached, including agenda, invitee list. and any other 

attachments (indicate that form is aI/ached by checking box): itEJ 
40 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 46 HR176.033

8. Explain why participation in the tlip is connected 10 your official or representational duties: 

I':::.~~~~_le Congressman's Intclhgen~~and t-oreign Affairs work. We are examining US-Turkey Relations 1ft; 

9. I certifY that the information contained in this fonn is Ime, complete, and correct to tIle best of my 

knoWledge.. . _________ . 

Signalurc:~L)~ _______________ _ 

Name of Signatory (ifother than traveler): ________________ _ 

For staff, name of employing MemberfCommittee:,<:ongressman CA Dutch Ruppersberger 

Office address: 

Phone numbe" 

Email address: 1III!!!!!!!!!!!!IIIIIIII'!')maiLhouse."-go"-v'--_____________ _ 

NOTE: Yon mnst complete the conlact information fields above, as Committee staff may need 

contact you if additional infonnation is required. 

FOR STAFF: 

TO BE COMPLETED By YOUR EMPLOYING MEl\ffiER: 

[ hereby authorize the individual nameo above, an employee of the U.S. House of Representatives who 

works 'mder my direct supervision, to accept expenses for the trip described in this request. I have 

dctennined that th" above-described travel is in connection with my employee's official duties and that 

acceptance of these expenses will not create the appearance thallhe employee is using public office for 

private gain. 

If there are any questions regarding this form please contact the Committee; 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 

U.S. House of Represenlatives 

HT-2, The Capitol 

Washington, DC 20515 

(202}225-7103 (phone) 

(202) 225-7392 (fax) 

IlersiOIl date 912007 by Committee on Standards a/Official Conduct 

2 
41 


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STEPHANIE Tueas JONeS, OHIO 

CHAIRWOMAN 

GF.NI;: GREeN, TFXA!) 

LUClU.E ROYBAL AU.MO, r..AUf{)RNI.A. 

MICHAEL F. DOYLE, I'ENNSYlVI\NIA 

WJtllAM D. OEI.J\HtlNT. MASSACHUSETTS 

WJlLfAMV.O'REIllY, 

CHIEF COUNSElIS1AfF OIREl-,OR 

DAWN KEllY MOSLEY, 

COUNSEL TO THE CHAIRWOMAN 

Mr. Walter Gonzales 

ONE HUNDRED TENTII CONGRESS 

m.~.1J;)oU5t of l\tprtstntatibts 

COMMITTEE ON STANOARDS OF 

OFFICIAL CONDUCT 

WiIIlllifjillgtoll,19€ 20515-6328 

July 11, 2008 

Office of the Honorable C. A. Dutch Ruppcrsbcrger 

1730 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Mr. Gonzales: 

UOC HASrlNGS, WA..'>HINGTON 

flANKING REPURllr.AN MEMBER 

.JO BONNER, AlARAMA 

J.GllESIiM4 aARRf.:Tf,SOl.fTHCMOUNA 

JOHN KllNE, MINNE:>Ol"A 

MICHAEl 1. Mt:(:AUI~ lEXAS 

TO!)!) UNGfRECUT 

COUNSFL TOniE RANKING 

REPlJaUCAN Mf.MBEn 

SUITE: l-fht, TIlE CAPITOL 

!2tI2)n&·'/lVJ 

Pursuant to House Rule XA'V, clause 5(d)(2), thc Committee on Standards of 

Official Conduct hereby approves your proposed trip to Turkey scheduled for August 2 to 

10, 2008 spollsored'1Jy the American-Turkish Council and the Turkish Coalition of 

America. 

You must complete an Employee Travel Disclosure Pornl (which your employing 

Member mlL,t also sign) and file it with tile Clerk of the I louse within 15 days alter your 

return from travel. As part orthat filing, you are required to attach a copy of this letter and 

the Private Sponsor Travel Certification Fonn, including all attachments. You must also 

include a copy of the Traveler Fonm completed by you and signed by your employing 

Member. Tfyon are required to file an allnual Financial Disclosure Statement, youlmmt also 

report all travel expenses totaling more than $335 from a single source on Schedule vn of 

that statement. 

Because the trip may involve meetings with foreign government representatives, 

we note that House employees may accept, under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Aet, 

gilts "of minimal value [currently $335J tendered as a souvenir or mark of courtesy" by a 

fordga government. Any tangible girls valued in ~xcess of$335 rcccrveo trom d foreign 

government must, within 60 days of acceptance, be turned over to the Clerk of the House 

and disclosed on a Fonm for Disclosing Gifts from Foreign Governments. 

If you have any further questions, please contact the Committee'.,; Office of Advice 

and Education a . 5-7 

Sincerely, 

Ranking Republican Member 

STJ/Dll:trs 
42 


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EXHIBIT 2 
43 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 49 HR176.036

B!I!To 

American-Turkish Council 

1111 14th Strcet, N,W, 

Suite 1050 

Washington, DC 2000S 

Turkish Coalition of AmedeE'-

G, Lincoln McCurdy 

1025 Connecticut Ave, NW Ste 1000 

Washington, DC 20036 

USA 

Quantlty 

-- I 2008 Staffers Trip sponsorship 

Invoice I 0[2: due immediately 

Thank you for your sron~or'3hip. 

,--, , 

I 

I 

Description 

Invoice 

~u~,,~!~,~~l) 

BY! .... 0h::f: .. ::~,.~?~ .. {I!.¥ 

P,Q,No -- I Terms I Project 

I I Rate Amount 

20,000.00 20,000,00 

Total ,120,000,00 

Turkish Coalition of America 

13 

TC~0019 
44 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 50 HR176.037

American~ Turkish Council 

1111 14th Street, N,W, 

Suite 1050 

Washington, DC 20005 

Bi!JTo ~"- t::- Tm:-:-7"kiSh::-'Co,Ii"'-,ion--;:-;-of Am--:-,,,,,,-'-- 'l!li, G, LincQln McCurdy 

1025 ConnC"cticut Ave, NW Ste 1000 

Washington. DC 20036 

USA 

I Description 

2008 Staffers Trip sponsorship 

Invoice 2 of2: Due August I, 2008 

I 

I 

! 

I 

Th,mk yO" for yo"r 'P0nsorship .. 

L_ 

I 

I 

Invoice 

P,O.No. I Terms I Project "''-

I I Rate Amount 

15,nOO,Oo 15,{)OO.OO 

$15,OOQ,OO 

Turkish Coalition of America 

N 
45 


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EXHIBIT 3 

Insert graphic folio 52 HR176.039sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS

... 

.. 

b. 

'i 

c:J 

I):> 

o 

1:55PM 

02116113 

Accrual Basis 

Bill 

BiU 

Bill 

Turkish Coalition of America, Inc. 

Profit & Loss Detail 

January 2007 through December 2009 

Type Date Num Name 

7256 • Study Tour to Turitey Grants 

21112008 Community College .. , 

4/812009 Community College .. 

12/1112009 Meldan Tamissl 

Total n56 . Study Tour to Turkey Grants 

7275 • Sponsorships 

41112007 Invl L 

41212007 InV#L 4123/2007 

412312007 412512007 

512/2007 

51612007 512912007 612512007 

7/3012007 

11/1712007 

111412008 

111712008 

3/412008 

411/2008 

4nJ2008 

41712008 

41712008 

611012008 

7/112008 7/1012008 

81112008 

11/1212008 12111/2008 

11912009 484 

2f1B12009 501 

311112009 527 

4/2012009 

512812009 

6/3/2009 

81312009 

9/812009 

9/2812009 

10/13/2009 

1011912009 

1111312009 11127/2009 12/2112009 

Tota! n75 . Sponsorships 

TASSA 

American Friends of .. . 

US House Members .. . 

US House Members .. . 

AsSOCiation for Safe .. , 

USAFMC 

Istanbul Unv. Alumn,.. 

Turkish..J\merican C .. _ 

C, .. 

USAFMC 

The George Washin ... 

Istanbul Un". Alumn." 

American Friends of... 

United Nations Dele ... USAFMC 

C ... 

IUMEZUSA 

TASSA 

ASIRT 

Ulduoz Bereniforoush 

C .. . 

American·Turkish C .. . 

American Friends of .•. 

IUMEZUSA 

USAFMC 

USAFMC 

USAFMC 

IUMEZUSA 

Azerbaijan America ... 

ASIRT 

CIEE 

Congressionall-ftsp". 

Howard University J ... 

Turk of America, Inc. 

IUMEZUSA IUMEZUSA 

Azerbaijan Society ." 

IUMEZUSA 

Memo 

Grant..community College of Philidelphia 

Grant-Community College of Philidelphia 

TCA Turkey Faculty Tour-Nov. 2009 

Sponsorship ofTAS$A 2007 Annual Conference 

Contribution for AFOT 25th Gala Oinner 

Sponsorship of Members Dinning 

Sponsorship of Members Dinning 

Contribution for ASIRTs Wortd Dinner 

Program Services of Congressional Study Group on TUrMY 

Sponsorship of Meh.mgeons Event Sponsorship of Annual Gala Dinner 

Sponsorship of ATC Programs 

Program Services of Congressional Study Group on Turkey 

Sponsorship for Event of TurkISh Student Association 

Golden Sponsorship of "Connection of Native Americans <> Contribution 

Sponsorship for Women for Peace Project 

4th Annual Statesmanship Award Dinner 

Sponsorship of ATC Programs 

Sponsorship..Desperate Hours 

Sponsorship of TASSA 2009 Annual Conference 

Gala Evening 2008 

TUSfAOffCA Summer Internship 

Sponsorship for ATCrrCA Congressional Tour 

Sponsorsn!p for ATCrrCA Congressional Tour 

Senator Hagel Event 

Sponsorship-Ahiska Turks Event 

Contribution to USAFMC Congressional Study Group on ... Contribution to USAFMC Congressional Study Group on ... Congressional Study Group to Turkey 

Korean War Vets Event 

Pax Turcica Conference 

Gala Evening 2009 

StUdy Abroad Conference 

Social Event 

TCA Event-Music Entertainment 

Sponsorship 

Donation for Mary Tasch! 

Sponsorship 

Jewishffurkic Event 

Ataturk Conference 

Amount 

2,000.00 

3,000.00 

1,236,28 

6,236.28 

1,000.00 

5,000,00 

180.72 

56.10 

400.00 

40,000.00 

4SO.00 

5,000.00 

8,SOO,00 

86,000.00 

SOO.OO 

3,000.00 

250.00 

250.00 

10,000.00 

6,000.00 

2,500.00 

5,000.00 

500.00 

750.00 

20,000.00 

15,000,00 

3,000.00 

4,000.00 

15,000.00 15,000.00 13,000.00 

3,000.00 

4,000.00 

500.00 

1,000.00 

250.00 

600.00 

10,000.00 

3,000.00 

3,000.00 

4,000.00 

5,000.00 

272,696-62 

Balance 

2,0

5,0

6,2

6,2

1,0

8,0

6,1

6,26,6

46.647,0

52,0

58,5

124,5

125,0

128,0128,3128,5138,5

144,5

147,0

152.0

152,5

153,3

173,3

186,3

191,3

195,3

210,3225,3238,3

241,3245,3

245,8

246,8

247,0

247,6

257,6

260,6263,6

267,6

... 

272,6

TurkISh Coalition of America IS 
47 


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EXHIBIT 4 
48 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 54 HR176.041

CONFIDENTIAL 

t 

" !l 

'" 

] 

'Vi 

i 

u 

~ 

~ 

-a 

';l 

Vi 

u 

!;: 

.3 

'5 

Insert graphic folio 55 HR176.042sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS

.. 

6: 

QI '0 ?:; ,0 8 

ex> 

w 

CongreSSIonal Staff Top 2Q08 

Budget fOf e Staffers 

VersIOnS 

EXrwns('-

Cabs & Parking 

Cn,·rmg flild !\kab 

GiftS 

l!ott'!s Totals 

Misc. 

Posttlg(' and Courwr 

Pnnting and Graphic:' 

Supplies 

Tdephone 

Bu$.('S 

Tram;-portauon Tot,,! Totnl Expen"e 

I!)"T- ANI\-PATARA 

350..,00 

!:IJ)O(tOO 

300.00 

2029G.OO 

us Airports for Staffers and ATC Start as w€"11 as 

Turk('y. 

fiJI' 

governm<'flt offidals and others hosts 

Tips for Drivers, Waiters. HatE'1 Service Shiff. Guide F(>E'5. Museum Entr',mc{> 

___ ,,,5,,,Q.,,,00,,- Postage lor invitations. courie-r to pick up !)taffer passports 

__ ...;61loo!!l.,l1ooIL Designing and Printing the Progroms fOf Staffers and Sponsors __ -=:25",0".00,,- Office supplies 

600.00 

-1.675.00 

21,904.00 

G:J.07.5J)O 

2014 
50 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 56 HR176.043

e 

£ ~ 

~ ~ 

] 

.;; 

~ ;"; 

,E. 

E 

~ 

~ 

" 

~ 

·i 

g 

~ ~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

~ @' 1 .... 

li- :2 "'li 

"'" 

~~~ R 

~i~ ~ 

8"~ t: 
51 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 57 HR176.044

I) 

~ 

"0 

-;,;: 

~ 

~ y 

t e "' g ~ 1:' .., ~ ., c <: 

~ i 

i i g ~ @ 

~ ~ 

j 

~ 

5 

~ 9 

" "~ 

~i "§ 

~~ .:;:; 

g~ Ji 

ilis'" ~ 'p " ~ g> ~ ~ Sal~ " 
52 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 58 HR176.045

EXHIBIT 5 
53 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 59 HR176.046

ATC_0215 

13-584lL0033 
54 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 60 HR176.047

CORPORATE SPONSOR 

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS 
55 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 61 HR176.048

r~'[1 II ,\\ I: R I t\ N 

T U R K I \ II 

C\lUNCIL 

000127 

ATC_0217 

13-5845_0035 
56 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 62 HR176.049

Trip Program Summary 

Objectives & Topics 

Delegation List 

Dally Programs 

Saturday, August 2, 2008 

Sunday, August 3, 2008 

Monday, August 4, 2008 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 

Wednesday, August 6. 2008 

1hursday, August 7, 2008 

Friday. August 8, 2008 

Saturday, August 9. 2008 

Sunday, August 10, 2008 

Hotel & Contact Information 

Delegation Biographies 

About American Turkish Council (ATC) 

Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) 

plO 

plO 

plO 

pI6 

pI8 

p20 

p21 

p21 

p22 

p04 

p08 

p09 

plO 

p23 

p24 

p34 

p36 

The Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkish Relations & Turkish Americans p37 

ATC Member Company Briefs p39 

Articles & Other Information p45 

Turkey in 2008: The U.S .• the EU and the Future 

Turkish Economy Brief 

Today's Zaman Article 

p45 

p5I 

p52 

Brief Defense 6- Security AjJ. Perspective on U.S.-Turkish Relations p53 

Information about Palara 6- the Federalist Papers 

Agriculture Trade Statistics 

INDEX 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

p57 

p65 

p80 
57 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 63 HR176.050

000129 

rf'~ 1tf$:~~~ V\., i 

TRIP PROGRAM SUMMARY 

Saturday, August 2,2008 

20:00 

21:54 

Meet at the United Airlines International Flight Desk at Dulles Airport 

Depart Washington Dulles Airport for Frankfurt on LH 9253 

Sunday, August 3, 2008 

11 :45 ArriVe at Frankfurt Rhein Main Airport 

13:20 

16:55 

17:20 

18;15 

19:30 

20:00 

Depart Frankfurt for Istanbul on LH 3342 

Arrive at istanbul AtatUrk Airport 

Depart Airport for the Hyatt Hotel 

Check into the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner at Anemon Restaurant in Galata 

Monday, August 4, 2008 

08: 15 Depart Hotel for Breakfast with Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) and 

Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) 

08:30 

08:45 - 09:45 

10:00 - II :00 

11:10 

11 :30 - 13;30 

13:45 -14:10 

14:15 

14:30 - 17:30 

17;30 

19;00 

19;30 - 22;00 

22;00 

Arrive at the TCA & TCF Offices 

Breakfast briefing with TCF & TCA Chairman & Officers 

Meeting with NGO's at TCF 

Depart TCA for meeting with the leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian 

Minority Communities 

Meeting with Leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian Communities & 

Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif 

Visit Kariye Museum 

Depart Kariye for Sultanahme! 

Visit to historical sites in Sultanahmet including the Topkapl Palace, 

Hagia Sophia, Museum of Islamic Art & Archeology and the Grand Bazaar 

Depart for the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with the Business Community in istanhul Hosted by 

Turkish-American Business Association (TABA ) 

Depart for the Hotel 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 

07:30 Check out from Hotel and Depart for the u.s. Consulate General 

08;00 - 09:00 Breakfast Meeting with the u.s. Consul General & Officers of the Consulate 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
58 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 64 HR176.051

09:15 

09:45 - 11:00 

11:00 

12:00 13:30 

13:30 

14:00 

15;00 

16:00 

16:30 

17:30 

19:30 

20:00 

Depart Consulate for Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control HQ (BSTC) 

Briefing and Visit at the BSTC HQ 

000130 

Depart BSTC HQ for Luncheon Meeting with Confederation of 

Businessmen & Industrialists (TUSKON) Board and Members at their HQ 

Meeting & Lunch at TUSKON at their Si~li HQ 

Depart TUSKON for the Airport 

Arrive at Istanbul AtatUrk Airport 

Depart Istanbul for Ankara on TK 128 

Arrive at Ankara Esenboga Airport 

Depart Ankara Airport for Mega Residence Hotel 

Hotel check-in 

Depart Hotel for Kale <;:engelhan Restaurant 

Briefing and Dinner with the Press hosted by Turkish-American 

Business Association (TABA) at Kale <;:engelhan Restaurant 

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 

07:30 Depart Hotel for the u.s. Ambassador's Residence 

07:45 - 09:00 

09:00 

09:30 - 10:30 

10:30 - 11 :30 

11:45 

12:15 - 13:50 

13:50 

14:30 

15:30 

16:00 - 17:00 

17:00 18:00 

18:00 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Breakfast Briefing with Ambassador Ross Wilson and the u.s. Embassy 

Officials at the Residence 

Depart Residence for Amtkabir 

Wreath Laying Ceremony and the Signing of the Official Visitors Book 

Visit the Mausoleum Museum 

Depart Anttkabir for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 

Luncheon Briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Depart the MFA for Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) 

Meeting with Mr. ismail Tohumcu, Deputy Undersecretary of 

National Defense (SSM) 

Depart SSM for Eurasian Strategic Research Center (ASAM) 

Meeting and Roundtable discussion at ASAM on u.S.-Turkish Relations 

with Government Officials and the Academia 

Reception at ASAM 

Depart ASAM for Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Trilye Restaurant 

Dinner with ATC Corporate Members at Trilyc Restaurant hosted by NTF 

Construction 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
59 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 65 HR176.052

Thursday, August 7,2008 

07:00 Breakfast & Checkout from the Hotel 

07:15 

09:00 

10:00 

1l:45 

13:05 

13:30 

16:30 

17:00 

19:00 - 21:30 

Depart Hotel for Ankara Airport 

Depart Ankara for Istanbul on TK 113 

Arrive at istanbul Airport 

Depart istanbul on TK 216 to Dalaman 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman for Patara. Kalkan by Bus 

Arrive at Kalkan 

Check in to Patara Princess Hotel 

Dinner with the delegation at the Marina 

Friday, August 8, 2008 

08:30 - 09:30 Breakfast at the Hotel 

09:30 Depart Hotel for Patara Excavation Site 

10:30 - 12:30 

12:30 - 13:30 

13:30 - 14:30 

14:45 

15:30 - 17:00 

17:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Visit and Lecture at the Site of Ancient Patara 

(a Member of the Lydan League) 

Lunch at Patara 

Visit UNEP & WWF project for Endangered Loggerhead Turtles 

Depart Patara to Visit Organic Farms 

Visit to the Organic Farms and Production Facilities 

Depart for the Hotel 

Reception and Dinner with the Local Municipal Authorities at the Hotel 

Saturday, August 9,2008 

08:30 - 09:30 Breakfast Meeting with Former Congressman Steve Solarz and 

Dr. Yal~m Ayash 

09:45 Depart Hotel for Ka~ (Lycian city of Habesos) 

10:30 

12:30 - 13:30 

13:30 

17:45 

19:30 

20:50 

21:15 

Arrive at Ka~ and visit the Ancient Ruins of Kekova 

Lunch at Kale Island Restaurant 

Depart Kale for Dalaman Airport 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman Airport for Istanbul on TK 219 

Arrive in istanbul Airport 

Depart Airport for Hotel 

000131 

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Sunday, August 10,2008 

04:00 

04:15 

05:55 

07:55 

09:55 

13:00 

NOTES 

Breakfast & Checkout 

Depart Hotel for Airport 

Depart on LH 3345 for Frankfurt 

Arrive at Frankfurt Airport 

Depart Frankfurt for DC on LH 416 

Arrive at Washington Dulles Airport 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

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OBJECTIVES and TOPICS 

000133 

C01"I"'If'r-. I 

I"~ II:'!,: II! IVl..ll, . 

Objectives for CongressIonal Staffers 

Promote and enhance the U.S.-Turkey relationship. 

Engage in dialogue with Senior Turkish government officials, u.s. Embassy representatives, 

NGOs, and Turkish business executives. 

Experience the heritage. landscape and overall cultural richness of Turkey. 

Observe first-hand the workings of the Turkish business community and government. 

Understand the political. cultural and sodal dynamics of Turkey and its region. 

Gain valuable information and insight from the Turkish media. 

Overview of PotentIal Briefing Topics 

Strengths and weaknesses of Turkey's current economic and political situation 

International issues central to Turkish foreign relations 

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan and implications for the surrounding region 

Turkey!Iran relations 

Turkey's EU accession process 

Turkey's role in NATO and with its neighbors 

Caucasus. including Turkeyl Armenian relations. 

U.S.-Turkey cooperation against terrorism in the region. 

» 1\trkey's role in the rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Cyprus and the continued isolation of Turkish Cypriots 

Areas of economic and political bilateral relations between the u.s. and Turkey 

Defense and Security Affairs 

» Construction and Energy Security 

Foreign Direct Investment 

» Pharmaceuticals 

» Agribusiness and Food Industries 

» Banking and Finance 

Health 

Information Technology and Telecommunications 

Turkish Export Market 

» Bilateral Trade Promotion 

Turkish Government Issues 

Constitutional Court Case to ban the AKP 

Secularism versus democracy 

Management of Kurdish issues 

Ergenekon indictments 

Meetings with TurkIsh Government Officials 

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & other Officials of the Ministry 

Defense procurement issues with Undersecretary for National Defense (SSM) 

Local and Municipal Government Leaders 

Parliamentarians 

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('~ft~t~4 vUI\IIUd~1 

DELEGATION LIST 

U.S. House of Representatives: 

Mr. Walter Gonzales 

Senior Policy Advisor. OfJice of Representative C. A "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-2nd MD) 

Mr. Lawrence J. Halloran 

Minority Staff Director, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

Ms. Helen Hardin 

ChiefofStaff. Office of Representative Zach Wamp (R-3rd TN) 

Mr. Kenneth Kraft 

Deputy Chief of Staff & Appropriations Counsel. Office of Rep. David L. Hobson (R-7th OIl) 

Mr. Sean O'Brien 

Legislative Director. Office of Congressman Heath Shuler (D-11 th NC) 

Ms. Ashley Orr 

Legislative Assistant, Office of Congressman Brad Miller (D-13th NC) 

U.S. Senate: 

Mr. Garett Eucalitto 

Deputy Foreign Policy Legislative Assistant. Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CN) 

Mr. Paul Kong 

Legislative Director, Office of Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 

ATC and TCA Members 

Ms. Canan Biiyiiktinsal 

Executive Director, American-Turkish Council 

Mr. Tolga Gorgtilu 

External Relations Manager, Pri/oLay Turkey 

Dr. Cengiz isr.fil 

Managing Director, Fil Finance 

Mr. G. Lincoln McCurdy 

President & CEO. Turkish Coalition of America 

Ms. Ay~e Sumer 

Director, Governme"t Affairs & Commercial Programs. American-Turkish Council 

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DAILY PROGRAMS 

Saturday, August 2, 2008 

20:00 Meet at the United Airlines Desk at Dulles Airport 

21:54 Depart Washington D.C. for Frankfurt on LH 9253 

Sunday, August 3, 2008 

11:45 Arrive at Frankfurt Reihn Main Airport 

13:20 Depart Frankfurt for Istanbul on LH 3342 

16:55 

17:20 

18:15 

19:30 

20:00 

ISTANBUL 

Arrive at istanbul AtatUrk Airport 

Depart istanbul Airport for the Hyatt Hotel 

Check into the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner at Anemon Restaurant in Galata 

000135 

A city that straddles both Europe and Asia, istanbul for nearly two millennia has been a s}1nbol of great· 

ness, coveted by empire builders from Xerxes through the Entente States during World War I.Tbe Soviet 

Unionafter World War I insisted on free passage through the Bosphorus Straits. Today, a decades-old 

diplomatic compromise assures foreign commerce free passage as hundreds of ships each day, sometimes 

oversized and hazardous, stream up and down this epic: waterway. 

The traditions inherited from 2,500 years of history arc most evident in the Old City, known as Old 

Stamboul or Sultanahmet. A stroll through this historic peninsula wiD reveal ancient Roman hippodromes. peristyles. and aqueducts, the greatest excesses of the Byzantine Empire. the mystique and power 

of the Ottoman Empire, and the dubious sales tactics used by the city's self-made entrepreneurs. As a 

religious center (heart of the Greek Orthodox Church as well as the Islamic faith for centuries), Istanbul 

is the custodian of one of the world's most imporlant cultural heritages and home to some of the world's 

most opulent displays of art and wealth. Early Greek civilization left uS the building blocks for Rome 

and Byzantium, \.,.hich swathoo these earlier foundations in rich mosaics and left its mark in monuments 

such as the Hippodrome and Hagis Sophia. Even Fatih Mehmet II was astounded at the beauty of the 

city he finaUy conquered. 'lb. Ottoman dynasty redirected the city's fortunes into the imperial majesty of 

undulating domes and commanding minarets, the incomparable Blue Mosque and the sumptuousness of 

Topkapt Palace_ 

Across the Golden Horn is the modern heart of the city, heir to the future of the country, vibrant with 

all the electricity of a cutting-edge international metropolis. Although Ankara, the political capital sits 

safely in the heartland, istanbul projects itself into the world as Turkey's commercial capital and ambassador of art, entertainment. musk. and cducatjoll. Istanbul is so exotic. wonderful. complex., and utterly 

monumental that once seen, it's impossible to break free from its spell. 

Monday, August 4,2008 

08:15 Depart Hotel for Breakfast with Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) and 

Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) 

08:30 Arrive at the TCA & TeF Offices 

08:45 - 09:45 Breakfast briefing with TCF & TCA Chairman Dr. Yal,tO Ayash & Officers 

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10:00 - 11:00 Meeting with NGOl; at TCA 

(The representatives oflhefollowing NGOs will be al the meeting: Associationfor 

Supporting and Training Women Candidates-KADER; Women Entrepreneurs 

Association ofn,rkey-KAGiDER; The Turkish Foundation For Combating Soil 

Erosion, For Reforestalion And The Protection Of Natural Habitats-TEMA; The 

Mother Child Educalion Foundation-ACEV and Educational Funds for Elementary 

Schools-fLKYAR) 

000136 

11:10 Depart TCA for meeting with the leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian 

Minority Communities, 

11:30 - 13:30 

13:45 - 14: IO 

14:15 

14:30 - 17:30 

17:30 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

22:00 

Meeting with leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian Communities & 

Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif 

Visit Kariye Museum 

Depart Kariye for Sultanahmet 

Visit to historical sites in Sultanahmel including the TOpkaPI Palace, 

Hagia Sophia, Museum of Islamic Art & Archeology and the Grand Bazaar 

Depart for the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with the Business Community in Istanbul Hosted by 

Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) 

Depart for the Hotel 

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPPORTING AND TRAINING WOMEN CANDIDATES (KA-DER) was 

established in 1997 in Istanbul. Its founders - women activist. mainly from academia -- initiated it with 

the objective of empowering and encouraging women to develop strategies for effective and equal participation in local councils and national parliament; and to he represented on all decision making bodies. 

Currently, KA -DER has over 17 branches in major cilies and Illore than 3000 members. The Ankara 

branch ofKA-DER is involved in a wide variety of activities, aims at empowering women in all spheres of 

life and acts as an 'umbrella organization' of the Turkish Platform to the European Women's Lobby. 

EDUCATIONAL FUNDS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (ILKYAR): 

'!he roots of iLKYAR lie in the EfES (Educational Funds for Elementary Schools) organization, founded 

by the Turkish Student Association at Princeton University (New Jersey. U.S.A) in 1978. The aim of the 

organization is to stimu1ate educational activities in rural schools by giving financial support for a basic 

library in these schools. The center of the organization first moved to the Massachusetts Institute onochnology (Boston, MA, U.S.A) and then to Michigan State University (East Lansing. MI. U.S.A). Twenty 

years after its original establishment, in 1998, EFES was re-founded in Turkey with the name !LKYAR 

(Aid Foundation for Elementary Schools). 

Vision 

Not to leave any village school or YIBO (nick for lhe elementary level boarding school) unvisited by 

ILKYAR. 

Mission 

To create opportunIties for students in rural and underdeveloped areas to commit themselves to their 

education. 

~-~---'-----------.------------

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Goals 

Help the students in rural areas gain motivation for continuing their education. 

Leave no village schools without books. 

Organize programs for teachers working in rural areas. 

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION OF TURKEY (KAGIDERl: 

000137 

KAGlDER was chartered in September 2002 as a non-profit and non-governmental organization by 37 

prominent Turkish female entrepreneurs. It has grown steadily over the past three years as other successfut businesswomen have joined its ranks. Today it has 172 members from various sectors, including textile. communication. human resources. tourism. chemicals. mining and health. Kagider strives to develop 

women entrepreneurship, to empower women in economic and sOclalllfe. and envisions a world where 

women are effective in all decision malting processes by producing and expressing their 'self' freely. 

lhe main programs of Kagider are the Women Entrepreneurs Development Program, the Women's Fund. 

and Women's Way to Europe. KAGlDER puts great emphasis on lobbying activities; publishes statements) provides policy recommendations to the state. public and private institutions to make women's 

voice heard. to fOster gender equality and to better women's status in general. It is a member of many 

international organizations induding World Women Entrepreneurs Association (FCEM). European 

Women Lobby (EWL). Mediterranean Business Women Association (AFAEMME). and Balkan Regional 

Coalition of Women Business Associations. 

THE TURKISH FOUNDATION FOR COMBATING SOIL EROSION, FOR REFORESTATION, 

AND THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL HABITATS (TEMAl: 

'lhe TEMA Foundation (1he Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion. for Reforestation and the 

Protection of Natural Habitats) was founded in 1992 by two Turkish businessmen. Hayrettin Karaca. who 

established the first Arboretum in Thrkey and Nihat Gilley;git, winner of the UN Environment Award. 

Since then it has grown to a large NGO. 

Goky!git highlighted in a 1992 interview that the richness and riches in the saillhat is lost every year in 

Turkey is equal to the country's budget. and carelessly letting the environment deteriorate is inconsistent 

with patriotism 

THE MOTHER CHILD EDUCATION FOUNDATION (ACEV): 

The Mother Child Education Foundation (A<;EV). was founded in 1993 through the initiative of found· 

ing president Anen Ozyegin. and in light of the scientific research of Prof. Dr. <;igdem Kagt"b"l" and 

Prof. Dr. Sevda Bekman. A<;EV's mission is to make a lasting contribution to ,ociety and to Improve the 

quality of individual's lives through education. In its two main area.' of expertise. early childhood and 

adult education, A<";EV develops and implements various training programs and projects both within 

Turkey and abroad. 

A<;EV is guided by three fundamental beliefs: 

'" equal opportunity in education for all, 

• learning is a lifelong process that must begin in early childhood 

• the child as well as hlslher immediate caregivers must he educated and supported. 

Since 1993. A<;EV has been working to: 

• increase public awareneSS about the importance of early childhood education. 

• increase implementation of its training programs in order to reach more beneftciaries~ 

• focus on research and development of new projects. methods and models. 

• increase coHaboration with both local and international NGO's. the slate and the private sector 

• be a reference institution in policy constitution and strategy development about eart}" childhood. 

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000138 

MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN TURKEY, 

The Empire of the Occident had andent Rome as the capital, while the Eastern Roman Empire kept Constantinople as its capital. Western Rome did not survive this partition for long and barbarians (Francs, 

Goths, Lombards, and Normans) used the weakness oflhe Westerners to invade and to enter Roman territory in 476. The Roman Empire limited itselfto its Eastern part, including the territories of the south of 

the Balkans, Southern Italy and Sicily, the north of Africa including Tripolitaine, the Near East with Syria 

and Mesopotamia. In spite of the wars of succession, collapses of small regional States, and plagues, the 

Eastern Roman Empire remained intact until 1453, the date when the Ottomans invaded Constantinople 

and put an end to the empire of the millennium. When Constantine moved the capital, he also deported 

• part of the population of Rome. The Latin language prevailed in the administration, in the court, and 

in the middle classes, while Greek was spoken by the majority population of the city, the Balkans. and 

Asia Minor. The capital bad the name of New-Rome. in the COllrse of the centuries, the Latin language 

disappeared replaced by Greek and the city was named Constantinople, after its founder. Constantine. 

Although the empire was multi-ethnic, as was its capital, the Greek language remained as the only administratiVe language used by almost all the population until 1453. 

Constantinople remained as the capital of powerful Ottoman Empire until the formation of the Republic 

of Thrkeyin 1923. The population of the Empire did not change radically, and the Greek language was 

still widely spoken beside Slavic languages and Turkish. Is1an1 had made its appearance at the end of the 

6th century. but Christianity held on strong until the territories of the Ottoman Empire from the Arab 

countries of North Africa to the East of the Caucusus began converting to Islam. ReligiOUS and ethnic 

diversity were therefore two main characteristics of the Empire, from its creation until its end in 1923. To 

manage this cosmopolitan population, Sultan Mehmet II gave statutes to four main nations of his empire. 

1hese statutes, which had only religiOUS bases. envisaged a broad autonomy in the administration of 

communities. The Muslims fen ditectly under the authority of the sultan, himself admitted by the m(\ftti 

(reUgious authority). who also had the possibility of displacing the sultan; the Orthodox Christians had 

a leader and representative of the community. the Greek Patriarch who assembled in the Fener (Phanar) 

district of Constantinople; the Gregorian Christians had their own patriarchate [or patriarch], first 

established in the district of Samatya, then in KumkapL Finally, all Jews were under the authority of the 

Ottoman Rabbinate, wb.im assembled in the district of Balat. Every community kept its institutions and 

its particular language: Turkish - Ottoman for the Muslims, Greek for the Orthodox. Armenian for the 

Gregorian, and ludaeo-Spanish (also known as Ladino) for the lews from 1492 onwards. Later other 

"nations' were admitted by the Ottoman State. The Ottoman system of "natlons." allowed the Romans to 

keep the Greek language and Orthodox Christian religion. It is noted by historians today that if it had 

not been for this particular system, the Greek language would have met the same fate as that oftatin, 

and would have disappeared. 

In 1829-30, the Peloponnese declared independence, which later became the Kingdom of Greece. Always supported by Russia and the Balkan States, this small kingdom went to war several times against 

the Ottoman Empire which, under threats of foreign powcrs~ left large territories. between 1876 and 1912 

(Thessalie. Epire of the South. Macedonia, Western Thrace and Crete). However, the last Greek offensive 

against the Empire was a disaster. Indeed, after Ottoman defeat in the conflict of 1914-18. the imperialist 

armies (England, France, and Italy) occupied all of the Ottoman territories, with the aim of distributing them among themselves. Greece, with the downstream help of Great Britain, had annexed Oriental 

'Ihr.ce, but especially the city ofSmyrna(Izmir) and the neighboring provinces. Encouraged by the 

Orthodox populations of the region, the Greek army attacked the rest of the Asia Minor and fought with 

the Turkish revolutionary army. Defeat was disastrous for tbe Greeks, who were driven out oflzmir by 

the Turks. In 1922, Greece surrendered and in 1923. Greece and the Turkish Republic signed the Treaty 

ofLausanne. which determined the borders of the new Turkish State and Greece. This was followed 

by an exchange of populations. "lhe Greeks of Muslim origin left Greece, while the Greek population 

of Anatolia and Thr,ce returned to Greece from Turkey. l11is exchange of population between both 

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000139 

Dilily Programs CONFID£NnAL countries displaced a total of two million Greeks, logether with millions of Musiims of the Caucasus and 

the Balkans, who took refuge in the new Turkish Republic. Since 1923. the Greeks of Turkish nationality together with the other minorities living in Thrkey benefit from a specific status. which allows them 

to keep their culture. language. schools. and religious institutions. This status admitted by the Treaty of 

Lausanne is based on the Ottoman system of "nations; 

Over the years. millions of people have lived in Anatolia. presentday Turkey. At times. their existence 

was marked by battles. but at others. peace reigned. The Armenians were among the inhabitants of this 

rich and vasl area. which over the centuries was ruled by the Persians. Macedonians, Sdjuks. Romans, 

Byzantines and Arabs. When the Thrks gained sovereignty over An.tolia in 1071. fighting graduaUy 

diminished and Byzantine persecution gave way to just, tolerant, humanitarian and unifying beliefs and 

traditions ofthe Seljuks_ Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. who put an end to Byzantine rule in 1453, allowed the foundation of the Armenian Patriarchate, an unprecedented move for the Armenians to whom 

h. granted freedom of conscience and faith. The transformation of the Armenian Episcopate In Western 

Anatolia to the lstanbul Patriarchate, follOWing a decree he issued in 1461. is dear evidence of the vision 

and tolerance displayed by Mehmed and of the subsequent Ottoman sultans toward other faiths. 

As a matter of fact, the current Armenian Patriarch. Mesrob II. was quoted as saying: " We can duly grasp 

lhe significance of tolerance between different religions and cultures. as well as the value of this incident 

dating back 538 years. by taking into account the tensions witnessed throughout the world on the threshold of a new millenniUm, the ongoing wars beyond our borders in particular." 

Following the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, excellent Turco-Armenian relations continued 

until the end of the 19th century. In fact, out of allth. non-Muslim communities. Armenians were by far 

the greatest beneficiaries of the opportunities offered by the Ottoman Empire to all industriOUs, efficient, 

honest and productive subjects. Being exempted from the military service and to a great extent from 

taxation. Armenians had the opportunity to make headway in trade, agriculture) craftsmanship and 

administration. and by reason of their loyalty to the Empire. as well as their ability to intermingle with 

other subjects, they attained the title of "loyal people." 

Today Armenians continue to enjoy "nation" status given to all the minorities during the Ottoman Empire. They are the largest Christlan minority. with over than 100.000 living in present day Turkey. 

From the last years of the 19th Century through the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire at the end of 

the World War I. Anatolian Armenians revolted regularly against the Ottoman authority. sometimes in 

alliance with RUSSia, sometimes on their own. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians and Muslims died 

at this lime due to starvations. dislocations, dcscase and brutal massacres of entire communities. lhis is 

the period that Armenians now portray as the time of "genocide» and Turks reject as a tragic loss of life 

on both sides but without the necessary official intent. 

Of the 25.000 Jews living in Turkey, 22,000 of them reside in Istanbul. Most of them are ancestors of 

those expdled from Spain in 1492 and subsequently offered a safe haven by Sultan Mehmet. Although 

they are Orthodox Jews. their practices are a bit different. 1hey do not belong to a synagogue-only to 

the Jewish community. Overall. there are seventeen synagogues in Istanbul. and most of them are still 

active. -lhe most important of these are the New Salom Synagogue. the Askenazi Synagogue. the Ahrida 

(Ohricla) Synagoue. the ~i11i and Ortakoy Synagogues. Jews arc active in every aspect of Turkish life: 

education, politics, media, financing. the arts. and trade and commerce. 

ASITANE RESTAURANT: 

Asitane restaurant is renowned for its fine Ottoman cuisine based on authentic recipes retrieved by a 

dedicated staff from palace archives. Its menu features dishes originally prepared for the sumptuous 

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000140 

CONFIDENTIAL 

cdebration feast given for Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent's sons in 1539. In the summertime, the 

tranquil courtyard in the shadow of the chora Church offers a splendid backdrop in which to sample 

fine Ottoman cuisine. 

KARIYE MUSEUM: 

Originally built in the 4th century as the 'Church of the Holy Savior Outside the Walls' or 'in the Country' 

(chora), it was indeed outside the walls built by Constantine the Great. The present building was built in 

the late 11 th century, with lots of repairs and restructuring in the following centuries. Virtually all of the 

interior decoration-the famous mosaics and the less renowned but equally striking mural paintingsdales from aboul 1320.The mosaics are breathtaking. The first ones are those of the dedication, to Jesus 

and Mary. Then come the offertory ones: Theodore Metochites, builder of the church. offering it to Jesus. 

'[he two small domes of the inner narthex have portraits of all Jesus's ancestors back to Adam. A series 

outlines Mary's life, and another, Jesus's early years. Yet another series concentrates on Jesus's ministry.ln 

the nave are three mosaics: oOesus, of Mary as Teacher. and of the Dormition of Mary. South of the nave 

is the Parecdesion. a side chapel built to hold the tombs of the church's founder and relatives. lhe frescos, 

appropriately. deal with the theme of death and resurrection. 

The Karire Museum (Church of Ihe Holy Savior in Choral has the best Byzantine mosaics in the region. 

The church was endosed within the walls built by the Emperor "[heodosius U in 413,le55 than 100 years 

after Constantine, so the church 'outside the walls' has in fact been 'in the city' for 1550 years. For four 

centuries after the Ottoman conquest of istanhul it served as a mosque (Kariye CamB). and is now a 

museum (Kariye Milzesi) because of its priceless mosaics. 

SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE (BLUE MOSQUE): 

The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of 

its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed J. Like many other mosques, it 

also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah. and a hospice. 

The design ofthe Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque 

and Byzantine church development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagi. 

Sophia with traditionallstamie arebitecture and is considered to be the last great mosque ofth. classical 

period. 

HAGIA SOPHIA: 

Hagia Sophia is a former patri.rchal basilic., later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul. Famous in 

particular for its massive dome. it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest 

cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Medieval Seville 

Cathedral in t520. 

In 1453, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, Sultan Mehmed II ordered the 

builuing to be converted into a mosque, ~Ihe bells. attar. iconostasis. and sacrifiCial vessels were removed, 

and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features-such as the mihrah. the 

minbar, and the four minarets outside-were added over the courSe ofils history under the Ottomans. It 

remained as a mosque until 1935. at wh ich time it was converted into a museum by the Government of 

Turkey. 

11,e current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 AD on the orders of 

the Byznntine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the 

site. TIle Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured. among other things. a 50 foot 

(I5 m) silver iconostasis.It was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the reli· 

gious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years. 

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000141 

TOPKAPI PALACE: 

CONAD[NTIAL 

The Topkapl Palace was the Ottoman sultans' official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman 

Sultans from 1465 to 1853. 

Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II. the conqueror of Byzantine Conslantinople. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the 

height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4.000 people. furmerly covering a larger area with a long shoreline. The complex has been expanded over the centuries. with many 

renovations such as after a 1509 earthquake and 1665 fire. Topkapl Palace gradually lost its importance 

at the end of the 17th century. as the Sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the 

Bosphorus. 

After the end of the Oltoman Empire in 1921, Topkapl Palace was transformed by government decree on 

April 3. 1924 into a museum of the imperial era, The Palace is listed among those monuments belonging 

to the historic areas of Istanbul. added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. 

TURKISH 8< ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM: 

This museum is located in Sultanahmet Square in EminonU district oftstanbuL Constructed in 1524. 

the building was formerly the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha. who was the first grand vizier to Suleiman the 

Magnificent. The collection Includes notable examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs as well as 

ethnographic displays on various cultures in Turkey, parlicularly nomadic groups. These displays recreate 

rooms or dwellings from different time periods and regions. 

BASIUCA CISTERN: 

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that still tie beneath the city of 

Istanbul. The cistern, located in the historical peninsula of Istanbul next to the Hagia Sophia. was built 

during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. the golden age of Eastern Rome, also called 

the Byzantine Empire. 

The bases of two of the columns reuse earlier blocks carved with the head of a Medusa. They are located 

in the northwest corner of the cistern. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is rumored that 

the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from an antique bUilding of the late Roman 

period. Another mystery is why one of the heads is upside down, while the other is tilted to one side. It is 

commonly accepted by scholars that they were placed that way deliberately. 

GRAND BAZAAR: 

The Grand Bazaar or Covered Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 

more than 58 streets and 6,000 shops, and has between 250,000 and 400.000 visitors daily. 

It is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice. and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are 

grouped by type of goods. with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar 

contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which 

was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was 

vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. and in 1894 

underwent a major restoration foUowing an earthquake, 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 

07:30 Check out from Hotel and Depart for the U.S. Consulate General 

08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast Meeting with the U.S. Consul General & Officers of the Consulate 

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000142 

09:15 

09:45 - 11 :00 

11:00 

Depart Consulate for Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control HQ (BSTC) 

Briefing and Visit at the BSTC HQ 

Depart BSTC HQ for Luncheon Meeting with Confederation of 

Businessmen & Industrialists (TUSKON) Board and Members 

12:00 - 13:30 

13:30 

Meeting & Lunch at TUSKON at their $i~H HQ 

Depart TUSKON for the Airport 

14:00 

15:00 

16:00 

16:30 

17:30 

19:30 

20:00 

Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport 

Depart istanbul for Ankara on TK 128 

Arrive at Ankara Esenboga Airport 

Depart Ankara Airport for Mega Residence Hotel 

Hotel check-in 

Depart Hotel for Kale <;engelhan Restaurant 

Briefing and Dinner with the Press hosted by Turkish-American 

Business Association (TABA) at Kale <;engelhan Restaurant 

BOSPHORUS STRAITS TRAFFIC CONTROL (BSTC) HEAD QUARTERS: 

1he Turkish Straits (164 NM) consist oflhe istanbul Strait (17 NM in length), the Marmara Sea (110 

NM) and <;:anakkale Strait (37 NM). The entire length is opened to international maritime vessel traffic 

under Turkish government control. It is the only waterway between the Black Sea and the Mediterrane-.tn Sea making it highly congested with international maritime traffic and of enormous geopolitical 

and strategic importance. The Bosphorus Traffic Control Service (TSVTS) is deSigned to assist and 

improve lht! safety of navigation for Turkish and foreign flagged vessels through these very congested 

and vulnerable Turkish waters. 

Safe navigation of the Turkish Straits depends on: 

Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Services - The TSVTS are in current operation are equipped with 

thirteen observation Towers. Each Observation Towers has X band radar. Monocolor . Color~ 

Infrared Camera and Network Equipment. A few Towers have extra meteorological stations and 

communications equipment. 

Search I Rescue & Salvage ~ Salvage Department has underwater works. salvage & towage with two 

conventional types of salvage vessels. two Fi~Fi class tugs, eleven fircfighting tugs and various types 

of service boats which make tip 54 vessels. 

Rescue Services are well organized on the Turkish Straits and are well equipped with J4 Rescue Stations (6 Boat Stations and 8 Shore Based Stations), and 10 Rapid Response Boats. 

Navigational Aids - Organized along the Turkish coast with 417 lighthouses, 34 light-buoys, nineteen marking buoys, fifteen fog whistles, two fog hell and three beacon. and nine racon signals. 

CONFEDERATION OF BUSINESSMEN AND INDUSTRIALISTS OF TURKEY (TUSKON): 

TUSKON is a non-governmental organization formed by regional federations of the business world 

which were founded in istanbul in 2005 and expanded country-wide. TVSKO;-'; today represents 9500 

businessmen active in 124 organizations of businessmen. TUSKON aims to make the enterprises and 

entrepreneurs into the part of the global business world by promoting scientific and rational methods of 

commercial and industrial life TUSKON is a pioneer institution in sharing businessmen's experience in 

international markets and providing new job opportunities. 

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000143 

ANKARA 

Ankara lies deep within the heartland, protected and insulated from uninvited guests. AtatUrk chose Ankara as the political capital for his new «public. While istanbul was the seat of an imperial and dissolute 

empire. he saw Ankara as the dean-slate capital of an entirely new Turkish state. In the 80 years since 

Ataturk rode in on a dirt road and literally lifted Ankara out of the ashes. the city has established Hsdf as 

the political and cultural center of Turkey. 

Ankara is almost exclusively geared toward sustaining all elements of the national government. a wideranging }>Qpulation of foreign ambassadors, visiting dignitaries. local politicians. and politically minded 

business enterprises. It also boasts a number of prestigious universities and technical colleges. as well as 

the largest library in the country. 

Ankara is a center for opera, ballet, ja7.z, and modern dance. and is home of the Presidential Symphony 

Orchestra, the State Theatre, and the State Opera and Ballet. Ankara has transformed from the quiet center of the Turkish Republic to a city of more than three million and a hub of non-stop activity. The city is 

bubbling over with new construction, chic restaurants, cozy cafes, and dazzling nightlife. 

TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (TABA), 

TASA founded in 1987 is a non-profit organization, headquartered in istanbul, it has five branches in 

Turkey. TABA's membership is over 650 companies. 

As the representative of the American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey, TASA's goal is to enhance trade 

relations between the U.S.A and Turkey; to encourage American investments into this country; assist 

members by connecting them with potential strategic partners; help solve their trade-related issues and 

contribute to Turkey'S promotion abroad. 

In order to accomplish these goals, TABA! AmCham founded several task committees. These committees are: Membership; Project Development; Telecommunication & Information Technology; Energy & 

Infrastructure; Law & Finance. Publications; Activities & Communications; Corporate Affairs; Consumer 

Products; Intellectual Royalty Rights; Trademarks Defense Industry; Tourism; Real Estate & Transportation and Investment & Regulations pertaining to EU relations. 

TABAJAmCham is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the US.A(COCu'S.A), member of the 

European Council of American Chambers of Commerce (ECACC) and American-Turkish Council 

(ATC). 

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 

07:30 Depart Hotel for the u.s, Ambassador's Residence 

07:45 - 09;00 

09;00 

09:30 - 10:30 

10:30 - 11 :30 

11;45 

12:15 - 13:50 

Breakfast Briefing with Ambassador Ross Wilson and the U.S, Embassy 

Officials at the Residence 

Depart Residence Amtkabir 

Wreath Laying Ceremony and tbe Signing of the Official Visitors Book 

Visit tbe Mausoleum Museum 

Depart Anttkabir for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 

Luncheon Briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

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13:50 

14:30 

15:30 

16:00 - 17:00 

17:00 - 18:00 

18:00 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

000144 

iI), Program!?'IlA 

~--D~;~~t the ME';: for Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) \;vdFID[NT/AL 

Meeting with Mr. Ismail1bhumcu. Deputy Undersecretary of 

National Defense (SSM) 

Depart SSM for Eurasian Strategic Research Center (ASAM) 

Meeting and roundtable discussion at ASAM on U.S.-Turkish Relations 

with Government officials and the Academia 

Topics to be covered include the future of Iraq. terrorism. Afghanistan. 

u.s. Presidential Elections and Bilateral Relations. {ran~ Nuclear Program. 

Cyprus altd EU-Turkey Relations 

Reception at ASAM 

Depart ASAM for Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Trilye Restaurant 

Dinner with ATC Corporate Members at Trilye Restaurant hosted by 

NTF Construction 

ATATORK'S MAUSOLEUM - ANITKABIR 

This imposing monument located in the Amttepe quarter of the city is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal 

Atatiirkj founder of the Turkish Republic. Completed in 1953, it represents [he fusion of ancient and 

modern architectural ideas and when built. it was considered as one the best examples of modern Turkish architecture of the time. 1here is a museum housing a superior statue of Atattirk. writings. letters and 

other items belonging to Atatiirk. as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments 

in his life and the establishment of the Republic. 

Construction of Amtkabir commenced on 9 October 1944 with a splendid ceremony by laying the first 

stone of the foundation. Construction of Amtkabir took nine years in four stages. You will be expected 

to sign its book of visitors with an appropriate note of respect. 

UNDERSECRETARIAT FOR DEFENSE INDUSTRIES (SSM) 

SSM was established by the Defense Industry Law. and it was given the main duty of putting into effect 

the decisions taken by the Executive Committee. In this regard. SSM was given a speciallegaJ identity 

of its own, as well as its own extra~budgt'tary financial resources. 'Ihe main tasks and responsibilities of 

SSM are: putting into effect decisions taken by the Defense Industry Executive Committee: to reorga~ 

nize existing Turkish industry in line with the prerequisites of a successful defense industry~ to plan 

the production of modern arms and equipment at private and public sector entities; to realize research 

and equipment of modern amlS and equipment. and to have their prototypes built; to make advance 

payments. plan advance orders and determine olher financial and economic supports; and to coordinate 

export and offset trade issues relating to defense industry products. 

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) 

Since the inception of the Republic, the vision and principles of the founder of the Republic, Ataturk 

(meaning Father of the Turks, a name given to him by the people), have guided Turkish foreign policy 

and his maxim "peace at home, peace in the world" continues to constitute the fundamental objective of 

Turkish foreign policy. The Repuhlic of Turkey is now represented by 162 missions throughout the world. 

'Ihcse missions comprise of 93 Embassies~ II Permanent Missions to international organizations, and 58 

Consulate Generals. 

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Serving under the leadership of the former Minister for the Economy the 41st Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

His Excellency Mr. Ali Babacan. the large contingent of Turkish Foreign Service diplomats conduct and 

promote Turkey's international political. economic and cultural relations in its region and beyond. 

For nearly half a century. NATO aUy Turkey was a bulwark in NATO's Cold War policy of contain· 

ment against the Soviet Union. While Turkey's relations with Russia are good today, issues throughout 

Turkey's region make it no less important for US. foreign and national security policy. Iraq. Afghanistan. 

the Middle East Peace Initiative. Aegean Affairs, Syria, Kurdish policy and the PKK, the Turkish 'tates of 

Central Asia - all are issues of U.S.' Turkey diplomatic discussion and exchange. 

EURASIAN STRATEGIC RESEARCH CENTER (ASAM): 

ASAM is established to conduct research on international relations and regional studies. 'The Center ex· 

amines international conflicts. makes scholarly and scientific assessments of relevant issuest and reviews 

T urkisb foreign policy with a futuristic perspective. It is a consultative body with the responsibility of 

bringing to the attention of decision nlakers independent. unbiased views and findings from different 

sources. The Center is chartered hy law and has been active since May 1995. 

Thursday, August 7, 2008 

07:00 Breakfast & Checkout from the Hotel 

07:15 

09:00 

10:00 

11:45 

\3:05 

13:30 

16:30 

17:00 

19:00 - 21:30 

PATARA: 

Depart Hotel for Ankara Airport 

Depart Ankara for istanbul on TK 113 

Arrive at istanbul Airport 

Depart istanbul all TK 216 to !lal.man 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman for Patara, Kalkan by Bus 

Arrive at Kalkan 

Check in to Patara Prince Hotel 

Dinner with the delegation at the Marina 

The antique city of Patara emerged at the turn of the 21 st Century thanks to an archeologkal team led by 

Akdeniz University Professors Fahri lsik and HaW" Iskan Isile, It has a unique political relationship to 

the United States. Recentl)' the archeological team unearthed an ancient parliament building in Patara --

the meeting place of the first federal republic in recorded human history. Authors of the Federalist papers 

(Hamilton and Madison, Fedc-ralists No.9, 16 and 45, respe,Uvdy) made at least three spedfic referen,es 

to the Lycian League as an example of the federal structure of government they envisioned for the United 

States, 

The unearthed parliament building, called the Bouleuterion. hQused representatives of at least twentythree city·states of the Lycian League. which existed along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey from about 

167 BC until 400 AD. The archeological team has rescued numerous buildings and items from the sand 

and scrub brush, besides the Bouleuterlon parliament buildingl including a large necropolis. a Roman 

bath, a sizeable semicircular theater. a sprawling main avenue leading to the market square, a Byzantine 

basilica (one of 22 churches once packed into Patara), one of the world's oldest lighthouses, and a forti' 

fledwal!. 

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Modern-day Patara sports what the London Sunday Times describes as one of the world's best beaches 

and a nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle, locally kno"ll as the Caretta Caretta_ During the turtle 

hatching season environmentalists from aU around the world come to the area of Patara where swimming, diving and permanent structures on the coast are forbidden. 'lbe eggs and nesting sites of the 

endangered Caretta Caretta turtles are protected. 

Friday, August 8, 2008 

08:30 - 09:30 Breakfast at the Hotel 

09:30 Depart Hotel for Patara Excavation Site 

10:30 - 12:30 Visit and Lecture at the Site of Ancient Patara 

(a Member of the Lycian League) 

12:30 - 13:30 

13:30 - 14:30 

14:45 

15:30 - 17:00 

17:00 

19;30 - 22:00 

Lunch at Patara 

Visit UNEP & WWF project for Endangered Loggerhead Turtles 

Depart Patara to Visit Organic Farms and Production Facilities 

Visit to the Organic Farms 

Depart for the Hotel 

Reception and Dinner with the Local Municipal Authorities at the Hotel 

LOGGERHEAD TURTLES: 

As amphibians, loggerhead turtles arc adept at moving on both land and sea. To lay eggs the females first 

crawl onto the shore. Then, using their hind legs, the turtles dig holes in the sand and, after depositing 

their eggs, return to the sea. The baby turtles hatch when nature tells them 10, and instinctively using the 

moonlight as a compass, they head towards the sea. 

Saturday, August 9, 2008 

08:30 - 09:30 

09:45 

10:30 

12:30 - 13:30 

13:30 

17:45 

19:30 

20:50 

21:15 

KA~-KEKOVA: 

Breakfast Meeting with Former Congressman Steve Solarz and 

Dr. Yal<;10 Ayash 

Depart Hotel for Ka~ (Lydan city of Habesos) 

Arrive at K~ and visit the Ancient Ruins afKekova 

Lunch at Kale Island Restaurant 

Depart Kale for Dalaman Airport 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman Airport for istanbul on TK 219 

Arrive in Istanbul Airport 

Depart Airport for Hotel 

TIl< town of Kaj is on a hill running down to the sea. The district has a typical Mediterranean dimate of 

hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters, which allows the growth of oranges, lemons and bananas. lh. 

lowland areas are also planted "ith cut flowers and a variety of fruits and vegetables; many are grown all 

year round under glass. The hillsides produce honey, and almonds, while at high altitudes there are exSTAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
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000147 

t.nsive pine forests, The weather is drier at high altitudes, Although agriculture is still important, tourism 

is the main source of income in the district, which has many hotels and guest houses, 

Kekova, also named Caravola (Dolichiste in Lydan), is a small Turkish island near Ka~ (ancient Anliphel· 

los) district of Antalya province which faces the villages afK.lokay and 0,ag1z. 

The Kekova region was declared a specially protected area on lanuary 18. 1990 by the Turkish Ministry of 

Environment and Forests. All swimming and diving was prohibited and subject to special permits from 

governmental offices.]n later years the prohibition has been lifted except in the area of the sunken city. 

Sunday, August 10,2008 

04:00 

04:15 

05:55 

07:55 

09:55 

13:00 

NOTES 

Breakfast & Checkout 

Depart Hotel for Airport 

Depart on LH 3345 for Frankfurt 

Arrive at Frankfurt Airport 

Depart Frankfurt for DC on LH 416 

Arrive at Washington Dulles Airport 

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CONF~ 000148 

HOTEL and CONTACT INFORMATION 

ANKARA 

ISTANBUL 

KALKAN 

ATCSTAFF 

u.s. EMBASSY 

ANKARA 

MEGA RESIDENCE 

Tahran Caddes, No.5. Kavakltdere. Ankara/Turkey 

Tel: all +90 (312) 468_ 

Fax: all +90 (312)468-5415 

HYATT REGENCY ISTANBUL 

Taskl~la Cad. No: 1. Taksim.lstanbul/Turkey 

General Numbers: 

Tel: all +90 (212) 368_ 

Fax: all +90 (212) 368-1000 

Contact: Omilr Yeker 

Tel: all +90 (212) 368-_ 

Fax: 011 +90 (212) 368-1286 

HOTEL PATARA PRINCE 

Kalkan. Antalya/Turkey 

Tel: all +90 (242) 844-_ 

Fax: 011 +90 (242) 844·3930 

Canan Biiyiikiinsa! 

u.s. Cell: • I 

Turkey Cell: 011 +90 •••• 

Ay~e Siim.eir ••• U.S. Cell:. 

Turkey Cell: 011 +90 

Paris Caddesi 32, PK 6540. Kavakbdere. Ankara/Turkey 

Tel: 011 +90(312)455. 

Fax: 011 +90 (312) 468-4775 

Contact: Anthony Renzuilli 

u.s. CONSULATE lstinye Mahallest. Kaphcalar Mcvkii No.2. 

ISTANBUL lstinye 34460. Istanbul/Turkey 

Tel: 011 +90 (212) 335_ 

Fax: 011 +90 (212) 335·9003 

Contact: Amy f. Lillis 

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DELEGATION BIOGRAPHIES 

Mr. GARRm EUCALITTO 

Deputy Foreign Policy Legis/ative Assistant 

Office of Senator Joseph Lieherman (I -CT) 

000149 

_C--,-ONF.Ji)[Nn. : 

Garrett Eucalitto is Deputy Foreign Policy Legislative Assistant for Senator Joseph I. Lieberman 

of Connecticut, and previously served as Constituent Relations and Correspondence Coordinator. Prior to joining Sen. Lieberman's staff in 2007. he worked at the Hudson Institute's Center 

for Future Security Strategies in Washington, D.C. A resident of the Torrington, CT, Garrett 

earned an undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross, and a Master's Degree in 

International Relations from Boston University. 

Senator Joseph Lieberman's Leadership and Committee Assignments 

Senator joe Lieberman is a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman 

of the Subcommittee on AirLand. He also serves on the Subcommittee on Personnel and the 

Subcommittee on Seapower. He is Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs Committee. Lieberman is also a member of the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, where he is Chairman of tbe Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions 

to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection, and he also serves on the Subcommittee on Clean 

Air and Nuclear Safety, and the Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, 

Oversight, and Children's Health Protection. He also serves on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. 

Mr. WALTER GONZALES 

Senior Policy Advisor 

Office of Representative C. A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-2nd MD) 

Walter Gonzales serves as Senior Policy Advisor for Congressman C. A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger from Maryland's Second Congressional District. In that role, Walter staffs the Congressman 

on the Appropriations Committee and advises the Congressman's daily votes: administers the 

Congressman's Whip assignments, attends leadership functions, strategizes and implements 

vital district projects, and covers a wide variety oflegislative issues. In Walter's legislative 

portfolio: intelligence, defense, telecommunications, health care, energy, and international 

affairs. Walter oversees the Congressman's work on the Intelligence Committee and staffs the 

Congressman on the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. He also covers the 

State Department/Foreign Operations Appropriations, the Energy and Water Appropriations, 

Intelligence Budget, and Defense and Military Construction Appropriations. 

A native of Baltimore, Maryland Walter Gonzales' career in politics spans over a decade. A 

graduate of the University of Vermont, Walter started his career on Capitol Hill in 1995, in the 

office of Congressman Gene Green, Texas 29th CongreSSional District. 

He worked for Congressman Green for 6 years. From there, he moved into the private sector 

using his skills and contacts on the Hill to become a lobbyist for Mannat, Phelps and Phillips 

law firm and for Jefferson Government Relations. In this capacity he lobbied on behalf of com2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
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CONFID£Nn:\f 0001.50 

panies like Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, iMotors.com and a number of Silicone Valley start-ups. 

After this two-year stint in the private sector, Walter returned pUblic service in the 2002 

election cycle, serVicing as the policy director for Congressman Ruppersberger's successful 

congressional campaign. 

Congressman "Dutch" Ruppersberger's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Congressman Ruppersberger serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House 

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he is Chairman of the Technical and 

Tactical Subcommittee. Congressman Ruppersberger is part of the Leadership structure in the 

House of Representatives serving as an Assistant Whip and as a Member of the Democratic 

Steering and Policy Committee. Official Travel: China, Morocco, Taiwan 

Mr. LAWRENCE J. HALLORAN 

Minority Staff Director 

House Committee on OverSight and Government Reform 

Lawrence ). Halloran is an attorney with more than twenty-five years of experience in public 

policy and advocacy. He currently serves as Minority Staff Director of the House Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform. From April 2006 to March 2008, he was Deputy Staff 

Director. In the 109th Congress, he also acted as Deputy Special Counsel to the House Select 

Committee on Hurricane Katrina. 

From 1999 through March 2006, he was Staff Director and Counsel to the Government Reform 

Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations. From 1995 

through 1998. he was Staff Director and Counsel to the Subcommittee on Human Resources of 

the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. 

A graduate of Fairfield University (1973) and the Catholic University Columbus School of Law 

(1976), he served on the staff of U.S. Rep. Stewart B. McKinney (R-Conn.) from 1973 to 1980. 

Mr. Halloran then worked as Legal Counsel and Deputy Executive Director of the National 

Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), advising candidates and Members of Congress 

on election matters and campaign finance laws. 

Experienced in recounts and election contests, Mr. Halloran has participated in recount proceedings in Indiana, Virginia, California, Ohio, Connecticut, Minnesota and South Dakota. 

He spent nine days in Florida during the presidential election recount training observers and 

participating in the complete recount of votes in Volusi. County. 

Returning to Connecticut in 1987, he served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Republican Party. In 1988, he joined the law offices 00. Brian Gaffney in New Britain, Connecticut. From 1991 to 1994, Mr. Halloran served as Legal Counsel to the Governor of Connecticut. 

He and his family now reside in Bethesda, Maryland. 

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Mr. Halloran is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and the District of Columbia. He is an 

inactive member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal bar. 

Ms, HELEN HARDIN 

Chief of Staff 

Office of Representative Zach Wamp «R-3rd TN) 

Before coming to Washington to work for Rep. Zach Wamp. Helen Hardin spent 12 years as a 

news reporter and TV talk show host. She also has a business background in sales and worked 

in the cellular telephone industry for 7 years. When Congressman Wamp was elected in 1994. 

Ms. Hardin moved to Washington and became his Chief of Staff. managing the three congressional offices and advising the Congressman on political and policy matters. She also oversees 

Congressman Wamp's Appropriations Committee work as Appropriations Associate. Congressman Wamp is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction. Veterans 

Affairs and Related Agencies. 

In Tennessee. Ms. Hardin works closely with the major federal government facilities in Oak 

Ridge including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. the largest multi-purpose science lab in 

the nation. Some of our country's most advanced computing, biological and materials research 

is carried out at ORNL. 

Ms. Hardin regards international travel as one of the most important educational and policy 

trends. She has focused her official travel primarily on North Africa and the Middle East 

because of its strategic importance to the the U.S. and the world. First hand exposure to 

international issues and foreign cultures, personally meeting foreign government officials and 

developing friendships with people from other countries have been extremely beneficial in her 

public service and have enlightened her views on the growing and increasingly interdependent 

global economy. 

Ms. Hardin is active in her church. She is an avid gardener. and a private pilot. She enjoys 

spending time with nieces and nephews. 

Congressman Zach Wamp's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Known for his energy and determination. Congressman Zach Wamp serves with seniority as a 

member of the influential House Appropriations Committee. Using conservative principles. he 

has established himself as a leader on national issues like alternative energy, preventive health 

care and global security. 

Congressman Wamp is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction 

and Veterans Affairs. which funds U.S. military installations at home and abroad and resources 

the important benefits for the nation's 23 million veterans. Zach has served for 10 years on the 

Energy and Water Subcommittee. which oversees and funds the national missions at the Oak 

Ridge National Laboratory. the Y-12 National Security Complex and the replacement of the 

Chickamauga Lock on the Tennessee River. 

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CONFID[tIT' " '·1 

Mr. PAUL KONG 

Legis/ative Director 

Office of Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska (R-NE) 

Paul Kong is Legislative Director for Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, and previously served 

as Legislative Assistant handling domestic policy. Prior to joining Senator Hagel's staff, he 

represented non-profit clients for a Washington, DC firm. 

A resident of Chevy Chase, MD, Paul earned undergraduate degrees from the University of 

Michigan, and a law degree from Catholic University where he serves on the adjunct faculty. 

He is an alumnus of the Aspen Institute's Socrates Society and has served on the DC Board of 

Governors of the University of Michigan Alumni Association. 

Senator Chuck Hagel's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Chuck Hagel, Nebraska's senior U.S. Senator, is serving his second term in the United States 

Senate. Senator Hagel's duties include membership on four Senate committees: Foreign Relations; Banking; Housing and Urban Affairs; Intelligence and Rules. 

Mr. KENNETH A. KRAFT 

Deputy Chief of Staff & Appropriations Counsel 

Office of U.S. Representative David L. Hobson (R-7th OH) 

Kenny Kraft currently is Appropriations Committee Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. 

Representative David L. Hobson. having worked for him from 1993 to 1999 and from 2000 

to present, with particular responsibility for Mr. Hobson's work as a member of the Defense 

Appropriations Subcommittee and as the Ranking Minority Member of the Energy and Water 

Development Appropriations Subcommittee. 

Mr. Kraft's duties include analyzing the United States budget and various legislative proposals; 

evaluating the effectiveness of federal programs; recommending funding levels; adviSing on 

substantive fiscal and policy matlers; plotting legislative strategy; meeting with constituents, 

agency personnel, and industry representatives requesting assistance or information on appropriations and legislation; and planning and participating in international travel for Members 

and staff. 

Mr. Kraft lectures on the Budget and Appropriations process for several different government 

and university groups. including Georgetown University, the Brookings Institution, The George 

C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the National Guard Bureau, the International Republican Institute. the Office of Personnel Management, the United States Congress 

Summer Intern Program, George Mason University, Kent State UniverSity, and 1he Capitol.Net. 

He serves on The Speaker's Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange Selection Committee and on the U.S.-Asia Foundation Congressional Staff Advisory Committee. 

Mr. Kraft's other Capitool Hill jobs have included Appropriations Committee Counsel to 

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Representative Rodney P. Frelinghuysen from 1999 to 2000 and to Representative Lawrence 

Coughlin from 1977 to 1992. He was Legislative Assistant to Senator Joseph M. Montoya from 

1971 to 1977. He was Senior Associate Attorney at Patton Boggs in 1999, and Senior Congressional Relations Officer at the Office of Personnel Management in 1992. 

Mr. Kraft is a Colonel, fudge Advocate General's Corps, District of Columbia Army National 

Guard, commanding a legal Support Office (LSO) that provides legal assistance in international, operational, fiscal, contract, and general law matters to the National Guard Bureau at the 

Pentagon. 

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Kraft received his B.A. degree in British Literature and Art History from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from 'rhe George Washinglon University. He 

is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Mr. SEAN O'BRIEN 

Legislative Director 

Office of Congressman Heath Shuler (0-11 th NC) 

Sean O'Brien is the Legislative Director for Congressman Heath Shuler (NC-l!). 

Prior to working for Congressman Shuler, Mr. O'Brien worked for three years as a legislative 

Assistant for Congressman Rahm Emanuel (IL-05). 

Prior to this he was a consultant for various clients including the City of Chicago, KPMG Netherlands. ABN AMRO Bank, and GE Capital Services Hong Kong. Mr. O'Brien was born in New 

York City and received a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ii. 

He is currently completing a Masters in National Security and StrategiC Studies with the United 

States Naval War College and has completed coursework at the United States National Defense 

University. 

Congressman Heath Shuler's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Congressman Shuler is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship for the House Committee on Small Business. 

He also serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources (Subcommittee on National 

Parks, Forests, and Public Lands) and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Water Resources and 

Environment). 

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Ms. ASHLEY ORR 

Legislative Assistant 

Office of Congressman Brad Miller (D-13th NC) 

Ashley Orr has worked for Congressman Brad Miller of North Carolina since 2004. She currently serves as a Legislative Assistant. In addition to handling Rep. Miller's work on tbe House 

Commillee on Foreign Affairs. her issue portfolio includes Defense. Trade. Homeland Security. 

Immigration and Judiciary. 

She received a B.A. degree in Peace. War and Defense from the University of North Carolina in 

Chapel Hill. 

Congressman Brad MUler's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Brad Miller was born in Fayetteville. North Carolina in 1953. He attended public schools and 

graduated from Terry Sanford Senior High School in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree from 

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master's degree from the London School 

of Economics. and a law degree from Columbia University. He served as law clerk to Judge J. 

Dickson Phillips. Jr. of the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for one year following his graduation from law school and practiced law in Raleigh from 1980 until his election to 

Congress in 2002. He is a member of the House Committee on Foreign AITairs. tbe Committee 

on Financial Services. and the Committee on Science and Technology, where he also serves as 

Chairman of the Investigative and Oversight Subcommittee. 

Ms. CANAN SOYOKONSAL 

Executive Director 

American-Turkish Council 

Canan (Jahn-an) BiiyiikilnsaJ joined the American-Turkish Council in January of 2000 and 

currently serves as the Executive Director. In tbis capacity. Ms. Bilyiikunsal works as the 

President's deputy ensuring the success of all ATC programs. Her responsibilities include 

over-seeing financial procedures. preparing tbe event budgets and the ATC annual budget, and 

managing the day-day activities of the office. As the Executive Director. Canan also directs the 

ATC Annual Conference. now in its 27th year. The 2008 ATC Annual Conference attracted 

over 700 participants and is one of the largest bi-national conference promoting U.S.-Turkisb 

commercial. defense and cultural relations. 

Before joining ATC. Ms. Bilyilkunsal worked as the General Manager of Cities Restaurant. 

in Washington. DC. for 14 years. Cities was named "one the fifty favorite restaurants· by The 

Washington Post Magazine on numerous occasions and has been featured on The Food Channel, In Style Washington. Harper's Bazar, and Food Arts. While at Cities, Canan designed and 

implemented an employee training program manual that has since been purchased by several 

independent restaurants across the United States. Canan continues to consult in the restaurant 

industry. 

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She is an active community volunteer serving on the Board of the Mercy Hospital. Women's 

Association; and Food for Friends. She also serves on the Executive Committee for Oyster Bilingual School's Creative Activity Program and is on the Fund Raising Committee for the Saint 

Mary's Armenian Church Sunday School. 

Ms. Biiyilkiinsal graduated from Goucher College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. She 

currently resides in Washington DC with her husband. Aret Sahakyan and their 11 year old 

son. Aren. 

Mr. TOLGA GORGUlU 

External Relations Manager 

Frito Lay Co. 

General: Born in 1969. Sakarya. Married 

l.anguages: English and French fluent. 

Education: 

Graduated from Galatasaray High School (1988). 

Istanbul University Faculty of Economics (1992). 

Career: 

Telka Rabak Copper Company (1992) as Assistant of General Coordinator. 

Human Resources Manager ofYasar Paint & Chemical Group (DYO 1997 - 2001) 

Human Resources Manger of Ak-AI Acrylic Yarn Company (Akkok Group 200] - 2003) 

Human Resources Manger of Frito Lay Co. Istanbul Turkey (PepsiCo Group 2003 - 2006 ) 

External Relations Manager of Frito l.ay Co. (jan. 2007 - present) 

Professional Achievements: 

PepsiCo Chairman Award (2007) 

Middle East Africa President Award (2005) 

PepsiCo International Star Award (2006) 

Project Manager of Turkey's second Snacks Plant in Tarsus 

Membership: 

Galatasaray Sport Club 

Fenerbahce Rotary Club 

Turkish Offshore Racing Club 

Peryon 

Hobbies & Interests: Sailing and racing in different class teams for the past 20 years. 1hree 

times winner of Turkish Offshore Racing Class trophy. 

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Dr. CENGiZ iSRAFiL 

Managing Director 

FU Finance 

000156 

Cengiz Israfil was born in Warsaw. Poland. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from Columbia University in 1967. He studied in the Ph.D. Program in Economic History of Ottoman Empire at Columbia University from 1968 to 1973. He received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy 

from Batumi University in 200 I. He is fluent in English. Turkish and Polish and speaks good 

Russian. He is a dual citizen of the u.s. and Turkey. He served in the U.s. Navy and Turkish 

Army. 

From 1967 to 1973. Mr. Israfil was a Research Associate with Morgan Guaranty Trust Company 

and from 1973 to 1976, he was Senior Management Scientist for United States Trust Co. From 

1976 to 1986. he was Vice President at Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., in charge of the Money 

Market Research Department. In 1985. on leave from Morgan. he joined the World Bank 

Mission to Turkey and prepared a report on money markets, which became the blueprint for 

reforms subsequently implemented by the Centrdl Bank of Turkey. In 1986. he was instrumental in Morgan's winning the Privatization Master Plan project in Turkey, as well as the Turkish government's approval for the Gerede-Ankara motorway project, where Morgan was the 

arranger for the S380 million financing facility. From 1986 to 1992. he was Advisor to Prime 

Minister and then President Turgut Ozal for whom he was instrumental in the development 

and implementation of reforms in the monetary system, financial markets and privatization. 

He also contributed to the development of strategy that led to the establishment of the Black 

Sea Economic Cooperation Zone. 

From 1992 to 1993. Cengiz was Vice Chairman of Marmara Bank. istanbul, Turkey. and 

Advisor to the Governor. Atyrau Province. Kazakhstan. He organized the 1993 Black Sea Oil 

& Gas Conference. which for the first time hrought together international oil companies and 

the energy ministries of the FSU republics. From 1993 to 1996. he was Chief Executive Officer 

of <;;olakoglu Dl* Ticaret. trading company of the <;;olakoglu Group. Istanbul. Turkey, and Vice 

Chairman and Executive Director of the Group affiliate TOTAL Oil Tfirkiye. 

Since 1996 Mr. israfil has been Managing Director. FIL Finance Inc .• a consulting company 

based in New York. providing strategic. technical and financial advisory services to a select 

group of international clients and governments. with special emphasis on the energy and infrastructure sectors. 

Mr. G. LINCOLN McCURDY 

President 

Turkish Coalition of America 

Mr. McCurdy is president of the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA), a SOl{C)3 not-for-profit 

organization, based in Washington. DC. TCA fosters understanding of Turkish American issues through public education. (Web site for TCA is www.turkishcoalitionofamerica.org) 

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Mr. McCurdy has over 30 years ofleadership and management experience in both u.s. government service and the private sector. He has extensive experience in dealing with binational 

boards; working with senior officials of the governments and military of the United States and 

Turkey; leading trade/investment missions and U.S. congressional delegations to Turkey; cosponsoring activities with the State and Commerce Departments, Environmental Protection 

Agency, Smithsonian Institute and National Public Radio; and fund raising. 

He served as the senior advisor to the Turkish American Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

in New York in 2005 and 2006. 

Mr. McCurdy was the president and chief executive officer, 1998 - 2004, and executive director, 

1989 - 1998, of the American-Turkish Council (ATC) in Washington, the leading business 

association in the United States devoted to the promotion of U.S.-Turkish commercial, defense 

and cultural relations. He received ATC's Distinguished Career Award in 2005. 

Before joining ATC, Mr. McCurdy served in the American Consulate General In Istanbul as the 

Consul for Commercial Affairs, 1980 - 1984. In this capacity, he received the Department of 

State's Meritorious Honor Award for "re-establishing American pre-eminence in the istanbul 

International Business Community:' After government service, he consulted in istanbul for 

ftve years for the Bank of Boston and several Turkish companies. In the late 1970s, he worked 

at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, organizing trade shows in Brazil. 

G. Lincoln McCurdy received his B.A. at Hanover College in Indiana and holds a M.A. in International Management from The George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the 

Foreign Service Institute's Turkish Language and Culture Program. In May 200 I, Mr. McCurdy 

received Hanover College's Alumni Achievement Award. 

Mr. McCurdy is a board director for the Association for Safe lnternalional Road Travel 

(ASIRT). He is an advocate for smart growlh and played a key role in beautifying 1·66 in Arlington, Virginia, in the 19705. He is married with two daughters and enjoys yoga, gardening, 

biking and travel. 

Ms. AY$E SOMER 

Government Affairs and Commercial Programs Direclor 

American-Turkish Council 

Ane Slimer has been working for the American-Turkish Council as the Commercial Programs 

and Government Affairs Director since April 2004. She is responsible for the following sector 

committees: Agribusiness & Food Industries; Banking & Finance; Information Technology 

& Communication; Health care Services; Technology Innovation; and Trade. She organizes 

the Annual Congressional Staff trip and the Chairman's Annual visit to Turkey. Ms. Slimer is 

ATC's liaison on the Hill. 

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Ane first joined the Council in November 2000 as the Communications Director. Prior to 

joining ATC, Ms. Stimer lived and worked in different parts of the world. She was the Client 

& Strategic Planning Director for Rekta Ketchum PR, Research & Marketing Manager for 

Egon Zehnder Int.. Editor-in-Chief of istanbul The Guide. Human Resources Coordinator of 

'96 Istanbul Habitat II NGO Forum, and Director of External Affairs at the Graduate School 

of Management, Koc University, Istanbul. Upon her return to the United States. and before 

joining the American-Turkish Council she worked as the Conference Assistant for the 2000 

U.S.-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce. 

000158 

She served as the [nternational Relations Coordinator for the istanbul 2000 Olympic Committee; was the founding member & Vice-Chairman of Etc. A.S .• ; Public Relations Manager of Hotel Munamar. Marmaris; and the Consular & Public Affairs omcer in (he Canadian Embassy. 

in Ankara. 

Ms. Sumer studied Psychology and Mass Communications at the University of North Carolina 

in Greensboro. U.S.A and American University in Cairo. Egypt. She is fluent in English. Turkish. French and speaks adequate Arabic. Born in Ankara. Turkey. she traveled around the 

world extensively and lived in Libya. Indonesia. Egypt, India. Pakistan. and Turkey. She moved 

to the United States in 2000 and lives in Chevy Chase. MD. 

She is the founding member of the Association for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Abused 

Children in Istanbul. Ms. Sumer, a dual citizen of the United States and Turkey. is an amateur 

designer and producer of jewelry. 

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AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL 

MISSION STATEMENT 

A Business Association dedicated to enhancing the promotion ofUS.-Turkish Commercial, 

Defense, Technology and Cultural Relations 

OVERVIEW 

As one of the leading business associations in the United States, American-Turkish Council 

(ATC) is dedicated to strengthening US.-Turkish relations through the promotion of commercial, defense, technology and cultural relations. Its diverse membership includes Fortune 

500, U.S. and Turkish companies, multinationals, non-profit organizations and individuals with 

an interest in US.-Turkish relations. Guided by Member interests, ATC strives to enhance the 

growing ties between the US. and Turkey hy initiating and facilitating efforts to increase investment and trade between the two countries. 

GOALS OF AMERICAN TURKISH COUNCIL 

To belp resolve problems and disputes that affee! US.' Turkish commercial, defense and 

cultural relations. 

To encourage trade and investment between the United States and Turkey. 

To educate the public and private sectors on the importance of the strategic alliance between the United States and Turkey. 

To increase the understanding and appreciation of the history. culture and traditions of 

the United States and Turkey. 

To promote awareness of US.-Turkish issues. 

To facilitate dialogue between the government agencies of both Turkey and the United 

States and the private sector. 

ACTIVITIES 

ATC has many different activities that take place throughout the year. These activities range 

from cultural to business to governmental affairs. 

Annual Conference 

An event of enormous value to its Members is the ATC Annual Conference. Held every year 

in Washington DC. it incorporates the whole spectrum ofUS.-Turkish relations. The Conference program addresses the key issues between the two countries and the region. Participation 

is diverse: Members of the US. Congress and the Turkish Parliament; Ministers and Cabinet 

Secretaries; senior US. and Turkish military leaders; other senior Administration and Turkish Government officials and political leaders. The Conference also attracts hundreds of other 

participants. including leaders in international business, investment and the professions from 

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Turkey and the United States. 1he Conference offers up-to-the·minute political and economic 

briefings as well as cultural events. It provides an opportunity for American and Turkish businessmen and women to develop business contacts and to exchange ideas and information on 

strategic issues, product marketing, and scientific topics. 

Committees 

000160 

Our ATe Members are also diverse. Their interests and activities cover a vast range of subjects. 

In order to incorporate and make the best use of this diversity, the Council bas formed industry 

specific committees that actively work on issues pertinent to their own areas, but also crossout with the interests of the other committees in order to encourage and enhance the business 

interests of each Member. 1he Council's Standing Committees, which guide its activities, are 

as follows: Agribusiness & Food Industries, Banking & Finance, Cultural Affairs, Defense & 

Security Affairs, Construction, Electric Power, Oil & Gas, and Pharmaceuticals. Ad hoc committees also exist for Textiles, and Trade & Investment. Corporate members are encouraged to 

take part in these work groups. 

Congressional Staff Trip 

Each year, select groups of Congressional Staffers are invited to visit Turkey, an educational trip 

that combines meetings with top-level administration members, NGOs, and visits to some of 

the outstanding historical and cultural sights of the country. This trip also gives ATe an opportunity to show the achievements of Member companies within Turkey such as power plants, 

schools, factories, joint ventures and other businesses. 

Publications & Web site 

The Council has two annual publications, one is the Conference magazine and the other is the 

Annual Report. Both of these provide an opportunity for Members to advertise and promote 

their activities as well as share their experiences. These publications are distributed to government officials of the u.s. and Turkey and also at various ATC sponsored workshops in the 

U.S., Turkey and Europe. 1be American-Turkish Council's integrated website provides links to 

related sites, as well as Member sites and is the milieu in which interesting articles and related 

information about Turkey and the United States is posted. Members and other interested par· 

ties may also use the web site to advertise their company andlor product. 

Seminars, Workshops & Briefings 

Throughout the year, ATe sponsors seminars and workshops in Turkey and the U.S., as well 

as brealcfasts. luncheons, dinners and receptions for visiting dignitaries and other Turkish officials. In Washington, as part of its educational awareness program, ATe organizes briefings on 

current U.S.-Turkish issues with senior officials in the Executive Branch and members and staff 

officials of both Houses in the Congress. 

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TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA (TCA) 

TURKISH 

'" {II 

AMERICA 

The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is an educational, charitable organization incorporated in February 2007. Based in the nation's capital, TCNs objective is to educate the general 

public about Turkey and Turkish Americans and voice their opinion on critical issues to inter· 

ested parties. 

Engage and cultivate a new generation of young Turkish American leaders. 

Promote and advance the interests of the Thrkish American community and Turks. 

Foster friendship, understanding and cooperation between the United States and Turkey. 

Protect the character and ensure a realistic portrayal of Turkey and Turkish Americans in 

the media and the arts. 

Serve as a think tank of expertise and a clearinghouse of information on Turkey and 

Americans of Turkish descent. 

000J61 

Identify and recognize the achievements of Turkish Americans in academia, arts, business, 

education, government, public service and science. 

In carrying out its mission, TCA is committed to building coalitions and working with all like 

minded organizations, based on shared values and goals, on the local, state and national levels 

in the sponsorship and organization of: 

Educational programs on Turkish American issues, Turkish heritage and Turkey. 

Civic consciousness seminars on issues affecting Turkish Americans and the importance 

for Turkish Americans being involved in the political process. 

Scholarships and internship programs for Turkish Americans interested in political sdence, public administration and communication. 

News dissemination about the Turkish American perspective on critical issues and the 

activities and achievements of Turkish Americans. 

Educational and cultural tours between Turkey and the United States. 

Sister city relationships between Turkish and American cities. 

For further information about TCA you can log on to their web site: www.turkishcoalition.org 

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CO~mijTij, TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION (TCF) 

TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION (TCF) 

Turkish 

Cultural 

Foundation 

The Turkish Cultural Foundation was established in January 2000 with the mission to support 

the preservation and promotion of Turkish culture and heritage worldwide, through original 

programs and cooperation with like-minded organizations. The Foundation is an U.S. taxexempt public charitable organization supported entirely by private donations. 

Since its inception, the Foundation has provided an endowment for a permanent Turkish 

Language Lectureship at the University of Chicago, Middle Eastern Studies Department and 

awarded grants to many leading organizations in the United States and Turkey in support of 

their cultural programs. 

Last year, the Foundation provided a total ofS 218,000 in grants and pledges in pursuit of 

its mission, and in support of efforts of other civic organizations in the United States and in 

Turkey. 

In recognition of the importance of preserving Turkish language and culture among young 

Turkish Americans, the Foundation issued a challenge grant to local Turkish organizations in 

the United States and in Canada to open Turkish community schools. The Turkish American 

Cultural Alliance of St. Louis (www.tacastl.org), the Turkish American Association of Central 

Ohio (www.taaco.org) and the Pittsburgh Turkish American Association (www.ptaa.org) in the 

United States and the Turkish Canadian Society in Vancouver (www.vancouverturkisbsociety. 

org), Canada, were awarded grants and opened schools to serve their community's children. 

The Foundation also supports education in Turkey through grants to the Turkish Educational 

Foundation (www.tef-usa.org) for scholarships to needy school children. the Turkish American 

Women's Scholarship Fund to support disadvantaged and successful female coUege students 

(www.tawsf.org) and to the American Research Institute in Turkey (ccat.sas.upenn.edu! ARIT) 

to create a joint Fellowship Program for research grants to Turkish scholars in the areas of 

archeology, the humanities and social sciences. The Turkish Cultural Foundation has also given 

a grant to Anatolian Artisans (www.anato!ianartisans.org) to organize a workshop on small 

business development for female artisans in developing regions of Turkey. 

In support of promoting Turkish art and culture in the United States, the Foundation offered 

grants to interested organizations to screen a Retrospective of films by the award winning Turkish director, Zeki Demirkubuz. In coopemtion with the Moon and Stars Project 

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000163 

CONFIDENT~; , 

TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION (TCF) ctd. 

(www.moonandstarsproject.org). the Foundation supported the screening of this film series 

in Tempe. Arizona by the Bosphorus Art Project (www.bosphorusartproject.org) and in Ann 

Arbor, Michigan by the Turkish Student Association and the University of Michigan and in 

Buffalo, New York by the University at Buffalo. The Foundation also co-sponsored the 2004 

Turkish Film Festival in Boston and the screening of a Retrospective offilms by renowned 

Turkish director Nun Bilge Ceylan by the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England 

(www.tacsne.org).In 2006. the Foundation has awarded a grant to Moon and Stars Project in 

support of the 7th Annual New York Turkish Film Festival and for the screening of the Festival's movies in other U.S. cities. 

The Foundation also awarded grants to the Turkish Festival in Seattle (www.turkfest.org) and 

the 9th Boston Turkish Festival (www.tacsne.org). The American Turkish SOciety (www.americanturkishsociety.org) was also awarded a grant in support of its cultural programs. The Turkish Cultural Foundation has also made a pledge to become the premier Foundation sponsor of 

an exhibition on Ottoman Textiles, "Style and Status:' to be held at the Freer Gallery of Art / 

Arthur M. Sadder Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. DC in Fall 2006. 

In support of creating a better understanding of Turkey among U.S. lawmakers. the Turkish 

Cultural Foundation co-sponsored visits to Turkey by members of the U.S. congressional staff 

prepared by the American Turkish Council (www.the-atc.org). The Foundation organizes a 

tOUf of istanbul's historic and cultural sites as part of this program. 

In the area of preserving Turkish culture. the Foundation is supporting the English translation, 

publication and U.S. distribution of the novel "Huzur - Peace of Mind" by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar by Archipelago Books (www.archipelagobooks.org) and has commissioned the creation 

of a web site dedicated to Turkish Music through the ages. Both projects will be completed at 

the end of this year. 

Also under its preservation and education mission, the Turkish Cultural Foundation is underwriting the work oflhe Archeological Settlements in Turkey Project (TAY Project, www. 

t.yproject.org). This Turkish NGO's mission is to record. protect and preserve the cultural and 

natural heritage of Turkey by creating a complete documentation of all archaeological sites 

starting from prehistoric times. The Foundation commitment to TAY Project stretches over the 

next eight years and will cover the creation of an "Iron Age Inventory." 

The Foundation also maintains the most visited web site on Turkish culture www.turkishculture.org. Over five hundred fifty thousand visitors from ninety-one countries visited the site. Its 

web site. currently undergOing a facelift, is a cornucopia of information on Turkish culture and 

also works as a gatew.y to many other sites on Turkish culture. helping to open these resources 

to the world. It also feature a Turkish Culture Calendar on the web site. listing events on Turkish culture worldwide. 

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00016,1 

THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS 

THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCU.s. ON U.S.' TURKISH RELATIONS & 

TURKISH AMERICANS 

The Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans (The Turkey Caucus) was co-founded by Reps. Robert Wexler (D-FL). Ed Whitfield (R-KY). and Kay Granger 

(R-TX) in March 2001. The Turkey Caucus was established in an effort to strengthen u.s.-

Turkish relations and raise the level of economic, military, cultural and strategic cooperation 

between the two NATO allies. As of today, the Turkey Caucus has 78 members. 

Since its inception. there have been more bills and resolutions offered in Congress in support of 

Turkish-U.S. relations than ever before. Among the legislation sponsored by Caucus members 

are resolutions commending Turkey for her supportive role in Operation Enduring Freedom 

and a second resolution highlighting Turkey's cooperation in the war against terrorism. Additionally, resolutions have been offered commending Turkey for her efforts to implement tough 

economic reforms, recognizing the strong economic relationship between Turkey and the 

United States and commemorating Turkey's abiding relationship with Israel. Finally, resolutions have been offered supporting Turkey's membership in the EU and establishing Qualifying 

Industrial Zones (QIZ trade zones). 

The Caucus also increased the number of Members of Congress traveling to Turkey. In 2002. 

Reps. Granger and Wexler led the inaugural Caucus delegation to Turkey to meet with Prime 

Minister Eeevit, President Sezer. Foreign Minister Cem, as well as other top officials in Ankara. 

During this high-level visit, the Caucus delegation focused on strengthening U.S.-Turkish 

relations with respect to counter-terrorism, defense, and energy. In addition, they discussed 

pressing foreign policy issues regarding Afghanistan, Israeli-Turkish relations. Iraq, the Middle 

East. the Balkans. Central Asia, and the Caucasus region. 

In March 2003 Congressmen Wexler and Whitfield traveled to Thrkey to consult with Thrkish 

leaders following the vote in Turkish parliament regarding hosting u.s. troops. Soon after 

their return. the Caucus took a leadership role in support of the Administration's $1 billion 

assistance to Turkey to help soften the economic effects of a war in neighboring Iraq. Efforts to 

eliminate the assistance were defeated on the House floor by a vote of3 to I. indicating strong 

Congressional support for U.S.-Turkish relations irrespective of events surrounding Operation 

Iraqi Freedom. 

The Caucus has hosted numerous Turkish business and government delegations for briefings. 

induding then - Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Ugur Ziyal. the Turkish u.s. Business CouncilfDEIK executive committee, and then - Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahdullah Gul. In 2004. 

during PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington. the Caucus members were able to 

meet and discuss issues concerning the relations between the two countries. More recently. the 

Caucus has worked with the House Appropriations Committee to restore funding for the Voice 

of America Turkish Services. They also helped host a 125th birthday celebration for Kemal 

Ataturk with the Ataturk Society of America. 

In addition to the activities of the Caucus, Congressmen Whitfield and Wexler founded the 

Congressional Study Group on Turkey through the United States Association of Former 

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000165 

Members of Congress in 2004. Since 2005 the Turkey Study Group and Former Members 

of Congress have visited Turkey numerous times. They also visited the Turkish Republic of 

Northern Cyprus in 2005. The two groups hosted several events for visiting Turkish delegations, including a speci.1 reception on Capitol Hill honoring Prime Minister Erdog.n and his 

delegation during his June 2005 visit. 

REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 

Rep. Robert Wexler' D-FL Rep.lohn Lewis D·GA 

Rep. Ed Whitfield' R·KY Rep. Betty McCollum D-MN 

Rep. Kay Granger' R-TX Rep. Mike McIntyre D·NC 

Rep. Robert Aderholt R-AL Rep. Greg Meeks D-NY 

Rep. Spencer Bachus R·AL Rep. Brad Miller D·NC 

Rep. loe Barton R·TX Rep. Dennis Moore D-KS 

Rep. Gresham Barrett R·SC Rep. lim Moran D-VA 

Rep. Howard Berman D·CA Rep. lohn Murtha D-PA 

Rep. Charles Boustany R·LA Rep. Solomon Ortiz D·TX 

Rep. Dan Burton R-IN Rep. Bill Paserdl D·NI 

Rep. G. K. Butterfield D·NC Rep. Mike Pence R·IN 

Rep. Andre Carson D-IN Rep.loe Pitts R-PA 

Rep. Steve Chabot R-OH Rep. Todd Platts R-PA 

Rep. Ben Chandler D·KY Rep. Earl Pomeroy D·ND 

Rep. Howard Coble R·NC Rep. David Price D-NC 

Rep. Stephen Cohen D·TN Rep. Adam Putnam R·FL 

Rep. Tom Cole R·OK Rep. Nick Rahal! D·WY 

Rep. Bud Cramer D·AL Rep. lim Ramstad R-MN 

Rep. Henry Cuellar D-TX Rep. Silvestre Reyes D-TX 

Rep. Geoff Davis R·KY Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger D-MD 

Rep. Lincoln Davis D-TN Rep. lean Schmidt R·OH 

Rep. Norm Dicks D-WA Rep. David Scott D-GA 

Rep. Lloyd Doggett D-TX Rep. Pete Sessions R-TX 

Rep. Thelma Drake R·YA Rep. Chris Shays R-CT 

Rep. Phil English R-PA Rep. Bill Shuster R-PA 

Rep. Bob Etheridge D-NC Rep. Mike Simpson R-ID 

Rep. £ni Faleomaveaga D·Sam Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO 

Rep. Alee. Hastings D-FI. Rep. Cliff Stearns R·FL 

Rep. Jeb Hensarling R·TX Rep. Adam Smith D·WA 

Rep. Rush Holt D·NJ Rep. Tom Tancredo R·CO 

Rep. Virginia Foxx R-NC Rep. Gene Taylor D·MS 

Rep. Tessie Jackson, lr. D-IL Rep. fohn Tanner D·TN 

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX Rep. Bennie 1hompson D-MS 

Rep. Willliam letTer,on D-LA Rep. Edolphus Towns D-NY 

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson D·TX Rep. Henry \Vaxman D·CA 

Rep. Tim Johnson R-IL Rep. Rob Wittman R-VA 

Rep. Walter lones R-NC Rep. Heather Wilson R-NM 

Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick D·MJ Rep. Joe Wilson R·SC 

Rep. Randy Kuhl R-NY 

Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen R-FL ,.. Caucus Co~chairs 

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000166 

CO,Nli:ln::l i 6i t....~ \1 I 

ATC MEMBER COMPANY BRIEFS ------------------------------ tI) 

:/ ban kpozitif 

BankPozitif makes positive contributions to the finance sector by means of activities which 

they perform in the individual. corporate and investment banking areas. Its clear vision 

strengthens its position in the banking sector. 

Its mission is to be a bank that brings a new dimension to the Turkish sector banking and is 

proven exemplary at the international level by means of developing innovative and modern 

approaches which help enhance the living and business qualities of its customers. 

In five years. BankPozitif aims to be among Turkey's top three banks in its sector for profitability, different distribution channels of its offices in istanbul. Ankara and Izmir, it will offer to 

more than 500.000 customers its innovative solutions to the financial needs of the individuals. 

It will be the bank of choice by customers in the sectors it targets because of its high-level risk 

management ability, specialized and continuously developing staff. and active use of the latest 

technology. 

Since its beginning. the core business of BankPozitifhas been corporate banking. It renders 

services for its customers as a boutique bank. By being strictly committed to the principles of 

productivity, effectiveness and effective risk management, BankPozitif presents corporate financing services, corporate credits. financial leasing. and project financing_ It targets construction (material. real estate. land allocation). marine and transportation (ports). energy. tourism. 

foodstuffs and agricultural products. financial organizations. automotive. entertainment. and 

others. 

In addition to this. BankPozitif is interested in the privatization of state-owned enterprises and 

large performed asset sales. performed openly and transparently (in which there are lots of 

national and international participants). 

BankPozitif takes a positive approach to its customers. endearing to provide banking services 

that make the customer's life easier and solutions that are both appropriate and fullfill expectations. whether for business. home vehicles. or otherkinds of individual credits. 

In line with its extraordinary banking approach. BankPozitif is prepared to visit customers at 

any place and time and give information about financial solutions. Its fast and solution-oriented BankPozitif call center is committed to answering all financial questions and responding to 

a wide variety of problems as quickly as possible. 

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000167 

NTF Construction is a Turkish construction company that has worked on a variety of construction projects. Previous work includes dams and hydroelectric power plants; irrigation and 

drainage projects; roads, bridge and tunnel works; earthworks; potable water and waste water 

networks; mining and quarry operations; drilling and grouting works; buildings and industrial 

plants; urban infrastructure; airport; harbour; and natural gas and oil pipelines. 

NTF uses state-of-the-art information technology. 

NTF Infonnation System is an integrity of the software designed to overcome the difficulties in 

controlling the work sites of NTF, which are spread over different geographical regions. Owing 

to the data processing technologies being intensely used, productivity and speed have been 

prOVided in the fields of production planning, human resources, purchasing, machinery, qual· 

ity control and accounting. 

With the NTFBS software designed and developed completely by NTF personnel for use in 

the work sites, it is possible to examine all human resources data, access the data on the daily 

production - consumption and operating hours of the machinery and prepare and monitor 

daily work site reports. 

GPS (Global Positioning System) -Supported Vehicle Monitoring System, whose project. 

hardware and software were developed by NTF personnel and resources, makes it possible to 

monitor the main production vehicles currently active in the work sites with the help of the 

location data ohtained from GPS satellites, and the data like their position. speed, load, etc. are 

collected over the radio lines in real time at the main center. This data has provided increased 

productivity for the vehicles used in the work sites. Same project won the award at the contest 

"New Horizons" organized by GYIAD (Association of Young Managers and Businessman) in 

the year 1997. 

Moreover, regular training courses are held on the subjects of installation and upgrade of the 

other software used by the departments under ful1license at the center and in the work sites, 

in order to increase the activity of the software used. lhe equipment ofNTF Construction 

includes 101 machines, 67 trucks, and 35 other vehicles. 

1b date NTF Construction has worked on projects from the Akkoprii Dam, to the Pervari Dam 

and Pendik Collector. 

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TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (TABA) 

TABA founded in 1987 is a non-profit organization. headquartered in istanbul. it has five 

branches in Turkey. TABA's membership is over 650 companies. 

As the representative of the American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey, TABA's goal is to enhance trade relations between the U.S.A and Turkey; to encourage American investments into 

this country; assist members by connecting them with potential strategic partners; help solve 

their trade-related issues and contribute to Turkey's promotion abroad. 

In order to accomplish these goals, TABA! AmCham founded several task committees. These 

committees are: Membership; Project Development; Telecommunication & Infurmation 

Technology; Energy & Infrastructure; Law & Pi nance, Publications; Activities & Communications; Corporate Affairs: Consumer Products: Intellectual Royalty Rights; Tr-ademarks Defense 

Industry; Tourism; Real Estate & Transportation and Investment & Regulations pertaining to 

ED relations. 

TABA! AmCham is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A (COCU.S.A), member of the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce (ECACC) and AmericanTurkish Council (ATC). 

http://www.amcham.org.tr 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

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FRITO LAY IN TURKEY 

~'M 

fMIlflI1J 

000169 

Having been founded as a Turkish company In 1986, Uzay Food sold 50 % of its shares to 

Pepsico after 2 years and Frito Lay was founded as a 100 % Pepsico company in 1993. Today, it 

provides employment opportunities for more than 2.400 people through its plants in izmit and 

Tarsus, its head office in Istanbul and sales and distribution network that spans all over Turkey. 

Operating in the Turkish market with four international brands including Lay's, Ruffles, Doritos, and Cheetos, Frito Lay is the leader of savory snacks in Turkey. Since it entered to the 

Turkish snack market, Frito Lay Turkey has been growing continuously. Recently, it received 

the prestigious PepsiCo Founder's Award (Donald M. Kendall Award) in 2004 and 2005. 

Product Categories 

Potato Chips (Lay's, Ruffles) The world's number one savory snacks company and the leader in 

Turkey, has 2 brands -Lay's and Ruffles- in the potato chips category. Lay's offers 3 choices: 

Classic Potato Chip, Harvest Feast (Yoghurt & Seasonal Vegetables Flavor) and Spices Flavor. 

With a selection of satisfying flavors, Ruffles also offers alternative choices such as Originals -

Ridged Potato Chip, Tat Ketchup Flavor and Maximum - Cheese & Onion Flavor. 

Corn Cttips (Doritos, A La Turca) 

Doritos. Doritos Dippas and A La Ture. are Frito Lay's corn chips. Doritos has 3 choices: Taco 

(Spices Flavor). Nacho (Cheese Flavor) and Hot Corn (Hot Pepper Flavor). Dodtos Dippas was 

created for chip lovers who prefer eating chips with sauces. A La Turca provides a fascinating 

traditional tastes with its Poppy seed assortment. 

Corn Snacks (Cheetos, <;erezza) 

With its wide product range suitable for all age groups, Frito Lay has two corn snack brands. 

Cheetos and <;erezza. Cheetos. produced from 100% corn semolina with vegetable oil and oven 

baked has an indispensable taste with its Cheese, Peanut, Ketchup, Steak, Twisted, lhunder, 

Crispy Cheese & Thunder and Mini Cheetos varieties. 

Plants and Warehouses 

Frito Lay Turkey has a large distribution network all around the country with 200 distributors 

and a sales force of more than 1.000 people. Delicious and appetizing snacks are produced in 

Frito Lay's two plants in Suadiye Kocaeli and Tarsus. Frito Lay reaches aU of Turkey with 

its distribution system and continues growing through marketing activities with its products 

suitable for all age groups. Frito Lay keeps its leadership in the potato chips market with Lay's 

and Ruffles, in the corn chips market with Doritos and A La Turco and corn snacks with Cheetos and <;:erezza. 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S .• THE EU AND THE FUTURE 

000170 

ARTICLES 

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal Atatiirk (1881-1938), known 

also as ATATORK. "Father of the Turks," founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923. The Republic was founded upon secular democratic principles, but has suffered recurrent periods of 

political instability and intermittent military coups that disrupted its democratic development. 

Turkey became a member of the UN in 1945, NATO in 1952, an associate member of the European Community in 1964, and began the process for accession into the EU in 2005. 

Turkey'S population is approximately 72 million people. It is one of the largest countries in 

Europe and the Middle East. A quarter of the population is under 15 years of age, 69% is of 

working age, and its median age is 29. Ethnically diverse, Kurds are thought to constitute about 

20% of the population with concentration in the Southeast and IstanbuL 

Turkey endured an economic depression and collapse ofits banking sector in 2000-2001. In 

the past five years, however. it has enjoyed political stability and strong economic growth. Its 

GDP grew 8.9% in 2004. 5% in 2005, 6.1 % in 2006. and 5% in 2007. It is expected to grow at 

a rate of 4.5% in 2008. The Turkish Lira. which depreciated at an alarming pace through the 

19905, has been remarkably steady for the past four years. 

Diverse challenges. a rich history and geopolitical fate give Turkey a commanding regional 

role that can be projected well into the future. It is in fact located in a prime intersection of 

culture. political power. influence. and commerce. Turkey has big dreams to use its position to 

integrate into the European Union and once again become a nation of regional influence and 

global vitality. 

Economic Picture 

Turkey's macroeconomic picture has improved dramatically over the past five years. Growth 

in GDP has averaged 6.9%. Inflation was brought to single digits. Foreign direct investment 

blossomed to more than $21 billion in 2007. Privatization of state-owned enterprises moved 

forward at a rapid pace. Economic reforms required for accession to the European Union 

have led to tightening fiscal policy, foreign direct investment flows. and investor confidence. 

The Turkish Lira was revalued in 2005 and has held remarkably stable. but a recent spike in 

inflation rates cause concern among investors. Foreign currency is getting harder to come by. 

especially with the end of the IMF oversight in May. drastically decreasing foreign direct capital 

inflows, In 2008 we are seeing a slow down in GDP growth and in investments. 

The growth in Turkish exports in 2008 has been dramatic. but so too has been the growth of 

imports led by imported and more expensive oil and gas. When combined with a decline in 

foreign investment in privatized state-owned enterprises. Turkey's negative current account has 

steadily deteriorated in 2008. Turkey's economy can be expected to remain strong in the future 

by turning to micro-economic reforms that will benefit its strong manufacturing base and 

small and medium enterprises. Its increasingly market-oriented economy is in a prime location for international commerce and its economy has grown in ways that tie it ever closer to the 

EU. Domestically and around the world Turkey is regarded as important for its role as an 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ctd. 

energy transportation hub and thus as a leader in the energy sector. With its economy, now 

17th largest in the world, Turkey is expected to be one of the world's ten largest economies 

within the next fifteen years. Membership in the EU would further promote economic progress. 

U.S.-Turkish Relations 

00017. 

Despite difficulties that commenced with the Iraq invasion in the spring of 2003, the u.s. and 

Turkey have recognized that they are each others indispensable ally and preserved the core of 

their relationship through common goals and shared values. 

In 1947 the Marshall Plan initiated a tight U.S.-Turkey relationship as Europe was rebuilt 

after World War II. Five years later Turkey and the u.s. became allies through membership 

in NATO. This strong security partnership was solidified with Turkey's dedication of armed 

forces to halt the spread of Communism, including a remarkable reputation for valor earned in 

the Korean War. 

Throughout the Cold War, Turkey acted as the southern flank protector of Western interests 

against the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkey's role changed, enduring a period of uncertainty but emerging in the 21st Century no less strategically important 

than it had been for the previous 50 years. Terrorism, religious and cultural clashes, Persian 

Gulf and Middle East conflicts, energy security, the potential for a nuclear armed Iran, and the 

alarming spread ofIslamic fundamentalism have all placed Turkey and its regional position 

front and center. 

Three issues became major irritants in the U.S.-Turkey relationship over the past five years: the 

Iraq invasion, dealing with PKK terrorism, and congressional flirtation with a resolution that 

ascribes to Turkey the crime of "genocide" for the Ottoman Empire's handling of the Armenian 

rebellion nearly a century ago. The first two issues have been satisfactory managed; the third 

looms as a genuine flashpoint for the future. 

Turkey surprised and disappointed the U.S. with its rejection in March 2003 of u.s. plans for 

a northern front in Iraq to be opened by transiting U.S. troops into Northern Iraq through 

Turkey. When Baghdad fell and Northern Iraqi Kurds appeared to emerge as the dominant 

post-Sadam players, Turkey feared that Iraq would diSintegrate and an independent Kurdistan emerge. 111i5 was thought to be cataclysmic for Turkey's own territorial integrity and its 

struggle against the PKK and Kurdish independence. 

Nonetheless, Turkey continued to permit massive amounts of war materiel and logistic support to transit Turkey to U.S. and coalition forces fighting in Iraq. Today, upwards of 75% of 

airborne re-supply for the Iraq war transits Turkey and 100% of the refueling for air operations 

in both Iraq and Afghanistan stage through Incirlik Air Base. Turkey has been reassured with 

the evolving federal structure for Iraq's government and has participated in extensive training 

of Iraq's politicians, bureaucrats and police, as well as large swaths of reconstruction. 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ctd. 

Rising unpopularity for America among Turks was fueled by the perception that America's occupation ofIraq provided a northern Iraq safe haven for PKK terrorists. A dramatic up-tick in 

PKK cross border violence in late 2007ied Prime Minister Erdogan to seek an urgent meeting 

in November with President Bush. The agreement to provide Turkey "actionable intelligence 

on the PKK and President Bush's pronouncement of the PKK as a "common enemy" have 

resolved this irritant. Likewise, the unexpected success of the Administration in getting members of the House to withdraw their support for the Armenian "genocide" resolution removed 

that issue from the bilateral agenda for the present. 

As a result of successfully managing these three issues. U.S.-Turkey relations are the best today 

that they have been at any time in the past five years. 

Turkey and the European Union 

Although EU·oriented reforms dropped off during the 2007 election year and were slow to 

resume. they are now once again an active part of the Turkish Government's political and economic agenda. Successful integration into the EU would greatly benefit Thrkey and will see its 

continued development and progression to a prosperous democratic SOciety. As a secular democracy within a Muslim society. it faces challenges balancing social and political issues. The 

Justice and Development Party (AKP) members, President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan. have reaffirmed the country's commitment to this goal. Turkey's social 

maturity is evident in their willingness to accept EU·mandated reforms. and has improved its 

economy. political and social position to meet these reforms. 

Turkey is in a prime location for commerce and influencing regional international relations. Its economy has grown to be the 17th largest in the world, larger than many EU states. 

Turkey has a young population with good work ethic and rapidly developing skills in modern 

technologies. Eager today to find employment and be prosperous. it is a labor force that will 

be desperately needed in the future by many European states. As a Democratic State with a 

majority Muslim population, Turkey can become not only a geopolitical bridge. but a cultural 

and political bridge between the EU and the Middle East and a prime example of a prosperous. 

democratic, yet dominantly Muslim. society. 

Turkey's path to EU membership is far from certain. More than any previous aspirant. Turkey 

is being asked to jump over ever-changing political hurdles in its pursuit of EU membership: 

Cyprus. Armenian genOcide, the Kurdish problem. domestic reform, and freedom of expres· 

sion are but some of the problems that Turkey must address before becoming a member. To 

date. Turkey has managed to dose but one chapter of the 35 necessary for membership. Eight 

chapters were suspended at the insistence of France and Cyprus. All of this amounts to a long 

and tremulous process of setbacks and achievements undoubtedly extending the time frame for 

accession of Turkey. At the same time, the EU has itself suffered from indecisions and misdirection. leading many Turks to question whether the EU can ever be a successful destination for 

Turkey. 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ctd. 

Afghanistan 

Turkey was the first Muslim country to actively pursue the Taliban by sending troops to 

Afghanistan. Turkey assisted in training the Afghan military and supporters ofhum.nitarian 

aid. and Turks authorized the transit of u.s. aircraft and war materiel destined for Afghanistan 

through Turkey's Incirlik Air Base. Turkey has been an active participant in "Operation Enduring Freedom; twice commanding the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Efforts 

made to build infrastructure and promote peace in Afghanistan have engaged Turkish troops 

and the private sector in infrastructure development and delivery of humanitarian aid. Turkey 

faces a constant struggle with its own population over their demands for priority in opposing PKK terrorism before assisting its allies in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, this year Turkey has 

doubled its humanitarian assistance pledge and increased foreign direct investment projects by 

Thrkish firms. 

Kurds in Turkey 

Kurdish ethnicity accounts for nearly 20% of the total Turkish population. Individually, Kurds 

have been denied recognition of their unique ethnicity, language, books, radiO and television, 

music and otber cultural manifestations. In recent years, however, these rights have increasingly been improved with help from EU mandates and strong representation of Kurds within the 

Turkish government. Recent laws now permit Kurdish language broadcasts and magazines and 

newspapers. Kurdish is still not permitted to be written or spoken in government or in publicly 

supported education. Great economic disparity is also apparent when comparing the poverty 

of the Southeast with the burgeoning economies of Western Turkey. 

Kurdish terrorist group, the PKK, has been taking a huge toll in Turkey, particularly the 

Southeast. For more than three decades, Turkey has looked to the U.S. and the international 

community for support against the PKK, but that support has rarely been prOvided. Recently, 

the United States became much more active against the PKK proViding "actionable" intelligence 

information to Turkey about PKK whereabouts and actions in Northern Iraq. President Bush 

named the PKK "an enemy of Turkey. an enemy of Iraq. and therefore an enemy of the United 

States:' The United States has also encouraged Iraqi Kurdish authorities to work more closely 

with Turkey against the PKK. This too appears to have positive effect. Turkey's own Kurdish population has shown that it is not primarily interested in an independent Kurdish state. 

Kurds in Turkey look forward to Turkish accession to the EU as a path for increased freedoms 

and economic success for their people within Turkey. 

Cyprus 

The election of a new Cypriot President, Dimitris Christofias, in February 2008 bas opened 

the best opportunity since the failure of the Annan Plan in 2004 for the Cyprus dispute to be 

settled. Turkey encourages the resumed negotiation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots under the auspices of the UN. In a colossal diplomatic blunder, the EU granted Cyprus membership in the EU, and European Union rights to Greek Cypriots only, even though Greek Cypriots 

rejected the Annon Plan. By such action. the EU assured no progress for the next four years 

under former President Papadopoulos. In the meantime, Turkish troops remained in place. 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ctd. 

Turkish Cypriots remained isolated. and progress on EU membership for Turkey became a hostage to the Greek Cypriots and a Cyprus solution. 

Greece 

Remarkable progress has been made in Greece-Turkey relations since the tragedies of dual 

earthquakes in Turkey and Greece in 1999. Disputes over ownership of islets and areas in the 

Aegean. treatment of each country's minority populations. and recurrent military tensions are 

increasingly rare. Greece supports Turkey's membership in the European Union. Exchanges of 

high level visits have taken place. Matters such as the reopening of the Halki Seminary remain 

to be resolved. 

Global Relations 

Increasingly, Turkey sees a role for itselfbeyond its regional influences. Por example, in Africa 

Turkey's historical, cultural. and economic interests are paving the way to increased relations in 

sub-Saharan Africa, opening 15 new embassies, a robust growth of bilateral commerce, and a 

partnership with the African Union. Turkey has contributed humanitarian aid projects paralleling U.S. strategic aid projects in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Palestine. 

The Balkans 

The Balkans continue to have a special relationship with Turkey because of their historical connections to the Ottoman Empire, and because they are close neighbors with mutual economic 

and political growth prospects and accession into the EU. These countries generally are benefiting from increased commercial and humanitarian ties with Turkey and mutual memberships in NATO. Croatia is also an aspiring state for EU membership and is progressing toward 

that objective much more quickly than Turkey. Turkey and the Balkan States are working 

toward co-operation in energy supply and building infrastructure to support energy networks 

to Europe. 

The Caucasus 

Turkey cooperates closely with Azerbaijan and Georgia on the elimination of terrorism, human 

trafficking. and drug smuggling. and development of commercial projects. A fundamental 

piece of Europe's energy security puzzle was put in place when Thrkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia 

opened the Baku-1blisi-Ceylan pipeline on July 15.2006. Commercial projects in the region 

have been fostered in conjunction with many international finance and trade organizations including the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency 

(TDA). and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Turkey has the support of 

the u.s. in its efforts to reduce tensions in the region through "Operation Black Sea Harmony" 

in conjunction with NATO's Operation Active Endeavor. In the midst of the Armenian issue is 

the U.S. Congress. Turkey will not normalize its relations with Armenia or open its land border with Armenia unless Armenia's long-standing occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territory in 

Nagorno Karabagh comes to an end. Turkey's dispute with Armenia over Armenia's occupation of vast tracts of Azerbaijan and the efforts to brdnd Turkey for the crime of genocide for 

its treatment of Armenians at the end of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire 

remain a major trouble spot. 

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000175 

CONFIDENTIr,\L 

TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ,td. 

Eurasia 

When the Soviet Empire collapsed in 1991. Turkey was the first country to recognize the inde· 

pendence of Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan. Turkmenistan. Tajikistan. Uzbekistan believing (mistakenly) that a common linguistic and cultural heritage would result in all five looking to Turkey 

for leadership and encouragement. While Turkey's political and cultural gambit failed. its commercial penetration of markets throughout the "Stans" succeeded. Today. Turkish clothing, 

food. all variety of manufactured goods and construction can be found through Eurasia, and 

Turkey is a major transit hub for Eurasian energy exports to Turkey and Western Europe. 

General 

Population 

Population growth 

Life expectancy at birth 

GDP(ppp) 

GDP per capita (ppp) 

Real GDP Growth 

Inflation 

Unemployment 

71.892,807 

1.013% 

73.14 years 

$888 billion 

$12,900 

5% 

8.5% 

9.9% 

Statistics obtained from The World Factbook, July 7.2008: 

http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world -factbookigeos/tu,html 

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TURKISH ECONOMY BRIEF 

July 9th 2008 

From the Economist Intelligence Unit 

Source: Country Forecast 

Outlook for 2008-09 

000176 

The Economist Intelligence Unit expects the Constitutional Court to close the Justice and 

Development Party (AKP) and ban leading members. including the prime minister. Recep 

Tayyip Erdogan. from membership of any party. 

If this happens. we expect the party to re-form under a new name and remain in government. Most of the banned members will be able stand as independents in by-elections or 

possibly a general ejection in late 2008 or early 2009. 

We expect that Turkey's EU accession bid and economic reform will remain the government's main priorities. but progress will be slow. 

Tensions with the military may hinder the government's ability to engage fully in efforts to 

resolve the division of Cyprus. 

lhe government has not signed another IMF stand-by accord. However. post-programme 

monitoring and the option of a precautionary stand-by agreement at a later stage should 

help to maintain investor confidence. 

Owing to the continued rise in inflation. we expect the Central Bank of Turkey to keep 

monetary policy tight and only start to cut Interest rates again in 2009. 

Owing to high inflation and interest rate increases we expect GDP growth to slow from 

6.6% in the first quarterof2008 to average 4-4.5% a year in 2008-09. 

Monthly Review 

On June 5th Turkey's Constitutional Court annulled the constitutional amendments 

passed by the AKP and part of the opposition. which had allowed female students to wear 

Islamic-style headscarves in universities. 

On June 16th the AKP submitted its written defence in the closure case against the ruling 

party. The AKP is accused of being a focus of anti-secular activity. 

During a visit to Diyarbaklr in the predominantly Kurdish inhabited south-east of Turkey. 

Mr. Erdogan announced a South-east Anatolia Project (GAP) Action Plan to complete the 

GAP plan. which began in the 1980s. by 2012. 

With consumer price inflation at 10.7% in May and riSing. the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank decided on June 16th to raise interest rates by 50 basis points for 

the second month in succession. 

GDP growth accelerated to 6.6% in the first quarter 0[2008. from 3.4% in the second 

half of 2007. Recent indicators suggest that economic activity was sluggish in the second 

quarter of 2008 and will remain so in the third. 

Following a bout of weakness in March and early April the lira recovered and remained broadly stable in late May and lune. On lune 26th the lira was trading at about 

YTLL22:U.S.Sl and YTLI.90:€L 

http://www.economist.com/countriesrrurkey/profiJe.cfm?folder=Profilc-Forccast Accessed July t6. 2008. 

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000177 

CONFIDENT· -----........................ --------- ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM CHAOTIC POLITICAL CLIMATE GROWING, 

SAYS MINISTER 

Extracted from luly 8. 2008; TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES ANKARA 

The cost of the political uncertainty stemming from a closure case against the ruling Justice and Devel~ 

opment Party (AK Party) and an investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization is climbing. 

Economy Minister Mehmet ~im!ek has said, noting that the Turkish Treasury has thus far sustained a loss 

ofYTL 20 billion. 

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency yesterday, the minister acknowledged that the economy is being 

shaken by global developments such as soaring energy prices, a liquidity squeeze and the U.S. sub prime 

mortgage crisis, but said political uncertainties on the domestic front are causing more damage to the 

Turkish economy. 

"What we and many national and foreign experts think is that if there had been no political uncertainty in 

Turkey. it would have been among the countries least affected by the global crisis because our economy was 

already in a period of normalization:' the minister stated. 

Despite all these adverse developments in the domestic political sphere, the government did not lose focus 

on steering the economy and continued structural reforms to achieve a sustainable growth rate in the 

medium and long terms, he noted. 

Still. interest rates have increased by 5.5 percentage points to 22.5 percent s.ince the closure case filed 

against the AK Party in March, which, he said, represents a sharp rise. "So, the political uncertainty. together with an upsurge in risk premiums and interest rates, has caused YTL 20 billion of additional burden 

for the Treasury:' he stated. adding. "Turkey does not deserve this crisis:' 

"lhe minister pointed to the losses of companies whose stocks are traded on the Istanbul Stock Exchange 

(lMKB) as another result of the political turbulence. He stated that the totallosse, in the market capitaliza" 

tion of these companies have exceeded $80 billion. More has been lost with the huge outflows of foreign 

capital from financial markets. the slowdown in foreign direct lnvestment (FDI) and a contraction in 

consumption, he added. 

A more seriouS upshot of the troubles in the political arena is yet to arrive, the minister predicted, stating 

that the economy may stop growing at the expected rate. The economy recorded 6.6 percent growth in the 

first quarter due to a stronger manufacturing industry. higher consumption and investment expenditures. 

he nOled. However, he said he was not optimistic about the second quarter as the effects of the political 

disruptions will be seen more markedly in the figures of that period. 

KosiDER pleads for stability 

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (KOBtDER) Chairman Nurettln Ozgen, has complained about the 

IUlcertainty in the political arena, saying that it caused a sharp downward trend in demand that is Crippling 

production. Turkey's top priority is the ec:onomy. and the economy 

can only grow when there is stability, he emphasized, adding that "democracy spreads to the masses only in 

economically developed countries:' 

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Ozgen~ claimed that political ambiguities arc always accompanied 

by a contraction in demand as households are deterred from spending their disposable incomes with a 

propensity to save more. He warned toat political actors must be more careful in their steps for the sake of 

protecting the peaceful environment that the economy's actors need to run the wheels of production. 

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THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY AFFAIRS PERSPECTIVE ON 

U.S.-TURKEY BILATERAL RELATIONS IN MID-2008 

Bilateral Relations 

000178 

Overall. U.S.-Turkey relations are in better shape now than they have been in five years. This is 

due to several key developments: U.S. support for Turkey's own war on terror through provision of "actionable intelligence" that back-stops Turkish attacks on the PKK in Northern Iraq; 

successful side-tracking of the Armenian Genocide resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives; and the continued significant partnership of Turkey in the global war on terror in Iraq 

and Afghanistan. 

As an outcome of Prime Minister Erdogan's November 2007 meeting with President Bush 

and President Bush's identification of the PKK as a "common enemy;' the U.S. military agreed 

to provide real-time intelligence to the Turkish military. The Turkish military has successfully used this intelligence to pursue PKK cross-border in Northern Iraq. Immediately after 

the Erdogan-Bush meeting. a high-profile round of airstrikes was mounted against the PKK 

in Northern Iraq. followed by ground attacks employing UAVs acquired from Israel as well 

as Turkish ground troops. The operations were successful and showed Turkey's ability to use 

precision-guided munitions effectively against PKK targets with truly minimal collateral damages. The "actionable intelligence" delivered by the U.S. is playing a crucial role in the success of 

the military operations. 

Despite approval by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a resolution that would have adopted the term "genocide" to describe the Ottoman-Armenian massacres of93 years ago, was not 

successful in passing in 2007 by the U.S. House of Representatives. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 

supported the resolution. calling it "one that is consistent with what our government has always 

said about. .. what happened at that lime:' President Bush disagreed. saying ·one thing Congress 

should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire." Eight past 

Secretaries of Stale and three past Secretaries of Defense shared this viewpoint. 'lhanks to energetic efforts of the Administration and intense lobbying by the Government of Turkey, support 

for the resolution evaporated at the last moment. with several of Speaker Pelosi's leadership 

team urging her to withdraw the Resolution from the floor. Had this resolution come to a vote 

and passed, it would seriously have harmed relations between the u.s. and Turkey and outraged the Turkish public who would surely have demanded retribution of some form harmful 

to the u.s. war in Iraq. Should a similar or the same resolution reappear in 2009. it will again 

be a major threat to vital U.S.-Turkish commercial and defense interests. For example. Turkey's 

response to passage could weD be to limit future U.S. access to Incirlik Airbase inside Turkey. a 

key logistical support base into and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Allowing the United States to use this airbase near Iraq continues to be Turkey's strongest 

commitment to the global war on terror. Indeed. this is a continuation the U.S.-Turkey military 

partnership that supported the 1991 Gulf War, Operation Provide Comfort, and Operation 

Northern Watch, an aerial patrol of Northern Iraq that shielded the Iraqi Kurds from Saddarn 

Hussein from 1997-2003. Turkey also supports through lncirlik the logistics of U.S. operations 

in Afghanistan. As a member of NATO, Turkish troops are part of the ISAF and Turkey has 

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CONFlnFNTlA! 

twice commanded ISAF for six·month rotational tours. Turks have also been very successful 

assistance partners in Afghanistan, building schools, providing humanitarian assistance, and 

training Afghani police. 

Inside Turkey 

Although not directly related to the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey, a few recent 

events crucial to the understanding of the domestic situation in Turkey are worthy of mention. 

'lhe AK Party and Government have had a tension-filled relationship with the Turkish military 

ever since the 2002 parliamentary elections. 1he military issued a statement in April 2007 

expressing disapproval of the government's choice of Foreign Minister Gill to become Turkey's 

next President in what has been popularly referred to as an "e-coup:' The military's memorandum and a subsequent ruling by the Constitutional Court prompted the Government to call 

snap elections in luly 2007 in which the AK Party was overwhelmingly preferred to continue as 

Government. 

In separate cases in 2008, Turkey's ruling AK Party and Prime Minister Erdogan face charges 

relating to the undermining of secularism, charges which could result in the AK Party's abolition and in Erdogan's being barred from politics (along with several other leaders of the AK 

Party). For its part, the AK Party has mounted an aggreSSive criminal investigation of retired 

military officers and others for allegedly planning assassination of prominent liberals and a 

presumed military takeover in 2009. This included in early luly two ex-generals. one of the only 

instances of flag-grade military officers being arrested in Turkey's history. 

Since the inception of the Republic, the military - which led coups that displaced popUlarly 

elected governments in 1960, 1971. and 1980 - has been seen as the guardian of secularism 

in Turkey. It continues to be held in high respect by the Turkish public. 1he current AK Party 

Government, despite achieving another majority in Parliament by winning 47% of the vote in 

the 2007 general election, is not secular enough for the military's taste and now finds itself under investigation by the Constitutional Court. Many inside and outside Turkey believe that the 

Party will be disbanded and Prime Minister Erdogan banned from politics. However, it is not 

possible at this point to predict the outcome. Should the AK Party be disbanded and Erdogan 

barred from politics. it is not dear just how this would affect Turkey's political stability and 

economic progress-but it wouldn't be positive. 

The criminal investigation of retired military officers and others for allegedly planning assassination of prominent liberals and a presumed military takeover in 2009 (referred to in the 

media as the Ergenekon case or conspiracy), became public in January 2008. when 33 people. 

including some military members, were arrested. The Ergenekon case started after the discovery of27 hand grenades on lune 12,2007 in a shanty hOllse officer in !stanbul's Omraniye 

district that belonged to a retired noncommissioned officer. On July I, 2008, two ex-generals 

were arrested and a total of 86 individuals indicted. This led to speculation that the arrests were 

possibly revenge for the otherwise unrelated AK Party closure case. According to leaked 

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information from the investigators, the ultra-nationalist Ergenekon operation was allegedly 

plotting to assassinate more high-profile liberal intellectuals. including a winner of the Nobel 

Prize, in an attempt to destabilize the nation and hurt Turkey's progress towards joining the 

EU. If assassinations had been carried out, it is alleged the military was planning to seize power 

in Turkey in a moment of confusion. terror, and destabilization. At the time of this writing, no 

formal indictment had been announced regarding any of those arrested in connection with this 

case. 

The Turkish-U.S. Defense Industry Cooperation 

The bilateral defense relationship between the U.S. and Turkey is a mutually beneficial relationship which has existed for over sixty years and has enhanced the national security of both 

countries as well as peace within Europe. Especially in recent years, Turkey's approach to 

defense industry cooperation has been driven by two complementary aspirations, the need for 

the most modern and effective defense technology, which is often acquired by partnerships 

between the Turkish military (TSK) and foreign governments or businesses (including many 

in the U.S.), and Turkey's desire to become technologically self-sufficient, ultimately achieving 

its own indigenous defense industry driven by the most up-to-date Turkish defense companies. 

Spearheading this effort is the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), Turkey's military 

procurement agency. The SSM attempts to strike a balance between the short and long-term by 

encouraging immediate acquisition of military technologies while fostering Turkish innovation and self-sufficiency. In 2006, Turkey exported $352 million worth of arms and bought 

$1.7 billion for its own use. The International Cooperation Department of SSM is responsible 

for the research of potential international project opportunities under the Director of Bilateral 

Cooperation and the Director of Multilateral Cooperation. 

Turkey's military is moving in the direction of a leaner, more modern force. Turkey plans to 

reduce the overall number of troops by twenty to thirty percent and to increase their level of 

specialization. TSK and SSM run a tight ship, a very strong conventional-weapons operation of 

armor, aviation (planes. helicopters. and UAVs), missiles, and naval forces. 

Turkey intends to remain the strongest aviation power in the region. One of eleven countries 

in the Joint Strike Fighter project. in which the u.s. plays the leading role, Turkey plans to buy 

100 jSF-35 planes for a cost of $11 billion to replace its aging fleet made up of F-4s and F-16s. 

Turkey has used Israeli-built UAVs in successful attacks in Northern Iraq against the PKK, but 

the business situation with Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAJ) has frustrated Turkey. which is now 

developing its own UAV prototypes. 

u.s. Government and businesses have supplied defense products to Turkey for many years 

beginning in 1947 with the Marshall Plan. Sales stalled following Turkey's Invasion of Cyprus 

in 1974 and the imposition of the u.s. arms embargo. Sales stalled again in 1995 and 1997 after 

reports of U.S.-made weapons being used in committing war crimes against Kurdish communities in Turkey'S Southeast. Yet droughts oCU.S. arms nows to Turkey have many limes led to 

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Turkish innovation. Trading with the u.s. (the world's leading exporter of defense technology) 

is. in some respects. more appealing to Turkey than dealing with Russia or South Korea. In any 

case, foreign relations between Turkey and any defense partner are burdened by external issues 

such as the Armenian genocide debates. interoperability with NATO. and the humanitarian 

situation of the Palestinians or Kurds. and thus become extremely complicated business ventures. Nonetheless. the SSM and TSK are moving Turkey in the direction of improved military 

capabilities. Reliable American technologies. especially those effective in fighting the PKK in 

Northern Iraq and in the Southeast. are still very attractive to the Turkish military. 

Conclusion 

Although it is impossible to predict how Turkey's domestic political situation will play out 

over the next few months. it is likely that Turkey's secular democratic government and its dose 

ties with the West-particularly including the United States-will remain in place. The one 

predictable exception to this scenario is if the U.S. Congress passes an "Amlenian Genocide 

Resolution:' As has already been mentioned. this action would certainly have an immediate 

and extremely detrimental effect on U.S.-Turkey relations in every arena. particularly including commercial ties and security cooperation. Regardless of what else happens. Turkey will 

remain important globally and regionally. It will also remain an important market for defense 

technology acquisition/development. even as it continues to place increased emphasis on a 

more balanced model of defense industry cooperation. For these reasons, a strong U.S.-Turkey 

relationship. based on mutual respect of each other's sovereignty and close cooperation in all 

fields. should be a vital component of U.S. foreign policy, as designed through careful cooperation between the Executive and the Legislative branches of our government. 

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CONFIDEf!F' ! 

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-----------------.----------------------------------------- Congressional Record 

Vol. 152 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MAY 16,2006 No. 60 

PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109th CONGRESS. SECOND SESSION 

Patara: The Origins of American Democracy, 

1800 Years and 7000 Miles Away 

(House of Representatives - May 16,2006) 

HON. CLIFF STEARNS 

OF FLORIDA 

IN THE HOU.S.E OF REPRESENTATIVES 

Mr. STEARNS: Mr. Speaker. the city of Patara in Turkey sports a fantastic beach that sprawls 

for more than II miles. It recently rated number one on the London Sunday Times' list of the 

world's best beaches. But Patara is worth our attention for more than sand and surf. An archeological team led by Akdeniz University Professors Fahri Isik and Havva Iskan Isik recently 

unearthed an ancient parliament building in Patara -- the meeting place of the first federalrepublic in recorded human history. The building, called the Bouleuterion, housed at least 

twenty-three city-states of the Lydan League. which existed along the Mediterranean coast of 

Turkey from about 167 BC until 400 AD. 

The Lycian League's republican governing system, utilizing proportional representation. was 

unparalleled in the ancient world. and fascinated the pioneering philosophers of the Enlightenment. particularly Montesquieu. Depending on the size of the member cities. each elected one, 

two or three representatives to the Lycian parliament. When cities were too small. two or three 

banded together to share one representative vote. The six largest cities in the League had the 

right to three votes. The parliament elected a president, called the "Lyciarch:' which at various 

times served as the League's religiOUS. military. and political leader. Although it is contested. 

there is evidence to suggest that women could be and in fact were Lyciarch. 

In Book IX of Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws. after charting the highs and lows of the earliest 

republics. he stresses the utility of a confederacy. He cites the Lydan League as an example: "It 

is unlikely that states that associate will be of the same size and have equal power .... If one had 

to propose a model of a fine federal republic, I would choose the republic of Lycia:' 

Montesquieu's interest in the Lydan way of government would prove central to our founding. 

Thanks to his writings. in the debates about our own Constitution, Alexander Hamilton and 

James Madison cited the Lydan League as a model for our own system of government. 

As well. in literal linkage, the semi· circular configuration of seats in this House of Representatives is exactly the same seating arrangement as in the Bouleuterion in Patara. The Boulcu· 

terion's throne-like perch. where the elected Lyciarch sat, is much the same as the seat of the 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

On June 30. 1787. at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. James Madison appealed 

to the delegates' understanding of the tycian League. 'lhe Convention had just rejecteulhe 

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"New Jersey Plan", which called for a rather modest revision of our nation's first constitutional 

framework, the failed Articles of Confederation. The delegates resolved to come up with a new 

constitution, but had few notions in common of how it should proceed. 

000183 

A delegate from Connecticut, Oliver Ellsworth, had just finished arguing for the Articles of 

Confederation's principle that every state should be equal in the national arena. He specifically asked, "Where is or was a confederation ever formed, where equality of voices was not a 

fundamental principle?" james Madison replied that the Lycian League was different, according 

representation in reflection of actual size. His Virginia plan provided for a bicameral legislature, with both houses' representation based on states' population. He eventually had to accept 

a compromise, with a people's house of proportional representation, our House of Representatives, in tandem with a Senate of equal state representation. 

Hamilton and Madison also cited the Lycian League in defense of representative democracy. 

While direct rule usually resulted in either tyranny or anarchy. the two founders felt that delegation of authority to elected representatives would allow the government to function properly. 

The ideas and debates of our founding fathers may seem archaic to our modern times, but we 

face questions of federalism every day in this Congress. A federalist system of government 

divides power between a central authority (the federal government) and constituent political 

units (the states and localities). The delineation of that power comes into question particularly 

often on the Energy & Commerce Committee, of which I am a Subcommittee Chairman. 

whether we are debating the proper authority over electricity transmission across state lines, 

the regulation of hazardous waste, or the transmission ofinformation through our telecommunications infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, whether we are helping Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries develop representative democratic systems, or providing advice to the burgeoning democracies of post-Soviet 

Eastern Europe, we effectively reenact the Constitutional Convention's debates about the Lydan 

League and the nature of democracy around the world. We are doing what we can to help 

spread freedom and democracy, in our own image. Unfortunately. while it is relatively easy to 

conceive of the best model of government -- as our founding fathers did, and Montesquieu 

did before them -- the diversity of the real world, in geography, ethnicity, religion, and history. 

makes applying that best model quite difficult in practice. 

The British archeologist George Bean highlighted some of the unique features of the Lydan 

League -- features not dissimilar to our own country's: '~mong the various races of Anatolia, 

the Lydans always held a distinctive place. Locked away in their mountainous country, they 

had a fierce love of freedom and independence, and resisted strongly all attempts at outside 

domination; they were the last in Asia Minor to be incorporated as a province into the Roman 

Empire:' 

Our experience so far in gUiding the nascent democracy in Iraq should certainly illustrate that 

representative democracy may not be perfectly replicable, at least overnight. 

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Fifteen years ago, all a visitor to Patara would have noticed were the tops of a few old stones. 

Today, the excavations at Patara have unearthed the remains of an entire city. The archeological 

team has rescued numerous buildings and items from the sand and scrub brush, besides the 

Bouleuterion parliament building, including: a large necropolis; a Roman bath; a sizeable semicircular theater; a sprawling main avenue leading to the market square; a By-£antine basilica 

(one of 22 churches once packed into Patara); one of the world's oldest lighthouses; 

and a fortified wall. 

I would encourage everyone to visit Patara, for its beauty and for its archeological significance. 

The excavation site is a 10-15 minute from the gloriOUS beach, and will be opened to the public 

in 2007. While we wait, one of Turkey's largest museums, the Antalya Archaeological Museum, 

displays many of the finds from Palara and Ihe surrounding area. 

We owe a great debt to Turkey'S Ministry of Culture and the Akdeniz University in Antalya for 

their dedication of time and money to bringing the ancient ruins of Patara out of the dust and 

back into our lives. 

In closing, I would like to thank: Dr. Gul Isin, Associate Professor of Archeology at Akdeniz 

Antalya in Turkey. who has been diligently working with Dr. Fahri Isik and Dr. Havva Iskan 

Isik to uncover the mysteries of the Patara site; Professor James W Muller of the University of 

Alaska. Anchorage, who dissected how the Lycian League affected the founding fathers; and the 

American Friends of Turkey, the Friends of Patafa. and former Representatives Stephen Solarz 

and Robert Livingston, who graciously introduced me to the archeological findings at Patara. 

and the important work of Professors Isin and Muller. 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" 

Written by Christopher Walker for Saudi Aramco World 

000185 

rml~ll)n'T' A' 

In the shadow of the herb-scented Taurus Mountains. with their picturesque covering of pine 

and juniper forest. and overlooking Turkey's "Turquoise Coast," a long-silent bouleuterion. or 

council chamber. once held the proceedings of the Lycian League. considered to be history's 

earliest example of the republican form of government. With its rows of stone seats set out in a 

semicircle around a raised dais. it looks uncannily like the chambers of modern legislatures and 

parliaments, 

The hislorical significance of the Lydan League was its uniquely federal character. Whereas 

other "leagues" and alliances in the Hellenistic world were often simpler hands of city-states 

united against common foes. the Lydans of southwestern Anatolia shared a racial and cultural 

lineage that helped set them apart from other proto-nations of the Mediterranean world. 

Until the American model was forged half a world away and nearly 2000 years later, no other 

legislative body bad apparently considered the Lydan example. The senate of Rome was a unicameral oligarchy. made up of those who were rich. noble and old enough to qualify. Britain's 

parliament. although bicameral and representative in many ways, was not developed according 

to a federal model. 

At one time, the Lydan bouleuterion housed the elected representatives of the 23 city-states 

that first came together in approximately 205 BC and formally confederated in 168 Be. The 

resulting League not only kept its often squabbling members united. but also managed to exert 

authority over individual citizens of its constituent states. 

The world's first recorded example of representative democracy had its capital in the port city 

of Patara, first mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus. who described it as the cult center 

of the god Apollo. Both Horace and Virgil gave tbe city greater importance, referring to Patara 

(ratber than Delos) as Apollo's birthplace. 

The Lydans, according to their most respected modern chronicler. the British archeologist 

Geoffrey Bean. "among the various races of Anatolia, always held a distinctive place. Locked 

away in their mountainous country, tbey had a fierce love of freedom and independence, and 

reSisted strongly all attempts at outside domination; they were the last in Asia Minor to be 

incorporated as a province in the Roman Empire:' 

1he Lycians had their own language and alphabet, although following the conquests of Alexander in the fourth century BC, those gradually gave way to Greek. Historians have likened them 

to the Swiss today: a hard-working and prosperous people, neutral in international alfairs but 

fierce in their defense of freedom and conservative in their attachment to ancestral tradition. 

lhe Lydan League flourished both in the Hellenistic period, when the harbor was used as a 

naval base by Alexander's successors, and during the Roman Empire. when, against the odds, 

Lycia continued to function as a largely autonomous province. 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" ctd. 

In that turbulent period, the parliament buUding was joined by such impressive monuments 

as the amphitheater, the ornate city gate, baths, temples, a lighthouse-now claimed as the 

world's oldest-and a huge granary dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian, who in the year 131 

visited with his wife Sabina. Before that, Lycia had been a stopping-off point for St. Paul during 

his missionary journey from Rhodes to the Phoenician port of Tyre. Patara's influence began 

to wane in the seventh century, after the Arab conquest, by which time its harbor had become 

almost totally silted up. By the 15th century it was entirely abandoned. 

1he city remains in that condition today, although the swarms of mosquitoes that molest archeologists and tourists alike on its spectacular IS-kilometer (11-mi) sandy beach are no longer 

malarial. The remote spot provides nesting places for the endangered hammerhead turtle and 

is home to legions of snakes and scorpions. It features swampy terrain and rampant vegetation, 

which strict Turkish conservation laws will not permit the use of pesticides to combat, partly 

explaining why the 100-hectare (250-acre) archeological site remained largely neglected until 

the late 1980's. 

"When we first started digging, our tents were burned down by angry local people, who were 

convinced that we were responsible for the government restrictions that prevented them from 

building any type of tourist infrastructure," says Gill I~in, an archeologist with Akdeniz UniverSity and a leading member of the joint Turkish-German excavating team. 

Although the Patara ruins were buried under thousands of tons of windblown sand at the time 

that the U.S. Congress came into being in the late 18th century, the once unique elected-representative system practiced by the Lydan League for at least 300 years was a formative influence 

on the framing of the U.S. Constitution. 

[t was the structure of the central Lydan authority and the responsibilities it was given that 

made it attractive to the framers of the U.S. Constitution. The Lycian model provided a 

formula that permitted the framers to compromise the interstate rivalries that endurc to this 

day: Whereas the "upper house" would be made up of an equal number of senators from each 

state, the "lower housc" would be made up of representatives elected in proportion to each 

state's population. In addition. the Lydan executive was not hereditary: The Lydan League was 

headed by an annually elected president known as the Iyciarch-and, intriguingly, possibly also 

the Iyciarchissa. 

Sitting in the lyciarch's throne-like seat today, it is possible to imagine the representatives of the 

League Sitting in the 13 semicircular rows of seats, holding debates on military and political 

affairs, making and breaking legislative alliances, in much the modern way. 

''Among classical federations, its structure was unique:' says l~in. "Of course, there are design 

differences between this building and the American House of Representatives, which was 

discussed and founded when this was hidden under the sand:' But the federation is mentioned 

three times in the Federalist Papers, the series of8S seminal essays written by Alexander 

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Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison in 1787 and 1788, the years when ratification of the 

u.s. Constitution was being debated. 

What particularly caught the eye of political commentators, stretching back to the Roman geographer and man of letters Strabo, was the way the League devised its system of proportional 

representation to distribute power among its differently sized members. According to Strobo, 

the member cities sent one. two or three representatives to the assembly. with the six largest 

members (including the capital. Patara), having the right to the maximum three votes. 

000187 

According to James W. Muller, a constitutional scholar and professor of political science at the 

University of Alaska, the Lydan confederacy made three contributions to the U.S. Constitution. 

First, he says. "it was a model of a federal union the strength of whose parts in the national 

councils was proportionate to their size. Second, it showed the possibility of popular government that was representative. Thirdly, it offered the example of a strong national government 

with its own strong officers and the power to make laws that applied directly to individual 

citizens.1) 

Explaining the glohal influence of the League, he adds that. since 1787, "the American Constitution has drawn the attention of constitution-makers, not the Lydan League. Before that. 

I am not aware of other governments that hearkened to the example of Lyda in drawing up 

constitutions:' 

Muller. who first visited Patara three years before the excavations began to reveal what lay 

under the thousands of truckloads of sand that have since been removed. is also an admirer of 

the 18th-century French political philosopher Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu. Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws was the most popular political book in America in 

the 1780's. 

Observing that in Federalist No. 45, lames Madison qualified his reference to the Lydan confederacy by explaining that it provided an example "as far as its principles and form are transmilled:' Muller added, "There were limits to the knowledge of Madison. Hamilton. Montesquieu and Strabo about how the I.ydan confederacy actually worked. But those limits are being 

rectified by the current excavation in Patara. We are much indebted to the painstaking work 

there. which is deepening our understanding of the antecedents of the American Constitution:' 

"111< celebrated Montesquieu:' as Madison described him in 1787, was a French philosopher 

admired by people on all political sides of the Constitutional Convention. ("S'il falloit donner 

un modele d'une belle nlpublique federative;' he said, "je prendrois I. nipuhlique de Lycie:' "If 

one had to propose a model of an excellent federal republic, I would choose the republic of 

Lycia:') It was this remark that directed so much attention to the political arrangements of the 

people who had lived in 23 city-states along the southern coast of Turkey during the last two 

centuries BC. 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" ctd. 

At the foot of the evocatively preserved bouJeuterion. where visitors can wander and climb to 

their hearts' content during opening hours. there is a room archeologists believe once housed 

the archives of the League. In keeping with the theme of Apollo that dominates the Palara ruins. on the room's entrance stone are carved the three symbols of the god: a baby turtle. a lizard 

and a grasshopper. 

On the other side of the outer wall lie hundreds oflarge. recently numbered stones among a 

whispering carpet of daisy-like yellow and white camomile flowers. When more funds have 

been raised for the excavation work. the stones will be put into their original positions as part 

of an ambitious historical reconstruction. 

"The different political weights of cities in the common assembly of the Lycian confederacy 

showed the possibility of a federation in which members of different sizes came together in a 

way which reflected their real strength:' Muller explains. 

"This was the idea for Congress in James Madison's Virginia Plan. which proposed a bicameral 

legislature-two houses-both of which gave the states representation in proportion to their 

population. as in Lycia. Madison then had to compromise with his opponents and accept the 

equality of states in the Senate. but the American House of Representatives. where states have 

representation in proportion to their population. is founded. as Madison urged. on the principle of the Lycian confederation:' 

The framers had more to say than this. too. In Federalist No.9. Hamilton explained that in 

Lycia. the common council had the power to appoint all judges and magistrates for the confederated cities. In Federalist No. 16. he pointed out that in Lycia. federal laws applied not only to 

cities. but also directly to individuals. In Federalist No. 45. Madison referred specifically to the 

"degree and species of power" of the national government in Lycia. which he welcomed as the 

model for the stronger national government established in the Constitution. 

Although the largely unspoiled site of present-day Patara provides inSight into the setting 

where Lycians lived and governed. there are as yet few clues about much else-for example, 

how they lived. and how they looked -beyond the hints on some reliefs and coins that they 

wore their hair long. 

Herodotus claimed that the Lycians had a different appearance from other troops in Asia Minor. who commonly wore Greek armor. As the earliest author to ever mention Patara. he wrote 

this description of a Lycian naval crew in 480 BC. as they joined Persian King Xerxes' invasion 

of Greece with 50 ships: "They wore greaves (shin protectors) and corselets (body armor); they 

carried bows of cornel wood. cane arrows without feathers. and javelins. They had goatskin 

slung around their shoulders. and hats stuck round with feathers. They also carried daggers and 

rip-hooks." 

One of the most faScinating finds at the site is the "Stadiasmus Patarensis:' a monument that 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" etd. 

shows firsthand and in detail how the Lycian League grew. giving the names and distances of 

member cities-just as a sign in Los Angeles today might read "Las Vegas: 237 miles, Boise: 

682 miles, Spokane: 944 miles; San Francisco: 354 miles:' One of the inscriptions states that 

the Lydans were "the friends of the Romans" and another that ''a consultative parliament was 

established by the best men of Lycia:' The monument consisted of 53 large inscribed stones, of 

which 41 have been found; finding the rest and rebuilding the structure will have to wait for 

moce funding. 

In the ruins of Patara, archeologists have also found hints of the power and influence of at least 

certain Lydan women. Inscriptions found in the remains of the bouleuterion show that at least 

two women, named Marcia Aurelia and Crision Nemeso, were using the title Iyeiarehissa. But 

there is as yet no proof whether they were actualJy elected in their own right to run the assembly or whether they were using the feminine of Iyeiarch because that was their husbands' title. 

"Nothing uncovered so far can yet solve this fasdnating mystery one way or the other; says 

I~in. "We are hoping that something not as yet unearthed wiII one day be able to provide an 

answer." 

However, on the entrance wall to the impressive 10,000-seat amphitheater, whose ruins tower 

next door to the much smaller bouleuterion, the female name Velia Prokla is clearly carved into 

the stone, recording that she was the benefactor who put up the money to construct the building. "Either she was extremely rich in her own right, or it was family money:' I~in explains. 

Herodotus had already noted that Lycians have "customs that resemble no one else's. They use 

their mother's name instead of their father's:' As excavations continue, more than just a prototype for American democracy may yet emerge from the sands of Patara. 

1his article appeared on pages 14-23 0/ the September/October 2007 print edition a/Saudi 

Aramco World. 

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/20070Slsplendid.ruins.of.an.excellent.republic .. htm 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
118 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 124 HR176.111

p. 2/3-Espccially in recent years. Turkey's approach to tlcfcnsc intlu~try coopcmtillO has 

been driven by two complementary aspirations, the need for the most modern and ......... 

p. 3--Trading with the US, the world's leading exporter of defense technology, is in some 

respects. more appealing to Turkey than dealing with Russia or South Korea. 

Conclusion 

Although it is impossible I,. preoict hoI\' Turkey's tl.lmestic politi<:al situation \\'ill 

play out o\'er the next fcl\' months. it is likely that lurkey's secular democratic 

gm'crnmcnl anti its cI('sc tics with th" West "'plIIiicularly including the linited States 

will remain in place. rhe one predictable exception to this scenario is if the (is ('<mgrcss 

passes an "Armenian (icnocioe Resolution", As has already been mentioned. (his acti,m 

\\\lultl ccrtainly ha\'c an immediate and extremely Jelrimentul effect on US· rurkc) 

relati()ns in eyer) arena. particularly including wmmer~ial tics anti security cooperation. 

Regardles, ,,[what else happens. I urkey will remain irnp"rtant glohally and regionally. It 

wi II also remain an impllrtant market I,'r defense technology acquisiti!lll.'dcvc!opmcnt. 

even as it continues to plat;c increased emphasis OIl a more balalll:cd model of JcLCnsc 

industry..:"operation, 

For these reasons, a strong I is-Turkey relationship. hascd on mutual respect of each 

other's s(l\'crcignty and cI,lSC cooperation in alllidds. shoulJ be a \';tal component of I'S 

foreign policy. as tlcsigned through careful coopcmtipn hetwecn the Exet:utiyc and the 

l.cgislali\"l~ hranches pr o lit gO\ cmmenL 
119 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 125 HR176.112

1.90 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
120 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 126 HR176.113

000191 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
121 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 127 HR176.114

000.192 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
122 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 128 HR176.115

000193 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
123 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 129 HR176.116

000194 

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STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
124 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 130 HR176.117

000195 

CON':~ZNT/AL 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

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34 

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126 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 132 HR176.119

000197 

CONFi 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
127 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 133 HR176.120

000198 

Thank You 

We Would Like To Thank The Following Individuals, 

Government Officials and Organizations For Their Support 

And Dedication In Helping Us Make This Trip Possible. 

CORPORATE SPONSOR 

Turkish Coalition of America 

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS 

Bank Pozitif 

NTF 

EVENT HOSTS 

BankPozitif 

Confederation of Turkish Businessmen & Industrialists (TUSKON) 

Embassy of the United States, Ankara 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ankara 

Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) 

U.S. Consulate General. tstanbul 

PROGRAM SUPPORT 

American-Turkish Council Members 

Embassy of Turkey. Washington. DC 

Hyalt Hotel StafT 

Karizma Tourism 

Mega Residence Hotel Ankara Staff 

Patara Prince Hotel Staff 

& 

All of Our Supporters 
128 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 134 HR176.121

000199 

·7l[NTIAL 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
129 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 135 HR176.122

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

00,0200 

ATC_0291 

13-5845_0109 
130 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 136 HR176.123

00020~ 

CONFIDENTIAL 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
131 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 137 HR176.124

000202 

CONFIDENTIAL 

----..... ---

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
132 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 138 HR176.125

000203 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

ATC_0294 

13-5845_0112 
133 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 139 HR176.126

000204 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
134 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 140 HR176.127

Index 

ACEV (The Mother Child Education Foundation) 

Anltkabir (Atatilrk's Mausoleum) 

Ankara 

ASAM (Eurasian Strategic Research Center) 

Asitane Restaurant 

Basilica Cistern 

Blue Mosque 

BSTC (Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control) 

Grand Bazaar 

Hagia Sophia 

ILKYAR (Educational Funds for Elementary Schools) 

Istanbul 

KA-DER (Assoc. For Supporting and Training Women Candidates) 

KAGIDER (Women Entrepreneurs Assoc. of Turkey) 

Kariye Museum 

Ka~-Kekova 

Loggerhead Turtles 

MFA 

Minority Communities 

PATARA 

SSM (Undersecretariat for Defense Industries) 

Sultan Ahmet Mosque 

TABA (Turkish-American Business Assoc.) 

TEMA 

Topkapi Palace 

Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum 

TUSKON (Confederation of Businessmcn & Indus. ofTurkey) 

pl2 

pl9 

plB 

p20 

pl4 

pl6 

pIS 

pl7 

p16 

piS 

pll 

plO 

pll 

pl2 

piS 

p21-p22 

p21 

p19-p20 

pl3 

p20, p57 

pl9 

pIS 

pIS 

pl2 

pl6 

pl6 

pI? 

00020~ 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

ATC_0296 

13-5845_0114 
135 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 141 HR176.128

Associate Sponsors: 

ATC_0297 

13-5845_0115 
136 


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EXHIBIT 6 
137 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 143 HR176.130

".1Ii 

AMERICAN 

TOR K I S [{ 

COUNCIl. 

1111 t¥>St'fctt~W 

;'ulro 1050 

~:;~tiliingtoc. DC. 20005 

Td: 202.76~_ 

""" 202.78;.0511 wwtV,rhc~{c.1Xg 

LTG Brent SC()W(:rof; 

(USAl',R •• ) 

Omif1lld1l 0/ tIH B~l1nf 

Amb:. Iam~ H. Holmes 

(Ret.) 

p"dtImI and c.."'EO 

George H. Pctlman 

J;..'«utliTlf Vu-r P1widr1l1 

l .. udilil:t'J M:lrtitl 

HUscy{nOnver 

17.«i'rtsid.!(/ 

I1XSA Amcriru, Inc. 

Ronald L Whitehe1td 

TttatNrtt' 

The WhlrehcW Gwup 

Canart Buyulrum.al 

E-"'dlf;1J,Dlrwt~ 

1)Ol'CClft Ed.ctm~ ERq. 

SUtdl1(J 11M GhunJ/ (;tUIHlll 

~kC(, Oo.uci:>un. Bcnnn:m & 

C:1hl~U 

&fG EbnC'l'D. Pen.dleroll 

(uSA,R ... ) 

Stlli4rMIIilrN;!A,tWiMf' 

Hon. Nancy Kassebaum Bu..kt:T CMmmni!.mmm! 

MGFrcdRaynC!f 

(USMC, Ret.) 

ClmfmtlmariINJ 

Austin Li.t' 

ClJIlff/lfdIlUlfr//l$ 

ATe 2@2 783 0511 

June 23, 2008 

Mr. Walter Gonzales 

Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Rep. C.A. Ruppersberger (D-2,d MD) 

1730 Longworth HOuse Office Bldg. 

Independence & New Jersey Aves., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Mr. Gonzales, 

P.02/07 

On behalf of the American-Turkish Council, I would like to invite you to participate 'in 

the 2008 Congressional Staff trip to Turkey, induding the cities of Ankara, Istanbul and 

the coastal town of Patara. This August 2-10 trip will be a unique opportunity for select 

Congressional Staff to gain personal insights about Turkey. 

The U.S.-Turkish relationship is as Important as ever. It has long been one of mutu,,1 

respect and support. Turkey's politics and economy are perpetually dynamic; its 

macroeconomic performance over the past five years has been the best of a 

generation, and Its regional role for economic development and the restoration of 

peace remains critical. Participation in this delegation will provide you with valuable, 

Insights into these and other issues, induding several that will face Congress in the 

next year. 

In addition to the matters of foreign policy and military cooperation that are in the 

forefront, U.s. corporations from almost every sector have significant business. 

interests in Turkey. American companies In IT and telecommunlcationst energy, 

defense, health and pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, banking and finance stand to 

benefit from a strong, stable partner in Turkey. Turkey's continuing efforts to join the 

European Union (negotiations began in 2005) will have an Impact on global trade and 

investment in years to come. On the trip, you will have the opportunity to learn in 

depth about various political, economic and trade issues that may be of considerable 

importance to your constituents. 

The delegation will depart from Washington, DC on Saturday, August 2, and return on 

Sunday, August 9, 2.008. The itinerary includes time In Ankara, Istanbul, and Patara, 

an ancient Lydan League city on the Mediterranean referred In the FederalIst Papers as 

the Inspiration for our federal furm of government. 

There wilt be meetings with Government and Embassy offiCials and representatives of 

the media in Ankara, and local, NGO, and business leaders in Istanbul. You will be 

eKposed to important cultural sites in all three dties, including the Hagia Sophia and 

the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the on-going eKcavation of the federal parliament In 

Patara, and Ataturk's Mausoleum in Ankara. 

PartiCipants will meet with key Turkish officials at the highest levels to discuss matters 

of strategic, eConomic and political importance. You will meet with senior offidais 01 

the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Consulate General in Istanbul, as well as with 

,\1'''-'"''''' ,\",,,",",. o1.d_<I .,"representatives from the Turkish business sector and ATC corporate members. 'n"'nci,,~ Ih, p",,"o<ion of Blieftngs provided before and during the trip will ensure that you are well Informed and 

,~~;'!:~h~~~:::R~;~~~::' ready to investigate areas of professional and personal interest. 
138 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 144 HR176.131

JLti-23-2008 14: 03 

.~M!al(~IIN 

l' u I'\. K l ~ II 

COUN~I\. 

ATC 202783 (')511 P.03/07 

The trip will focus on a number of issues vital to U.S. foreign policy and economic 

interests, Meetings are expected to address U.S,-Turkish security and defense issues 

including NATO, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and the Middle East Peace process. Turkey's 

regional role in Central Asia and the Middle East in the areas of security, energy and 

trade are some of the other anticipated topics of discussion. Turkey's role as a regional 

commercial and financial hub and as a key link between energy producing and ener-gy 

consuming nations will also be explored. Other issues, such as problems with defense 

contracting and intellectual property rights will be discussed. Of particular Interest will 

be Turkey's regional leadership as a secular, democratic and Muslim state. 

This trip Is sponsored by ATC with the support of the American Friends of Turkey 

(AFOT). ATe Is the leading bUSiness association in the United States devoted to the 

promotion of U.S. commercial, defense and cultural relations with Turkey. Beginning in 

1997, ATC expanded its educational awareness program to Include congressional 

delegations. ATC is a tax-exempt, not-fur-profit trade assodation organized and 

operated pursuant to Section SOlCe) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code. This is the 

eleventh year we have made this valuable trip available to Congressional Staffers. It Is 

annually approved by the Congressional Ethics Committees with whom we are working 

all details of the 2008 trip. 

We hope that you will be able to join us for this timely trip to Turkey. ATC will make 

every effort to ensure that it is a memorable experience. As there are a limited 

number of spaces on this delegation, we urge you to complete the attached 

COltfinnation Form and fax it to the ATC offic:e at (202) 783-0511 as soon as 

possible. !f you have any questions, please contact Ms. Ayse Sumer at (202) 783-

-

We look forward to having you on the delegation. 

Sincerely, 

J1.~ 

James H. Holmes 

President & CEO 
139 


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EXHIBIT 7 
140 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 146 HR176.133

TEMPLATE INVITE lETTER SENT TO STAFFERS 

May 27,2008 

Dear: 

On behalf of the American-Turkish Council, I would like to invite you to 

participate in the 2.008 Congressional Staff trip to Turkey, including cities of 

Ankara, Istanbul and the Blilcksea coastal city of Trabzon. This August 2-9 trip 

will be a unique opportunity for select Congressional Staff to gain personal 

insights about Turkey. 

The U.S.-Turkish relationship is as important as ever. It has long been one of 

mutual respect and support. Turkey's economic picture is better than it has 

been in a generation, and its regional role for economic development and the 

restoration of peace is critical. Participation in this delegation will provide you 

with valuable insights into these and other issues, including several that will 

face Congress this year. 

In addition to the matters of fOreign policy and military cooperation that are in 

the forefront, u.s. corporations from almost every sector have significant 

business interests in Turkey. American companies in IT and 

telecommunications, energy, defense, health and pharmaceuticals, 

agribusiness! banking and finance stand to benefit from a strong, stable 

partner in Turkey. Turkey's continuing efforts to join the European Union 

(negotiations began in Z005) will have an impact on global trade and 

investment in years to mrne. On the trip, you wili have the opportunity to learn 

in depth about variolls political, economic and trade issues that may be of 

considerable importance to your constituents. 

The delegation will depart from Washington, DC on Saturday, August Z, and 

return on Sunday, August 9, 2008. The itinerary includes time in Ankara, 

Istanbu!, and Trabzon. There will be meetings wit.h (,overnment officials and 

the representatives of the media in Ankara! local municipal leaders and the 

business communities in Istanbul and Trabzon. You will be exposed to 

important cultural sites in all three cities, including the Hagia Sophia and the 

Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the Sumela f>1onastery built on the cliffs of Trabzon, 

and Ataturk's f"iausoleum in Ankara. 

Participants will meet with key Turkish officials at the highest levels to discuss 

matters of strategiC, economic and political importance. You will meet with 

senior officials of t!1(~ U.s. Embassy in Ankara and Consulate General in 

Istanbul, as well as with representatives from the Turkish business sector and 

ATC corporate members. Briefings provided before and during the trip will 

ensure that you are well informed and ready to investigate areas of 

professional and personal interest. 
141 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 147 HR176.134

The trip will focus on a number of issues vital to u.s. foreign policy and 

economic interests. Meetings are eXjJ<."Cted to address U.S,-Turkish security and 

defense issues including NATO, Afghanist.an, Traq, Iran and the 

Israeli/Palestinian crisis. Turkey's regional role in Central Asia and the Middle 

East in the areas of sr<curity, energy and trade are some of the other 

anticipated topics of discussion. Turkey's role as a regional commercial and 

financial hub, anel as a key link between energy producing and energy 

consuming nations will also be explored. Other issues, such as problems with 

defense contracting and intellectual property rights will be discussed. Of 

particular interest will be Turkey's regional leadership as a se:u!ar, democrat.ic 

and f'1usiim state. 

This trip is sponsored by ATC with the support of the American Friends of 

Turkey (AFOT). ATC is the leading business association in the United States 

devoted to the promotion of u.s. commercial, defense and cultural relations 

with Turkey. Beginning in 1997, ATC expanded its educational awareness 

program to indude congressional delegations. ATC is a tax-exempt, not··forprofit trade association organized and operated pursuant to Section SOl(C) (6) 

of the Internal Revenue Code. This is the ninth year we have made this 

valuable trip available to Congressional Staffers. It is annually approved by the 

Congressional Ethics Committees with whom we are working all details of the 

2008 trip. 

We hope that YOLI will be able to join us for this timely trip to Turkey. ATC will 

make every effort to ensure that it is a memorable experience. As there are a 

limited number of spaces on this delegation, we urge you to complete 

the attached Confirmation Form and fax it to the ATC office at (202) 

783-05:1.1 as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact 

1'15. Ayse Sumer at (2(2) 783_ We look for,vard to having you on the 

delegation. 

Sincerely, 

(" 

, \ 

"i-~ .. -

) 

James H. Holmes 

President & CEO 

2 
142 


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EXHIBIT 8 
143 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 149 HR176.136

Legislative Resource Center 

13·106 CannQn Building 

Washington, DC 205l$ 

hllp (fjohbvmgul$dosure.huusc go". 

232 Hart Building 

Washington. DC 2-0;10 

hUfI/i\\W\\s.:nlllc!l;(lI'{lvbb\ 

LOBBYING REGISTRATION 

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 4) 

~ 0 New Registrani ~ New Clief!l for Existing Registrant 0 Amendment 

2. House Identification 32294 

1. Effective Date of Registration 03/0 t 12008 

Senate Identification 18375 

REGISTRANT ~ OrgaruzationlLobbymg Firm 0 Se1fEmp!oyed Individual 

3. Registrant Organization George J, Hochbrueckner & Associates. Inc. 

Address Private Road, Edgemere Park Address2 P.O. Box 637 

City Laurel State NY 

------------------------ 4. Principal place of business (If different than line 3) 

City ________________ State 

5. Contact name and telephone number 

Contact Mr George Hochbrueckner 

o Intfml1iODiliNumbtr 

Telephone (631)291H298 

6. General description of registrant's business or activities 

Consulting Finn. 

Zip 11948 Country USA 

Zip _______ CountlY 

E-mail ___________ _ 

eLI E NT A Lobbying Firm is rtquired loftf., iJ .Tephraf~ N'gi5lralltmjor each ditnt. Organitul/o11$ flmp!oying itf-house lobJJ),ists should check illl! btU 

lahdl!d "Self' and proceed to line 10 [J Self 

7. Client name Turkish Coalition of America 

Address 1025 Connecticut Avenue, N.W .• Suite toOO 

City _W_as_h_in...:g:..to_n ___________ State 

8. Principal place of business (if different than line 7) 

City 

--------------------- 9. General description of client's business or activities 

Promotes TurklshvAmerican interests. 

LOBBYISTS 

State 

DC Zip 20036 Country USA 

Zip ______ Country 

10. Name of each individual who has acted or is expected to act as a lobbyist for the client identified on line 7.1fany person listed in 

this section has served as a "covered executive branch official" or "covered legislative branch official" within twenty years of first 

acting as a lobbyist for the client. stale the executive and/or legislalive posilion(s) in which Ihe person served. 

N.m. 

George 1987-1994 
144 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 150 HR176.137

Reghtrant George 1. H()¢hbTlle~kller & Auo¢i.ue~. Inc. C!illnf Name Turkish Coalilloll of America 

LOBBYING ISSUES 

11. General lobbying issue areas (Select all applicable codes). 

EDU 

12. Specific lobbying issues (current and anticipated) 

Turkish~Americ-an issues. 

AFFlLIA TED ORGANIZATIONS 

13. Is there an entity other than the client that contributes more than $5,000 to the lobbying activities of the registrant in 

a quarterly period and either actively participates in and/or in whole or in major part plans. supervises or controls the registrant's 

lobbying activities? 

Yl No ~W> Go to line 14. DYes --> Complete the rest oflhis section for each entity matching the 

criteria above, then proceed to line 14. 

InlemCIAddress 

Name 

Stteef 

City 

AddrtS$ 

___________ .________________ City 

State 

Clly 

Pnnclpal Place of Business 

Country 

---------------------------- State ----::C-O"-O,-"'----

____________ .________________ City 

Stale Country 

FOREIGN ENTITIES 

14, {s there any foreign entity 

a) holds at least 20% equitable ownership in the client or any organization identified on line l3: or 

b) directly or indirectly, in whole or in major part. plans, supervises. controls, directs. finances or subsidizes activities of 

the client or any organilation identified on line 13; or 

c) is an affiliate of the client or any organization identified on line 13 and has a direct interest in the outcome of the 

lobbying activity? 

o No _> Sign and date the registration. [1 Yes ~.> Complete the rest of this section for each entity matching _.. the criteria above, then sign the registration. 

Name S1ft~t 

City 

Address 

Slate/ProvillCl: CO!lnuy 

Principtt! place of busjnes~ 

{city and slate or country) 

__________ clly -------

Slate Country -------------C,ty ------

Slate Counlry 

Pagelofl 

Amount or contribution OwnershIp 

for!obbYlngactivitics 

% 

% 

Dat. 04/0812008 
145 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 151 HR176.138

LOBBYING REPORT 

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page 

1. Registrant Name Ell Ot8ani~uollf1.obbyin8 Firm 0 SdfEmpl<.lyed Individual 

George 1. Hochbrueckner & As.sociales, Inc. 

[J Cbeck if different than previously reported 

.:P:.:ri:.:va=te:..:R:::o::.::!d • .:E::dg~e=m::er::e.:.P:::.r=k _______ Address2 P.O. Box 637 

Laurel State NY Zip Code 11948 

3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2) 

State Zip Code 

4a, Contact Name ~. Telephone Number c. E .. mail [J Intrrn.tlom~1 Number 

M, (631) 298-1298 

Check if client is a stale or local government (If'instrumentality 

Turkish Coalition of America 

Country USA 

Country 

5. Senate to# 

18375-1003542 

6. House 10# 

322940037 

TYPE OF REPORT 8. Year 2008 QI (1/1-3/31) Q2 (4/1 - 6/l0) 0 Q3 (7/1-9/30) 0 Q4 (Ion - 12/31) llj 

9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report 0 

10 Check if this is a Termination Report III Tennlnation Date 12/31/2008 11. No Lobbying Issue Activity 

INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST <omplete eitber Line 12 or Line 13 

12. Lobbying 13. Organizations \ 

INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period I was: were: 

! ess: than 15 000 0 Leu than $5 000 i 

~ 0 $ 10,000,00 $5 000 or more 

Provide a good faith estimate. rounded to the nearest SIO,OOO. 

of all lobbying related income from the client (including all 

payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying 

activities on behalf of the client). 

14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense 

accounting method. See instructions for description of options, 

10 Method A. Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only 

[0 Method B. Reporting amQunts under sectIon 6033(b)(8) of the 

Internal Revenue Code 10 Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the internal 

Revenue Code 

Signalure i I Date 01/1512009 

~-------------------------------

Printed Nume and Title George J. Hochbrueckner. President 

vli,t),le 
146 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 152 HR176.139

CUell1 Nam<l Tur~isb Coalifion of America 

LOBBYING ACTIVITY, Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant 

engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period, Using a separate page for each code, provide 

information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed. 

15. General issue area code 

Check if None 

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area 

Lust Name Covered Official Position (ifapplicabJe) New 

~--~----~ -O~hbf~;;;-~----";:::=-·--,I,,,-:U:-:_S:-_ -=C-on-g-re-"-m-an-:19-S7---19-94:--------' L __ 

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above ~ Check if None 

Printed Name and Title George J. lIochbrutekntr. Prcddent 

w,n.le Page 2 of2 
147 


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EXHIBIT 9 
148 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 154 HR176.141

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

Former TCA Lobbyist 

13-2411; 13-5845; 13-6123 

March 13, 2013 

425 Third Street, SW, Suite 1110 

Washington, DC 20024 

2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. (approximate) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is currently paid a monthly retainer from Wilt Interactive Services and that twenty 

percent of that retainer is paid to the law firm Nossaman, LLP for introducing the witness to the 

company. Because oftbis relationship, the witness is listed as a Senior Policy Advisor for 

Nossaman. 

3. He is a former Member of Congress and founded George Hochbrueckner & Associates after 

leaving Congress. He described the company as a "mom and pop shop," which generally 

employed no staff. He noted it currently employs an associate, but did not have staff in 2008. 

4. He was introduced to the Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") when he was invited as a 

former member by TCA to visit Turkey in the fall of 2007. The purpose of the trip was to 

improve relationships with Turkey and maintain its status as an ally. The relationship was 

important as Turkey was a supply line into Iraq. 

5. The witness traveled with his wife and another former Member. He represented the Democrats 

and the other former Member represented the RepUblicans. During the trip, the witness was 

introduced to Lincoln McCurdy, the President of TCA. The witness discussed with Mr. 

McCurdy whether or not TCA could use lobbying services to improve its relationship with the 

government. 

6. Following the trip to Turkey; the witness submitted a proposal to TCA to be placed on retainer 

for $2,500 a month for twelve months. Prior to TCA accepting his proposal, the witness met 

with TCA's fmancier, Dr. Yalcin Ayasli in Boston. In January 2008, the witness was put on 

retainer for TCA. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

7. The witness had a general rule that if his retainer exceeded $5,000, he would register as a 

lobbyist on hehalf of the organization. He informed McCurdy that he was registering as a 

lobbyist. The witness left the review of the lohhying reports to Nossaman. 

8. The witness has not talked to Mr. McCurdy in years, but in 2008 would have been updating Mr. 

McCurdy on a monthly basis unless additional action was needed. He described his activity for 

TCA as mostly in reserve. 

9. His main goal was to increase the number of Members of Congress who joined the 

Congressional caucus on Turkey, then led by Chairman Robert 1. Wexler. The witness would 

suggest to Representative Wexler's staff who to invite to join the caucus. He did not recall 

taking Mr. McCurdy to meet with Members. 

10. The witness was also involved in a few odd things that came up as opportunities for Turkey to 

look good. He remembered an event where TCA was donating an ambulance to the Mexican 

Red Cross and wanted to invite a Texas Congressman to the ribbon cutting event. He said such 

events were cleared through the House Committee on Ethics. He also remembered 

communicating with staff from Representative Eliot Engel and Representative Ed Markey to 

invite the Members to attend an event. He did not remember other instances of communicating 

with Members or staff on behalf of TCA. 

11. The witness was never employed or retained by ATC and his only deals were with McCurdy and 

his staff. The witness had no memory offormer Ambassador James Holmes, Ayse Sumer, or 

Canan Buyukusal. 

12. The witness was shown a letter from him to Representative Wexler, dated August 21, 2008 

(PVH _004 - 006). The witness recognized the document and wrote the first part and sent it to 

Wexler's office. The included list of "Targets for Turkey Caucus- 2008" was created by Mr. 

McCurdy. The notes in the four columns came from Mr. McCurdy, who discussed these notes 

with the witness before sending. The witness pointed to a line regarding Representative Heath 

Shuler and said that because his Legislative Director was interested in Turkey it was a higher 

possibility Representative Shuler would join the caucus. The witness stated that he does not 

know Sean O'Brien. 

13. The witness was asked about Rep. Zach Wamp's name appearing under "Members with Turkish 

Investments in the district." He recalled a meeting with Representative Wamp not related to 

TCA when he represented a national lab in Tennessee. The witness believed the meeting must 

have been before this document was created because he remembered thinking of that meeting 

while reviewing the list. 

14. The witness did not remember ever meeting Helen Hardin. He also did not remember any 

meetings with Representative Dutch Ruppersberger or William Gonzales. 

15. In December 2008, TCA called the witness to say they were planning to bring Members and 

could not have a federal lobbyist. TCA raised the issue and Nossaman checked it out and all 

parties agreed to terminate the relationship. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

16. The witness said he had incurred legal fees while they determined whether he would need to 

terminate his relationship with TCA and in Mal'ch 2009, TCA agreed to pay those fees. 

17. The witness was shown an invoice from Nossrunan LLP, dated March 5, 2009 (TCA_005I) and 

asked about a line item entry that read "internet research regarding previous TCA sponsored 

Congressional travel." He said he did not recall being aware ofa problem with the August 2008 

staff trip at this time. He did not remember talking with McCurdy about prior trips being a 

problem. 

18. The witness stated that the Committee on Ethics was contacted for the Red Cross event with the 

Texas congressman, but that he did not personally contact the Committee. He had no contact 

with the Committee regarding TCA. 

19. The witness said he was not directed by TCA to register as a lobbyist, but felt his retainer would 

include lobbying so he registered. He said that McCurdy had to know he was registered as a 

lobbyist. The witness was not aware of TCA having any relationships with other lobbyists. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 19, 2013 after the interview was conducted on March 13, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

13,2013. 

Nate Wright 

Analyst 

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EXHIBIT 10 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the llOth Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETIUCS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

TCA President 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

March 7,2013 

1510 15th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20005 

10:02 a.m. to 10:46 a.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Paul J. Solis 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is the President of Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") and been with the 

organization since its inception in 2007. He co-founded the organization with Dr. Y a1cin Ayasli. 

3. He told the OCE that the general purpose ofTCA is to educate the general public in Turkey, to 

promote Turkish and United States relations, and to assist Turkish American communities. 

4. TCA has various activities to promote its purpose, including community and political 

involvement workshops, college scholarship programs, college faculty trips to Turkey, and 

congressional trips to Turkey. 

5. In 2008, TCA had the following staff, in addition to the witness: Semi Muslu (Administrative 

Assistant); Carol Ann Jackson (Assistant Chairman, Boston Office); and GuIer Koknar (Vice 

Pres ident). 

6. Currently, TCA has the following staff: GuIer Kocknar; Carol Ann Jackson; Louette Ragusa 

(Executive Assistant); Sevinm Elekdag (Research Fellow); Zeynep Guven (responsible for 

scholarship program); JoEllen Byrnes (Congressional Liaison); and Basak Kizildemir 

(Outreach). 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 ofthe 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

7. The witness told the OCE that he first met George Hochbrueckner during the fall of 2007 at a 

Turkish Cultural Foundation trip in Turkey. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbrueckner 

approached Dr. Ayalsi about providing his services in Washington. 

8. Mr. Hochbrueckner was retained and his duties were to educate TCA about how Congress 

functions and to provide opinions on legislation. For example, Mr. Hochbrueckner explained to 

the witness how TCA should approach Members of Congress to have them join the Turkish 

Caucus. Mr. Hochbrueckner also advised TCA on ethics issues such as the need to avoid making 

campaign contributions that may appear to be linked with anything. Mr. Hochbrueckner 

reported to the witness. 

9. The witness said that Mr. Hochbrueckner was not hired to lobby, but that he knew that Mr. 

Hochbrueckner registered as a lobbyist for TCA. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbrueckner 

met with Members of Congress for his other clients, but seldom had such meetings for TCA. 

The witness recalled that Mr. Hochbruekner called a few Members of Congress to have them 

speak at a TCA event. 

10. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbruecknerwas seldom on the Hill for TCA becanse TCA was 

not his main client. 

II. The witness stated that he never discussed with Mr. Hochbrueckner registering as a lobbyist. 

12. Prior to joining TCA, the witness was the President of the American Turkish Council ("ATC"). 

He was employed with A TC from the late 1980s to 2004. 

13. When he was employed with ATC, he hired Ayse Sumer and Canan Buyukunsal. He also 

worked with James H. Holmes, who ultimately succeeded tbe witness as President of A TC. 

14. The witness began ATC's organized congressional trips to Turkey during the 1990s. When the 

witness joined TCA, he wanted to have similar congressional trips to Turkey but did not have the 

resources to organize such trips, so TCA gave funds to A TC and other organizations. 

15. As a result, TCA decided to partner with ATC to have congressional trips. In 2008, TCA 

decided to provide ATC with money for a trip to Turkey. ATC did all the work and TCA 

provided advice and nsed the same planning format he used when he was at ATC. TCA was not 

involved in the recruitment of members to go on trips. 

16. The witness was the only TCA employee who attended the 2008 trip to Turkey. 

17. The witness stated that TCA was not involved in planning the agenda or itinerary for the August 

2008 congressional trip to Turkey. He also stated that TCA was not involved in planning the 

travel arrangement., or deciding which people were invited to the trips. The witness recalled that 

he had conversations with A TC about his desire that Patara be a destination included in the trip. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

18. TCA was responsible for sponsoring the trip, which the witness described as giving money to 

A TC to finance the trip. 

19. The witness stated that at the time of the trip in 2008 he never saw the pre-trip and post-trip 

disclosure forms that were signed by James Holmes and filed with the House of Representatives. 

He stated that he understood that A TC would be responsible for handling the disclosure forms. 

Although he did not see the forms, he knew that TCA would be listed as a sponsor because they 

provided money for the trip to ATC. 

20. The witness stated that at the time ofthe August 2008 trip he was ignorant of the law concerning 

a lobbyist employers paying for congressional travel. He did not know that the law had changed 

concerning trip sponsors. 

21. The witness stated that he is not aware of Mr. Hochbruekner having any contact with ATC and 

did not discuss him with A TC. He also stated that Mr. Hochbruekner did not attend the August 

2008 trip to Turkey. He told the OCE that he did not discuss the 2008 trip to Turkey with Mr. 

Hochbruekner prior to the trip_ 

22. 111e witness stated that Mr. Hochbruekner's services provided to TCA were the same in the fall 

of 2008 as they had been previously. 

23. He believes that around November 2008 it came to his attention that TCA could not provide the 

congressional staff trips because it retained a lobbyist. The witness stated that they did not know 

the law changed. Tills came to his attention during a reception where other organizations were 

casually discussing ethics rules and told him that "if you have a lobbyist, you can't sponsor trips." 

24. After he heard about the ethics rules, the witness stated that he immediately saw a red flag and 

contacted TCA's attorney, David Saltzman and asked him to research the issue of travel 

provided by lobbyist employers. The witness also notified Mr. Hochbrueckner of the ethics 

rules. The witness told the OCE that Mr. Hochbrueckner notified his attorneys of the issue. 

25. The witness stated that Mr. Saltzman contacted the House Ethics Committee to get advice about 

how to handle the fact that the August 2008 trip had been sponsored by TCA during the time that 

TCA retained a lobbyist. The witness stated that he felt like they took the right steps to remedy 

the situation. 

26. The witness met with Mr. Hochbrueckner's lawyers and it was decided that TCA would end its 

retainer with Mr. Hochbrueckner because TCA planned to sponsor future congressional trips to 

Turkey and understood that it could not do so while retaining a lobbyist. This was the sole 

reason the retainer was ended. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR Res. 895 of the llOth Congress as Amended 

27. The witness told the OCE that TCA did not notify any of the attendees of the August 2008 

Turkey trip of the ethics issue. The witness felt like this was ATC's job. He decided to have 

TCA's counsel speak with ATC directly. 

28. The witness heard nothing back from either the House Ethics Committee or ATC on this issue. 

29. The witness stated that since 2008, TCA has conducted its congressional trips to Turkey without 

any involvement of ATe. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 8, 2013 after the interview with the witness on March 7, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

7,2013. 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 11 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH, Res, 895 as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

A TC Government Affairs Director 

13.2411; 13.5845; 13·6123 

March 14,2013 

1111 14th Street, NW, Suite 1050 

Washington, DC 20005 

3:20 p,m, to 4:00 p,m, (approximate) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and she consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S. C, § 1001 warning and consented to an interview, The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2, The witness is currently the Director for Government Affairs and Commercial Programs for the 

American Turkish Council ("ATC"), She has been employed with ATC since 2000 when she 

was contracted to be the Communications Director. In February 2001, she began as a full·time 

employee and in 2005 she changed to her current position. 

3, In general, the witness assists with organizing the industry sector meetings other than with the 

defense industry for the ATC annual conference; recruiting and supervising interns; and planning 

the Chairman's trip in Turkey including making appointments in Turkey, arranging travel, and 

scheduling the program. 

4. She began arranging congressional staff trips in 2003. Aside from the congressional staff trip 

and interacting with the Turkish caucus, she does not do much additional government outreach, 

5, The witness told the OCE that she does not have much interaction with the Turkish Coalition of 

America ("TCA") and did not continue to work on trips with TCA after 2008 when TCA decided 

to plan its own trips, She said that ATC had previously worked with TCA on congressional trips 

to plan meetings in Turkey. Generally, she does not work closely with TCA. 

6. The witness stated that she knows Lincoln McCurdy. Mr. McCurdy hired her and was her boss 

in 2000 until he left ATC. Her last communication with McCurdy was passing along a contact 

unrelated to the congressional trips. The witness has known Serna Muslu for a couple years. 

She does not know George Hockbruekner. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

7. The witness is involved in planning, organizing, and fundraising for ATC's annual congressional 

trip. She also recruits the staffers for the congressional trip. ATC did not have a congressional 

trip in 2010 and 2012. 

8. The witness believed that TCA approached her in 2008 to work on the congressional trip. The 

trips generally visit three locations. The locations are usually Ankara, Istanbul, and a third 

location such as Capre. She said TCA had an interest in Patara being the third location for the 

2008 trip. TCA assisted in putting together the logistics for the Patara leg of the trip, such as the 

arranging the meeting with an archeologist. Her communications in arranging this were mostly 

with Mr. McCurdy and GuIer Koknar, the executive director of TCA. The communications were 

conducted mostly over email and by telephone. 

9. The witness was shown an email from her to Mr. McCurdy, dated June 16,2008 (ATC_0634). 

The witness said that the staffers on the previous trip would identifY future staffers to recruit. 

The witness said that TCA probably also sent a list of names of staffers to recruit. The witness 

said it could be difficult to find enough staffers and that one year she sent out 85 invites and only 

7 accepted. She said that some staffers cancelled last minute. 

10. The witness said TCA is not involved in preparing travel disclosure forms for the House 

Committee on Ethics, that it was wholly ATC. The witness said that Mr. McCurdy requested 

that the delegation have more time in Patara, but that they had to limit that portion to comply 

with the limited leisure time requests from the Committee on Ethics. 

11. The witness was shown a document entitled Congressional Staff Trip 2008 Budget for Staffers 

(ATC_0082). She said that the document probably listed the Turkish Coalition Foundation as a 

sponsor ("TCF") because the payments came from the Foundation but said that Canan 

Buyukunsal does the budgeting. She said TCF bought portion of airline tickets and ATC bought 

a portion. She was not sure how the budget broke down. 

12. The witness was shown another page of the document titled Congressional Staff Trip 2008 

(ATC_0084). When asked about the statement on the document concerning "other individual 

events that ATC will seek sponsorships," she said that part of the purpose for the trip was to 

outline events available for sponsorship to ATC's members to give them an opportunity to meet 

and mingle with the staffers. She said in this document they were outlining those opportunities 

available to TCA. 

13. The witness was shown a document titled "2008 Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey" that 

includes the Trip Program Summary (ATC_0215 - 0295). She stated thatthe lunch in Asitane 

on August 4, 2008 was hosted by BankPozitif and that most lunches were hosted. She said it 

was the custom for hosts to announce at the event that they were hosting. 

14. The witness told the OCE that the document (ATC _0215 - 0295) was a booklet that was usually 

presented at the pre-trip briefmg a week before departnre along with the passports and visas. She 

said that the program is shared with the staffers along the way but not with this level of detail. 

She said she would not have sent this booklet to the Committee on Ethics. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to tbe Nondisclosure Provisions ofR Res. 895 as Amended 

15. The witness was shown a Private Travel Certification Fonn filed witb the House Committee on 

Ethics for tbe 2008 trip (ATC _0033 - 0062) and asked about question 9b concerning tbe 

sponsor's employment ofa federally registered lobbyist (ATC_0034). She said tbat she would 

have checked with TCA before checking tbat box and likely spoke to Ms. Koknar to check 

TCA's status to see iftbey could sponsor these trips. She tbinks she must have asked along the 

way if TCA had a lobbyist because a sponsor must not have a lobbyist. She believed tbat she 

talked to Ms. Koknar about whetber or not TCA had a lobbyist. 

16. The witness stated tbat during certain years oftbe congressional trips tbe House Ethics 

Committee was more inquisitive tban the Senate Etbics Committee regarding approval oftbe 

trips. She said she did not recall any discussion with tbe House Etbics Committee about who 

was sponsoring meals. The focus of the discussion was on portions oftbe trip tbat were 

business, historic, and leisure. The Senate Ethics Committee wanted to know more about the 

events for tbis trip. The witness had no contact with House Ethics Committee after tbe trip. 

17. The witness knows Nancy Ziuzin-Schleigel because she is a member ofTCA, but said Ms. 

Schleigel did not attend the 2008 congressional staff trip but had attended events in Istanbul for 

previous trips. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 20, 2013 after the interview was conducted on March 14, 

2013. I certifY tbat this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed witb the witness on March 

14,2013. 

Nate Wright 

Analyst 

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EXHIBIT 12 
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CONFIDEl'-"TIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR. Res. 895 of the 1I0th Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

P ARTICIP ANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETIIICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

TCA Vice President 

13-2411,13-5845, 13-6123 

April 16, 2013 

Via Telephone 

11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and she consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. 'lbe witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The witness 

agreed to sign a written acknowledgement of the warning and send it to the OCE. The 

acknowledgment will be placed in the case file in this review. 

2. The witness is the Vice President of TCA. She is a consultant for the organization and has 

served in this capacity since the inception of TCA in February 2007. 

3. Prior to working with TCA, the witness was the Executive Director ofthe Turkish Cultnral 

Foundation ("TCF"), which is a sister organization of TCA. The two organizations receive the 

majority of their funding from the same benefactors. The witness continues to serve as the TCF 

Executive Director. 

4. The witness told the OCE that she has worked TCA's office in Turkey since July 2011. Prior to 

that time, the witness worked in TCA's Washington, DC office. 

5. According to the witness, in 2008, her duties as TCA Vice President included drafting 

documents providing background on Turkish issues and documents related to TCA's vision. She 

was responsible for researching such issues. She also was involved in TCA's programs, 

including minority scholarship program and Turkish-American scholarship program. 

6. In 2008, she reported to Lincoln McCurdy and Dr. Yalcin Ayasli. TCA only had one employee 

who reported to the witness at that time, Serna Muslu. 

7. The witness stated that she first interacted with ATC prior to her affiliation with TCA. She 

recalled that in 2006, when she was Executive Director of TCF, A TC requested that TCF 

sponsor a cultural project in Turkey in connection with an ATC congressional trip. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR. Res. 895 of the 1l0th Congress as Amended 

8. She believes that Canan Buyukunsal or Ayse Sumer were her contacts at ATC at the time in 2006. 

9. In 2006, TCF provided a grant to ATC for the cultural project. TCF organized the portion of the 

cultural program that involved the delegation visiting Istanbul, Turkey. 

to. The witness stated that she had no role in the 2008 congressional trip to Turkey sponsored by 

ATC and TCA ("2008 Trip"). She did not contact any of the attendees, plan the itinerary, or 

assist with airline travel. She believes that it is possible that she reviewed a draft the itinerary, 

but she did not have any input. 

II. She described TCA's role with the 2008 trip as sponsor wbere she defines sponsor as meaning 

TCA provided a monetary grant to ATC. She told the OCE that TCA was not in the "driving 

seat" for the trip. 

12. TCA did not have a congressional trip portfolio at the time of the trip in 2008. As a resuit, TCA 

played a supporting role in the trip and was not a primary partner in organizing the trip or 

inviting attendees. She stated that TCA took cues from ATC and had nothing to do with making 

contacts on the Hill related to the trip. 

13. She stated that Mr. McCurdy was the person from TCA who had interaction with A TC. 

14. The witness told the OCE that she was not involved in the filing or preparation of the travel 

disclosure forms filed with the House Ethics Committee. When shown the private sponsor travel 

disclosure fonn (ATC_ 0034-0047), she stated that she is ninety percent sure that she did not see this 

document or any document like it. She believes that she would remember seeing such a document. 

15. lhe witness stated that she did not discuss the travel disclosure forms with anyone. She also 

stated that no one ever asked her whether TCA retained a lobbyist and she never told anyone 

whether TCA retained a lobbyist. She told the OCE that she does recall Ms. Buyukunsal or Ms. 

Sumer asking her whether TCA retained a lobbyist. 

16. The witness first met George Hochbruekner in 2008 when he began to work as a "consultant" for 

TCA. She stated that Mr. Hochbruekner's role was to provide TCA with insight on how 

Congress worked. Mr. McCurdy managed Mr. Hochbruekner. 

17. She recalled that there were discussions concerning whether Mr. Hochbruekner could lobby 

because he may have been in the time period when former congressman could not lobby. 

18. She does not recall whether Mr. Hochbruekner was registered lobbyist at the time and she does 

110t recall when she learned that Mr. Hochbruekner was TCA's lobbyist. However, she recalls 

that there came a point where TCA decided to discontinue its relationship with Mr. 

Hochbruekner because TCA wanted to conduct congressional trips. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the HOth Congress as Amended 

19. The witness told the OCE that she has never communicated with the House Committee on Ethics. 

20. The witness stated that she does not know Walter Gonzales. When shown an email from the 

witness to Walter Gonzales, dated August 15,2007 CWG _ 0117), she did not recall the email. She 

also did not recall working on any project related to the Representative Dutch Ruppersberger's 

official comments on the Turkish election. She believes that based on the nature of the email that 

she must have met Mr. Gonzales. She believed that any interaction with Mr. Gonzales would have 

been related to research she was conducting as part of her TCA responsibilities. 

This memorandum was prepared on April 18, 2013 after the interview with the witness on April 17, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on April 

17,2013. 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 13 
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INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

Walter Gonzales 

13-5845 

March 27, 2013 

425 3rd Street, S W 

Washington, DC 20024 

12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. (approximate) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Paul Solis 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented. The witness made 

the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this revi ew. 

2. The witness has been employed with Representative Ruppersberger since 2002. During his 

employment, the witness has served as Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff. He is 

currently Senior Policy Advisor. 

3. The August 2008 congressional trip to Turkey ("2008 Turkey Trip") is the only trip that he has 

attended sponsored by the Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") or the American Turkish 

Council ("ATC"). 

4. The witness told the OCE that he first learned ofthe 2008 Turkey Trip from Lydia Borland. 

He understood that Ms. Borland was a lobbyist on issues involving Turkey, but he did not 

know her clients. 

5. He first spoke with her when she called Representative Ruppersberger's office to speak with 

someone concerning foreign affairs issues. The witness spoke with Ms. Borland because he was 

responsible for foreign affairs issues. 

6. The witness stated that he had a few meetings and phone calls with Ms. Borland concerning 

Turkey. Th.is was a couple of months before the trip to Turkey. 

7. The witness recalled that Ms. Borland also requested that Representative Ruppersburger make a 

statement in the Congressional Record concerning Turkey. The witness was shown and email 

from Ms. Borland to him, dated July 27, 2007 (W G _0078), stating "Would the Congressman be 

willing to put a statement in the Congressional Record on this issue?" The witness told the OCE 

that this email concerns the requested statement in the Congressional Record. 

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8. During one of the meetings, Ms. Borland asked the witness whether he was interested in 

traveling to Turkey. He told her that he was interested in the travel and he later received an 

invitation to travel to Turkey from ATC, dated June 23, 2008. 

9. The witness was shown a letter from ATCto him, dated June 23, 2008 (WG_0047-48) and he 

stated that he first learned of ATC when he received this letter in 2008. 

10. The witness told the OCE that he first learned ofTCA during the 2008 Turkey Trip briefing that 

occurred shortly before the trip. It was during this briefing that he learned that TCA was a host 

of the trip. 

11. He does not remember meeting anyone affiliated with TCA. However, he may have met 

someone from Maryland who was affiliated with TCA and he may have met TCA staffwhen he 

visited the office in Istanbul during the 2008 Turkey Trip. 

12. When shown an email from Guier Koknar ofTCA to the witness dated August 15, 2007, he 

stated that he did not recall ever meeting Ms. Koknar. 

13. 'The witness stated that he does not know George Hochbruekner or anyone affiliated with Goerge 

Hochbruekner and Associates. 

14. The witness met Ayse Sumer of ATC. He stated that he does not know James Holmes, Canaan 

Buyukunsal, or anyone else affiliated with ATC. 

15. The witness was shown his Privately Sponsored Travel form that was submitted to the 

Committee on Ethics (WG_0071). He told the OCE that he completed the form and signed it. 

He stated that he completed the form with information that he received from Ms. Sumer. 

Specifically, Ms. Sumer told him the sponsors listed on line 2 were ATC and TCA 

16. When asked why did he answer "No" to the question 6 about lobbyist employer sponsors, he 

stated that he asked Ms. Sumer over a phone call did "they" have a lobbyist. He stated that she 

must have told him no for him to complete the form as he did. 

17. The witness was shown a "List of Meetings and Events Attended" that was attached to his posttravel disclosure form (WG _0055). He stated that he prepared this document. 

18. He was also shown the trip program summary (ATC _0219) and he stated that he would have 

received this at the pre-trip briefing or at the beginning of the trip. 

19. When asked about the "Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif"on August 4, 2008 listed in the 

program summary, he remembered attending a lunch. He does not recall whether he was told 

during the lunch that BankPozitif hosted the meal. 

20. When asked about the "Dinner with the Business Community in Istanbul Hosted by TurkishAmerican Business Association" on August 4, 2008 listed in the program summary, he 

remembered attending the dinner. He believed that it was announced at the dinner that TABA 

was the host. 

21. The witness did not recall any additional meals that he attended. 

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22. The wituess was asked about the "corporate sponsors" and "associate sponsors" listed on the first 

page of the 2008 Turkey Trip briefing book (ATC _ 0216). He told the OCE that it did not occur 

to him that the associate sponsors should be disclosed on the travel forms because he thOUght the 

entire trip had been pre-approved by Committee on Ethics. 

23. The witness was never contacted by TCA or ATC following the trip concerning TCA's 

employment of a lobbyist. 

This memorandum was prepared on April 3, 2013 after the interview with the witness on March 27, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the wituess on March 

27,2013. 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 14 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the II Oth Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

TCA Attorney 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

March 8, 2013 

1510 15th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20005 

10:50 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Paul J. Solis 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness, and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is a principle at the law firm of Saltzman and Evinch, P.C. and been with the firm 

since its inception in 1993. 

3. He has provided "relatively minor consultative" legal services to the Turkish Coalition of 

America ("TCA") since it was founded in 2007. TCA pays him an hourly rate for his services. 

The Turkish American Legal Defense Fund ("T ALDF") is a litigation project of TCA so the 

witness does not represent TALDF. The witness and Bruce Fein started TALDF. 

4. The witness first became acquainted with George Hochbruekner in December 2008 near the time 

that TCA decided to no longer have Mr. Hochbruekner provide lobbying services. The witness 

has not seen Mr. Hochbruekner since 2008. 

5. The witness did not know Mr. Hochbruekner was a lobbyist when her first met him but later 

knew he was after he saw a few emails with his name on them. The witness was not involved in 

any contracts with lobbyist. or lobbyist registration. The witness also stated that he thought 

TCA hired Mr. Hochbruekner more as a consultant. 

6. The witness never worked for American Turkish Coalition ("ATC") but knows people who work 

there. The witness knows James Holmes. The witness has never attended an ATC trip to Turkey 

but traveled to Turkey in 2011 with Native American leaders. 

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7. 'The witness told the OCE that around December 2008, he was asked to prepare a legal 

memorandum for TCA on "HLOGA" because Lincoln McCurdy wanted to have the organization 

plan its own congressional trips to Turkey. 

8. He prepared the memorandum and concluded that TCA could not retain lobbyists if it planned to 

conduct such congressional trips. The memorandum did not address any issues with prior trips. 

9. With respect to the ethics issue ofthe August 2008 trip to Turkey, the witness prepared a plan of 

action for Mr. McCurdy around January 2009 after he became aware in December 2008. He first 

contacted the attorney for ATC, Doreen Edelman, and told her about the problem that TCA 

retained a lobbyist at the time that it sponsored the 2008 trip. The witness stated that they 

decided that they had "to make this right." 

1 O. The witness then called House Ethics Committee and left a voicemail message for the staff 

person who was handling trips, Susan Olson. He told the OCE that he left a detailed voicemail 

message, explaining that TCA had a lobbyist at the time it sponsored the 2008 trip and seeking 

advice on how to disclose and repair the problem. 

11. When the witness's message was not returned, he called Ms. Olson again and spoke with her 

January 27, 2009. He explained the issue to her and he stated that she told him that she would 

look into it and call him back. 

12. The witness did not receive a call back from the House Ethics Committee. He assumed that the 

Committee had contacted ATC to resolve the issue. The witness also stated that TCA expected 

renumeration to come from the ATC side, so when they didn'l hear anything, TCA thought 

Ethics took it up with A TC. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 8, 2013 after the interview with the witness on March 7, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

7,2013. 

Kedric L Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 15 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR Res. 895 ofthe IIOth Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

ATC President 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

March 14,2013 

1111 14th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20005 

2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement ofthe warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is the President and CEO of ATC and has been with the organization since April 2005. 

3. As President and CEO of ATC he is responsible for supervising of ATC staff and promoting the 

business interests ofthe organization's corporate members. The staff consists of approximately 

five full-time employees and two part-time employees. 

4. The witness told the OCE that the interests of the organization include "business-to-business" 

concerns between the United States and Turkey. 

5. The interests also include "business-to-government" concerns. For example, ATC hosts an 

annual conference attended by senior executive branch officials (e.g., Leon Panetta) and ATC 

members. A TC recently hosted an event with Turkish officials to discuss opportunities and 

incentives for U.S. companies to invest in Turkey. Another example is the annual congressional 

staff trip to Turkey that ATC host •. 

6. Much of A TC's activities operate on a committee basis organized by interest (e.g. defense 

supplies, pharmaceuticals, banking, energy, etc.). 

7. The witness stated that ATC has hosted congressional staff trips for fifteen to sixteen years, 

which includes years before he joined ATC. He said that last year there was no staff trip due to 

lack of funding, but he anticipated there would be another trip this year for seven to eight days. 

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8. The witness framed these staff trips within ATC's interest to protect and promote a positive 

political climate between the United States and Turkey. He stated that given Turkey's political 

baggage there was never a year when it was not necessary to make some advocacy effort to 

highlight the impact of a certain action on the broader view ofthe U. S. and Turkish business 

relationship. 

9. According to the witness, ATC does not work with the Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") 

on a recurring basis. 

10. He recalled that on one occasion ATC worked with TCA to have a congressional staff trip in 

2008. This 2008 trip is the only occasion where ATC received any support from TCA. A TC and 

TCA occasionally run into each other at the same events, but generally there is no convergence 

of interests and efforts. 

I!. ATC had brought a Turkish archeologist from Patara, Turkey to the United States in 2006 and 

subsequently, TCA expressed and interest in organizing a trip to Patara with Congressional staff 

because of the location's cOlll1ection with the Federalist Papers. 

12. He has known Lincoln McCurdy, the President ofTCA, since 1995 or 1996. Mr. McCurdy was 

the witnesses' predecessor as Presi dent of A TC. 

13. 1be witness told the OCE that he does not know George Hochbruekner. 

14. When a,ked about his role in planning and organizing the congressional staff trips, the witness 

stated that Ayse Sumer is the ATC staff person responsible for the trips. She organizes the trips, 

recruits congressional staff to attend, and makes sure that it is approved by the ethics 

committees. The witness reviews her work, goes over the minutia of the trip, and signs anything 

that is necessary, such as the travel disclosure fonns. 

15. He stated that Canan Buyunkusal is the other ATC staff person who assists Ms. Sumer with the 

congressional staiftrips. 

16. The witness was shown the trip itinerary, titled "2008 Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey" 

(ATC_0215-0222). When asked about the difference between the "corporate sponsor" and the 

"associate sponsors" listed in the itinerary, the witness stated that he believes the difference is the 

volume of the sponsorship. However, he said that he did not this for certain. 

17. He stated that in general the funding for the trip comes from the general fund. He said that most 

of the money from dues is for administrative support, rcnt, and insurance. A small portion goes 

to ensure ATC the full fmancing ofthe congressional staff trip. 

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18. He said that some companies may provide in-kind services to the trip. He mentioned that an 

ATC counterpart organization in Turkey provides hotel rooms and bus services for the 

congressional staff trip instead of cash for their membership dues, 

19, The witness was shown a page from the trip itinerary (A TC _ 0219) and asked about an entry 

reading "Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif." He said the sponsorship was separate from 

the general fund and the type ofthing the company liked to do for the congressional staff trip, 

20, The witness did not attend the 2008 trip to Turkey and has never attended a congressional staff 

trip to Turkey, However, he did attend the pre-trip briefing with the congressional staffers. 

2 L He told the aCE that he reviewed the travel disclosure form that was filed with the House Ethics 

Committee for the 2008 Turkey trip and he thought that it was accurate. 

22, The witness recalled a problem with corporate members having lobbyists and seeking advice 

from legal counsel. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 8,2013 after the interview with the witness on March 7, 

2013, I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

7,2013, 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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APPENDIX B 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the II Oth Congress as Amended 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

REPORT 

Review No. 13-6123 

The Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics (the "Board"), by a vote of no less than four 

members, on May 31,2013, adopted the following report and ordered it to be transmitted to the 

Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives. 

SUBJECT: Ms. Helen Hardin 

NATURE OF THE ALLEGED VIOLATION: Helen Hardin accepted travel expenses for a trip 

to Turkey in August 2008 that the American-Turkish Coalition and the Turkish Coalition of 

America ("TCA") co-sponsored. TCA retained a lobbyist. The pre-travel disclosure form that 

the co-sponsors filed with the House of Representatives certified that TCA did not retain a 

lobbyist. Ms. Hardin relied on the co-sponsors' certification that TCA did not retain a lobbyist 

and received the travel expenses. 

If Ms. Hardin received travel expenses for a multiple-day trip from an entity that retained a 

lobbyist, she may have violated House rules. 

RECOMMENDATION: The Board recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review 

the allegation above because there is a substantial reason to believe that although Ms. Hardin did 

not knowingly accept, she nevertheless received, an impermissible gift proscribed by House 

rules. 

VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE: 4 

VOTES IN THE NEGATIVE: 2 

ABSTENTIONS: 0 

MEMBER OF THE BOARD OR STAFF DESIGNATED TO PRESENT THIS REPORT TO 

THE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS: Omar S. Ashmawy, Staff Director and Chief Counsel. 
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Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the I Congress as Anlended 

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CITATIONS TO LAW 

Review No. 13-6123 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3 

A. Summary of Allegations .................................................................................................. 3 

B. Jurisdictional Statement ................................................................................................... 4 

C. Procedural History ........................................................................................................... 4 

D. Summary of Investigative Activity .................................................................................. 5 

II. THE TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA RETAINED A REGISTERED 

LOBBYIST WHEN IT FINANCED THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TRIP TO 

TURKEY IN 2008 .............................................................................................................. 5 

A. Laws, Regulations, Rules, and Standards of Conduct ..................................................... 5 

B. TCA Co-Sponsored a Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey in 2008 ................................. 6 

C. TCA Retained a Lobbyist ................................................................................................ 7 

D. TCA Did Not Disclose that it Retained a Lobbyist ......................................................... 8 

E. TCA Knew of the Potential House Rule Violation after the Trip .................................. 10 

F. Ms. Hardin's Knowledge ofTCA's Lobbyist... ............................................................. 11 

III. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 12 

2 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CITATIONS TO LAW 

Review No. 13-6123 

On May 31, 2013, the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics (the "Board") adopted the 

following findings offact and accompanying citations to law, regulations, rules, and standards of 

conduct (in italics). 

The Board notes that these findings do not constitute a determination that a violation actually 

occurred. 

I. INTRODUCTION 

1. The American-Turkish Council ("ATC") invited Helen Hardin to attend a 

congressional staff trip to Turkey in 2008. 

2. A TC provided a pre-travel disclosure form to Ms. Hardin that listed the Turkish 

Coalition of America ("TCA") as a co-sponsor. Despite the fact that TCA retained a 

lobbyist, the form certified that the co-sponsors did not retain a lobbyist. 

3. Ms. Hardin attended the trip that was financed by TCA. However, as described in the 

Board's findings below, there is no evidence that Ms. Hardin knew that TCA retained 

a lobbyist. 

4. The Board finds that Ms. Hardin relied on the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure form 

in good faith. 

5. Nevertheless, pursuant to precedent of the Committee on Ethics, a person's ignorance 

of the true source of travel expenses is not an absolute shield from liability for receipt 

of travel expenses from an improper source. 

A. Summary of Allegations 

6. Ms. Hardin may have violated House rules by receiving travel expenses for a multipleday trip from an entity that retained a lobbyist. 

7. The Board recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review the allegation above 

because there is a substantial reason to believe that although Ms. Hardin did not 

knowingly accept, she nevertheless received, an impermissible gift proscribed by House 

rules. 

3 
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B. Jurisdictional Statement 

8. The allegations that are the subject of this review concern Helen Hardin, Senior Policy 

Advisor for Representative Chuck Fleishmann. The Resolution the United States House 

of Representatives adopted creating the Office of Congressional Ethics ("OCE") directs 

that, "[ n Jo review shall be undertaken ... by the board of any alleged violation that 

occurred before the date of adoption of this resolution."! The House adopted this 

Resolution on March 11,2008. Because the conduct under review occurred after March 

11,2008, the OCE has jurisdiction in this matter. 

C. Procedural History 

9. The OCE received a written request for a preliminary review in this matter signed by at 

least two members of the Board on January 25,2013. The preliminary review 

commenced on January 26, 2013.2 The preliminary review was scheduled to end on 

February 24, 2013. 

10. At least three members of the Board voted to initiate a second-phase review in this matter 

on February 22, 2013. The second-phase review commenced on February 25,2013.3 

The second-phase review was scheduled to end on April 10, 2013. 

11. The Board voted to extend the second-phase review for an additional period of fourteen 

days on March 22, 2013. The second-phase review ended on April 24, 2013. 

12. The Board voted to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and adopted these 

findings on May 31, 2013. 

13. This report and findings were transmitted to the Committee on Ethics on June 13,2013. 

1 H. Res. 895, 110th Congo § 1 (e), as amended (the "Resolution '). 

2 A preliminary review is "requested" in writing by members of the Board of the OCE. The request for a 

preliminary review is "received" by the OCE on a date certain. According to the Resolution, the timeframe for 

conducting a preliminary review is thirty days from the date of receipt of the Board's request. 

J According to the Resolution, the Board must vote on whether to conduct a second-phase review in a matter before 

the expiration of the thirty-day preliminary review. If the Board votes for a second-phase, the second-phase begins 

when the preliminary review ends. The second-phase review does not begin on the date of the Board vote. 

4 
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Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 1 10th Congress as Amended 

D. Summary ofInvestigative Activity 

14. The OCE requested and received documentary and, in some cases, testimonial 

information from the following sources: 

(I) Helen Hardin; 

(2) ATC President; 

(3) ATC Executive Director; 

(4) ATC Government Affairs Director; 

(5) TCA President; 

(6) TCA Vice President; 

(7) TCA Attorney; 

(8) Former TCA Project Coordinator; and 

(9) Former TCA Lobbyist. 

II. THE TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA RETAINED A REGISTERED 

LOBBYIST WHEN IT FINANCED THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TRIP TO 

TURKEY IN 2008 

A. Laws, Regulations, Rules, and Standards of Conduct 

15. Pursuant to the House Rule 25, clause 5, an "employee of the House may not knowingly 

accept a gift from a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal or from a private 

entity that retains or employs registered lobbyists or agents of a foreign principal except 

as provided in sub paragraph (3) of this paragraph. ,4 

16. "A reimbursement (including payment in kind) to a Member, Delegate, Resident 

Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House for transportation, lodging, and related 

expenses for travel to a meeting, speaking engagement, factfinding trip, or similar event 

in connection with the duties of such individual as an officeholder shall be considered as 

a reimbursement to the House and not a gift prohibited by this clause when it is from a 

private source other than a registered lobbyist or agent of a foreign principal or a 

private entity that retains or employees registered lobbyists. . . . ,,5 

17. One-Day Event Trip. The sole exception to the general prohibition on accepting 

officially-connected travel from a private source that retains or employs lobbyists or 

agents of a foreign principal is for trips involving attendance at or participation in oneday event (exclusive aftravel time and an overnight stay). 

4 House Rule 25, clause 5(a)(1)(A)(ii). 

5 House Rule 25, clause 5(b)(I ) (emphasis added). 
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Under the rule, it is permissible for a Member or staf/person to accept and meals related 

to a single night's lodging and meals related to the trip, if offered by the trip sponsor. 

Members and staff must limit their involvement in connection with the event to a single 

calendar day, exclusive of travel time and an overnight stay. A Member or staff person 

may therefore attend only a single day of a multiple-day conference, forum, or other 

event that is being hosted primarily for individuals other than congressional invitees. 6 

18. In the Report of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the Investigation into 

Officially Connected Travel of House Members to Attend the Carib News Foundation 

Multi-National Business Conferences in 2007 and 2008, the Committee found that 

"[b}ecause [the Representative} did not have any knowledge of the true source of 

fundingfor these two trips, the Subcommittee does notfind that he violated any law, 

House Rule, regulation, or any other standard of conduct. However, because he received 

impermissible gifts proscribed by House Rules, other remedies are necessary. [The 

Representative} should return or pay for any gifts or benefits he received that were 

impermissible. ,,7 

B. TCA Co-Sponsored a Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey in 2008 

19. TCA co-sponsored a congressional staff trip to Turkey from August 2,2008 to August 

10, 2008 ("2008 Turkey Trip,,).8 TCA "was founded in 2007 as an educational, 

charitable organization and works to [f]oster friendship, understanding and cooperation 

between the United States and Turkey .... ,,9 TCA donated approximately $35,000 to 

ATC to finance the 2008 Turkey Trip. 10 

20. ATC is a trade association "dedicated to effectively strengthening US-Turkish relations 

through the promotion of commercial, defense, technology and cultural relations.,,11 Its 

membership includes "US and Turkish companies, multinationals, nonprofit 

organizations and individuals with an interest in US-Turkish relations.,,12 

21. ATC used TCA's donation to pay for travel expenses of the congressional staff including 

transportation, meals, and lodging. 13 

6 House Ethics Manual (2008) at 92-93 (citing House Rule 25, clause 5(b){l)(C) (emphasis in original». 

7 Report ofthe Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the Investigation into Officially Connected Travel of 

House Members to Attend the Carib News Foundation Multi-National Business Conferences in 2007 and 2008, Feb. 

25,2010, at 172. 

8 Helen Hardin's Pre and Post Travel Disclosure Forms, amended and original ("Travel Disclosure Forms") (Exhibit 

I at 13-6123_0002). 

9 Turkish Coalition of America 2011 Annual Report 2, available at http://www.tcamerica.org/filesiaboutITCA _ Annual_Report _ 2011.pdf. 

10 ATC Invoice for TCA (Exhibit 2 at 13-6123 0024-25); TCA Profit and Loss Detail (Exhibit 3 at 13-6123 0027). 

11 ATC Mission Statement and Overview, available at, http://www.the-atc.orgldatalaboutus/. -

12 Id. 

13 ATC Congressional Staff Trip 2008 Budget (Exhibit 4 at 13-6123_0029-32) 

6 
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22. A total of thirteen individuals attended the trip: six House staff members; two Senate 

staff members; two A TC staff members; one TCA staff member; and two representatives 

from A TC membership organizations. 14 

23. The invitation for the trip that A TC sent to congressional staff stated that the trip was 

intended to provide "a unique opportunity for select Congressional Staff to gain personal 

insights about Turkey.,,15 

24. Based on the evidence before the OCE, Ms. Hardin accepted approximately $7,375 in 

travel expenses for the 2008 Turkey Trip. 16 

C. TCA Retained a Lobbyist 

25. TCA retained an outside lobbyist from March 2008 to December 2008.17 The lobbyist 

worked for his own lobbying firm and filed his lobbyist re1istration on behalf ofTCA on 

April 8, 2008 (effective registration date March I, 2008).1 He filed his report 

terminating his lobbying registration for TCA on January 15, 2009 (effective termination 

date December 31, 2008).19 

26. Former TCA Lobbyist told the OCE that TCA hired him primarily to increase the number 

of Members of Congress on the Congressional Turkey Caucus.20 TCA President told the 

OCE that Former TCA Lobbyist was hired to educate TCA on how Congress functions 

and to provide opinions on legislation.21 He also stated that Former TCA Lobbyist 

advised him on how to encourage Members of Congress to join the Turkish Caucus.22 

14 ATC 2008 Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey Briefing Book (Exhibit 5 at 13-6123_0043). 

15 Draft Invitation Letter (Exhibit 6 at 13-6123 0118-19). 

16 Travel Disclosure Forms (Exhibit 1 at 13-6123 0003). 

17 TCA Lobbyist LDA Registration and Termination Reports (Exhibit 7 at 13-6123_0121-24). 18 Id. 

19 Id. 

20 Memorandum of Interview of Former TCA Lobbyist, March 13,2013 ("Former TCA Lobbyist MOl") (Exhibit 8 

at 13-6123 0127). 

21 Memora;;-dum of Interview of TCA President, March 7, 2013 ("TCA President MOr') (Exhibit 9 at 13-

6123 0131). 22 Id.-

7 
183 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 189 HR176.176

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the I 10th Congress as Amended 

D. TCA Did Not Disclose that it Retained a Lobbyist 

27. Although TCA retained a lobbyist at the time of the 2008 Turkey Trip, the pre-trip 

Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form that ATC submitted to House staff members 

for filing with the House Committee on Ethics certifies on question 9(b) that "the sponsor 

of the trip does not retain or employ a federally registered lobbyist or registered foreign 

agent. ,,23 

U~'i. HIl"u'IIfRl'Jlr;:Y.btJvc~ 

COc1lUllitiet o-a Stalldard$: or Off\<:I.u CtllHlllet 

PRIVATI-: SPONSOR TRAV!':I. CKltnftC,\TION FOR..'f 

(prQTide 41rt>:Uy tl) ttcll. HOlm larll«O) 

""'1iI<m"""'1:kb'~i>CnI!~l1l'<""''''''-;MI~«W.llf\I<I~<n''';~~~f<!f"In'i'\ll''''II'''''' 

l>~ ... /&ffl f'f m>pIr>1I"'" ~"""'" ~ Ilul~ l:XV, dlm", j A _"I'~oN \<Ijll t;lt!lo; ",.'" (Mol my 

~llJi:~)'1>w\dlJQ-l"<m:J<>.lW_h""'''''''U'''QM.mW.~tf", .. ",<q>~.wk>...nlkllf<l''''~td\lro>b<l 

C.mJu,,"= -r:"",~;"t;'<Ir . .or'IK>IM»OT""'""",",f<>m""-lr"''''c.omm.t\:o 

1'r,"""''I':w<J<:rt4'''' .. .....,.t u>:,,",f!.oc,'I/til~ 1i>.....,.I H_"'!'YidtltrtwI1!lNp k.w~t1",'llfi. "'''~kd ... 

~ n..~~lQpi.,...4t~(:o_*" .. IIo"""""!< __ "'~""'f<.m!ond~"_y",,,Il", 

!Mim'I!t<:_~ .. j~t~!"(>ffiotilh<:t.. or .... 11M !UkrJ;II<.",,,r.n n;o;m'flW; t.. ..... i!I;klol' 1M ><=N 1'<"'_ ~WIl¢<tmcllllaf~ll:»,~m .. 401l&«1*"'(wol.Jfyr"'.i41i'dIteo=*'t~~_Im'd~"'" 

sdl'!.Cl!Q~_~thol'.u.s~~ .... ·1\.'>I>f-f".f"i"""".""' ... -t\.,tM.~f:I1'''''~'''' 

Ibl.\.!\:oo'm. $~'*"><lU«ali""'('~"Iill:illlr.,..,.1i*"\lilot""~~""'f".·". Pi_h?<:"'''' 

I S:>OIW>l(~i(..,......whpo-.~r'l<a."'I'1 ~~.~"...:1WI;_( ..... ""'<lt1\3>,yb 

2. I '~I"=- !t ... u.. ""P ,.,11 "'" b<- (II,."""", ('0> """*' '" ir; ~l b! * r.at1"~ 1<Mi)1ll. ~ ~ 

1tCI .. J:'tdfM'j\!!l-~il"'<J(~~)I!1'by,"""'b.g""")'EI 

) l.~m.~ 11' .. "'r <[IMVIf(.l w __ .prd a--... ~ glloor _~ ... !OiM .... JIliiIIMd4.1"1~ <li" 1IJ"".:ly 

l!;>;bu.lI<{"lIl,~'''rf/oenp)I$'''fI'~,.. .. IT,.dt«!I'ItM) fi.l 

a ... ~ ... ~~.a"""~IIm-w....vl ... ~4<.<:tIt,..tu ... l(;<t, .... t.>"'.)*"'fli'!~'''''' 

pll"'V,i ...,.j"~~.i) (.,ct"If; vm"i(y";'_f lroo." fJ 

28. The Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form was signed by ATC President24 ATC 

President told the OCE that A TC Govemment Affairs Director prepared the travel 

disclosure form and A TC President reviewed and signed it. 25 He said that he thought the 

disclosure form was accurate and he did not know Former TCA Lobbyist.26 

23 Travel Disclosure Fonns (Exhibit 1 at 13-6123 0009). 

24 Id. at 13-6123 0011. -

2S Memorandum oflnterview of ATe President, March 14,2013 (Exhibit 14 at 13-6123 0151). 

26 Id. at 13-6123_0152. -

8 
184 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 190 HR176.177

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

29. ATC Government Affairs Director told the OCE that she checked the box on Question 

9(b) that indicated that the sponsors did not retain a federally registered lobbyist. 27 She 

stated that she likely asked the TCA Vice President whether TCA had a lobbyist. 28 She 

does not know Fonner TCA Lobbyist.29 

30. On the contrary, TCA Vice President told the OCE that no one ever asked her whether 

TCA retained a lobbyist, including A TC Director of Government Affairs.3o She also 

stated that she was not involved in the prwaration of the pre-travel disclosure fonn and 

does not recall ever seeing the document. I 

31. The OCE asked TCA President, who hired Fonner TCA Lobbyist, about the Private 

Sponsor Certification Fonn. He told the OCE that at the time of the 2008 Turkey Trip he 

never saw the Private Sponsor Travel Disclosure Fonn and he understood that ATC was 

responsible for filing the form and that TCA would be listed as a sponsor.32 

32. The pre-travel disclosure fonn that Ms. Hardin filed with the House Ethics Committee 

asks "Did the trip sponsor answer 'yes' to Question 9(b) on The Trip Sponsor from (i. e., 

the travel is being sponsored by an entity that employs a lobbyist)?" Ms. Hardin checked 

the "No" box.33 

33. When asked why she answered "No" to the question whether the sponsor retained a 

lobbyist, Ms. Hardin told the OCE that she based her answer on TCA's answer to the 

same question on their fonn?4 

34. Ms. Hardin told the OCE that she did not know Fonner TCA Lobbyist and had never 

heard of him until the OCE's review. 35 

35. Fonner TCA Lobbyist told the OCE that he did not know Ms. Hardin and does not recall 

ever communicating with her.36 

36. Fonner TCA Lobbyist was not involved in ~Ianning or organizing the 2008 Turkey Trip 

and he did not attend the 2008 Turkey Trip. 7 

27 Memorandum ofInterview of ATC Government Affairs Director, March 14, 2013 ("ATC Government Affairs 

Director MOl") (Exhibit 10 at 13-6123_0137). 28 !d. 

29 1d. 

JO Memorandum ofInterview ofTCA Vice President, April 16, 2013 (Exhibit 11 at 13-6123_0140). 31 [d. 

32 TCA President MOl (Exhibit 9 at 13-6123_0132). 

33 Travel Disclosure Forms (Exhibit 1 at 13-6123_0007). 

34 Memorandum of Interview of Helen Hardin, April 22, 2013 ("Helen Hardin MOf') (Exhibit 12 at 13-6123 0144). ~ld -

36 Former TCA Lobbyist MOl (Exhibit 8 at 13-6123_0127). 37 1d. 

9 
185 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 191 HR176.178

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

E. TCA Knew of the Potential House Rule Violation after the Trip 

37. TCA knew of the potential House Rule violation after the 2008 Turkey Trip.38 

38. According to TCA President, around November 2008, he learned during a casual 

conversation about ethics rules at a reception that TCA could not sponsor congressional 

trips if it had a lobbyist.39 

39. TCA President then asked TCA Attorney to research the issue of whether TCA could 

sponsor congressional tripS.40 TCA President also notified Former TCA Lobbyist of the 

issue, which Former TCA Lobbyist had his attorneys research.4! 

40. In December 2008, TCA Attorney determined that TCA could not retain lobbyists if it 

planned to conduct congressional tripS.42 

41. With respect to the 2008 Turkey Trip, TCA Attorney contacted ATC's attorney in 

January in 2009 and told her that TCA retained a lobbyist at the time that it sponsored the 

trip.43 They decided to alert the House Ethics Committee of the issue.44 

42. TCA Attorney stated that he called the House Ethics Committee on January 27, 2009, 

explained the issue with the 2008 Turkey Trip, and asked for advice on how to disclose 

and remedy the problem.45 He was told that he would receive a call back from the House 

Ethics Committee46 When he did not receive a call, he assumed that the House Ethics 

Committee contacted A TC directly to resolve the problem.47 ATC Government Affairs 

Director stated that she did not have any contacts with the House Committee on Ethics 

following the trip.48 

43. TCA President did not notifY Ms. Hardin or any of the congressional staff who attended 

the 2008 Turkey Trip of the issue concerning the travel expenses.49 

44. Ms. Hardin told the OCE that no one from A TC or TCA ever contacted her following the 

trip concerning the issue ofTCA's employment ofa lobbyist.5o 

38 TCA President MOl (Exhibit 9 at 13-6123_0132); Memorandum ofInterview ofTCA Attorney ("TCA Attorney 

MOl") (Exhibit 13 at 13-6123 0148). 

39 TCA President MOl (Exhibit 9 at 13-6123_0132). 40 [d. 

41 [d. 

"TCA Attorney MOl (Exhibit 13 at 13-6123_0148). 

43Id. 

44 [d. 

45 [d. 

46 [d. 

47 [d. 

4S ATC Government Affairs Director MOl (Exhibit 10 at 13-6123 0137). 

49 TCA President MOl (Exhibit 9 at 13-6123_0133). -

50 Helen Hardin MOl (Exhibit 12 at 13-6123_0145). 

10 
186 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 192 HR176.179

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

F. Ms. Hardin's Knowledge of TCA's Lobbyist 

45. The OCE did not receive any evidence that Ms. Hardin knew that TCA retained a 

lobbyist at the time that she accepted the travel expenses. 

46. Based on the following facts, the Board finds that Ms. Hardin did not knowingly accept 

travel expenses from an entity that retained a lobbyist: 

a. Ms. Hardin submitted the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure form to the 

Committee on Ethics for pre-approval; 

b. Ms. Hardin submitted her personal pre-travel disclosure form, which was based 

on information that he received from the co-sponsors, to the Committee on Ethics 

for pre-approval; 

c. Ms. Hardin provided a complete and accurate statement of all material facts 

related to the co-sponsors' employment of a lobbyist to the extent that it was 

known to her at the time; and 

d. The Committee on Ethics provided written approval of her acceptance of the 

travel expenses. 

47. In many circumstances, the apparent lack of knowledge and good faith reliance on both 

the assertions of the private sponsor and the written approval by the Committee on Ethics 

would result in no liability on the part of Ms. Hardin. However, under the precedent 

established by the Committee on Ethics in certain, limited circumstances, an individual 

who relies on approval from the Committee on Ethics in accepting a proscribed gift, may 

nevertheless be liable for its receipt. 

48. In this matter, the Board finds that Ms. Hardin acted in good faith reliance on the written 

pre-approval that the Committee on Ethics provided. However, she still received travel 

expenses from a private entity that retained a lobbyist during the 2008 Turkey Trip. In 

similar matters, the Committee on Ethics has found that the receipt of the gift was 

impermissible and proscribed by House rules even though an individual may reasonably 

have believed otherwise. 

49. Accordingly, the OCE Board finds there is substantial reason to believe that although Ms. 

Hardin did not knowingly accept, she nevertheless received, an impermissible gift 

proscribed by House rules. 

11 
187 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 193 HR176.180

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the l10th Congress as Amended 

III. CONCLUSION 

50. ATC and TCA submitted a pre-Travel disclosure form for the 2008 Turkey Trip to Ms. 

Hardin, which did not disclose that TCA retained a lobbyist. 

5l. The Board finds that Ms. Hardin did not knowingly accept travel expenses from an entity 

that retained a lobbyist because: 

a. Ms. Hardin submitted the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure form to the 

Committee on Ethics for pre-approval; 

b. Ms. Hardin submitted her personal pre-travel disclosure form, which was based 

on information that he received from the co-sponsors, to the Committee on Ethics 

for pre-approval; 

c. Ms. Hardin provided a complete and accurate statement of all material facts 

related to the co-sponsors' employment of a lobbyist to the extent that it was 

known to her at the time; and 

d. The Committee on Ethics provided written approval of her acceptance of the 

travel expenses. 

52. Based on the above findings, Ms. Hardin acted in good faith reliance and did not know 

that TCA retained a lobbyist at the time of the trip. However, the Board recommends that 

the Committee on Ethics further review the allegation above because there is a substantial 

reason to believe that although Ms. Hardin did not knowingly accept, she nevertheless 

received, an impermissible gift proscribed by House rules. 

12 
188 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 194 HR176.181

EXHIBIT 1 
189 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 195 HR176.182

,~,3tMIVE RESOURCE WHE' 

lunD SEP II PH 2: 24 u.s. House of Representatives 

110th Congress 

EMPLOYEE 

POST-TRAVEL DISCLOSURE FORM 

This fumI is for.n.cloaiug 1bc JeCCipt ofttavel expcusea from private 8OlIl'CeS for meetIags, speaking engagemcuIa, 

faet-fmding 1rip& or similar events in eolllleCUon with ofiieial duties, You need not .n.cloae government-funded or 

political travel on this fumI, or travel that is WlI\llated to official duties, This form does not olimlns!e the need to 

report aU privately-timded 1rIIvel 011 the annual Flnsucial Disclosure SllIumumtIl of !hose per!lOIl$ required to file 

them. In aocordauoe with clause 5 of House Rule 25, complcle this form and'fiIe it with the Clerl<oflhc House of 

RtpresonIativ.., 11-106 c:.nn.m House Office Building, within 15 days after IIaVells completed. The Clm is 10 make theao limns publicly available as $QOIlas possible after they ax., received. ObtIJin the dolItzr amoll1lU from the. SPOlUW; 1/ exact dolItzr _ tmtll1l41lllilable, proviile a goodfalth estimate. 

Name of Employee (print or type): _H_e!e_"_H_ard_I" _______________ _ 

Name ofAooompenyingFamily Member (if any): _-:=::::-____________ _ 

RelationshiptoEmpIoyee: DSpouse OChild o Other (specify): _____ _ 

Date ofDepqrture and Date ofRetum: _A_lIlI_USl_2-_13 _______________ _ 

DamsatP«mmm~: _AUlI __ USl_11_.1_3 _____________________ __ 

ltinenuy (cities of departure _ destination _ return); Washington. DC ·lstanbul·Washington DC 

Sponsor(S) (who paid for the trip): American Turldsh Counoll and Turidoh CoeUtion of Americ;a 

Describe meetings and ev<mts attended (attach additional pages if necessary): We met with business, 

religiou .. govemJnlilll\and non profit organizations. I attended all meetings. 

Attached to this fann are EACH of the following (3ignify 'Yes" for each item by checlring the 

con-esponding ~); 

1. 0 the Private Sponsor Travel CertiflC8tiOl1 Form completed by trip sponsor, incluWng all 

attllObments; 

2. lJ the Privately-Sponsored Travel Approval Fonn completed by the employee; /1114 

3. CI the Committee on Standl\rds' letter approving my participation 011 this trip. 

I represent that I participated in each of the activities refle<:ted in the sponsor's agenda (sIgnify 'Yes" by 

checking box): 121 

Ifool, explain; _______________________ __ 
190 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 196 HR176.183

TRAVEL EXPENSES: 

DATE: September 11. 2008 

I authorized this travel in advance. I have determined that all of the expenses listed above were necessary 

and tbat the travel was in connection with the employee's official duties and would not create the 

appearance that the employee is using public office fur private gain. 

NAME OF SUPERVISING MEMBER: Re~:_Z_a_c_h_W_a_m-,-p _______ _ 

SIGNATURE OF SUPERVISING MEMBER: 

~4 ... 

2 
191 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 197 HR176.184

i-WJD DEUVERED 

[l] OrlgIntd . c:;::lA.. ... dment M,,: ~!/L RE:!):"·~C[ erHiEf-.' 

U.S. House of Representatives llOth Congress nee,lX n i~:1 2: 32 

EMPLOYEE 

POST-TRAVEL DISCLOSURE FORM 

This form is for disclosing the receipt of travel expenses from private sources for meetings, speaking engagements, 

fact-froding trips or similar events in connection with official duties, You need 001 disclose governtnent-funded or 

politicalnvel on this fonn, or nvel that is unrelated to official duties, This form does not eliotioa1e the need to 

report all privately-funded travel on the annual Financial Disclosure Sta1ements of those persons "'quUed 10 file 

them. In accordance with clause 5 of House Rule 25, complete this fonn and file it with the Clerk of the House of 

Representatives. B-I06 Cannon House Office Building. within 15 days after travel is completed. The Cieri< is 10 

make these forms publicly available as soon as possible after they an: received. Obtain the dollar amounts from the 

sponsor; if exact dollar amaunts are WUJWlilable, provide a good faith estimateName of Employee (print or type): Hel_eO_Ha_fd_ln ________________ _ 

Name of Accompanying Family Member (if any): ______________ _ 

Relationship to Employee: OSpouse o Child DOtber(speeify): ______ _ 

Date of Departure and Date of Return: _Aug.,.:..u_st_2_, 2_00_8_-A_"..:9_u._1_13_,_20_08 ___________ _ 

Dates at Personal Expense: 

Itinerary (cities of departore _ destination _ retum); Washington DC-Istanbul - Washington DC 

Sponsor(s) (who paid for the trip); American TUrltish Council.nd TurklGh Coalition of America 

Describe meetings and events attended (attach additional pages if necessary): We met with business. 

religious, government and non profit organiza_tiO_n_S,_I_a_lte_n_ded_"_II_m_e_eti_'n_9s_, ___________ _ 

Attached to this form are EACH of the following (signify ')lel''' for each item by checking the 

correspomfing box); 

I. III the Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form completed by trip sponsor, including all 

attacJunents; 

2, 0 the Privately-Sponsored Travel Approval Form completed by the employee; and 

3, m the Committee on Standards' letter approving my participation on this trip_ 

I represent that I participated in each of the activities reflected in the sponsor's agenda (signify 'yes" by 

checking box): 0 

If not, explain: 
192 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 198 HR176.185

TRAVEL EXPENSES: 

I certifY that the information contained in this fonn is true, complete, and correct to the best of my 

knowledge. (.-.. 1 / , 

SIGNAWRE OF EMPLOYEE: V~~ DA Tn: August 20. 2008 

I authorized this travel in advance. I have determined that all of the expenses listed above were necessary 

and that the travel was in connection with the employee's official duties and would not create the 

appearance that the employee is using public office for private gain. 

NAME OF ~'UPI;RVISING MEMBER: Zach Wamp ~~----~--------------------

SIGNATIJRE OF SUPERVISING MEMBER: Jitul-6J ~ (7 DATE:AU9liSI21. 2008 

2 
193 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 199 HR176.186

Sl'EPWANIi; T\.IBtS JONES. OHIO 

CIiAJ\WOMAN 

GEHEGRBiN" TEXAS 1.UCI.LE ftOY'lW.-AU.AAO. CAl.J'OIlNA t.UCMEl. f. DO"tI.-E. PENNSYtVANtA 'MI..UAM D.. DEtAHlINT. MASSACHUSETTS 

WQ...UAMV.O'fIEIU.Y, atEf~AffDlfECTOR 

DAWN m.t.YMOOlEY. COUNSa 10 THE CHAlAWOIMN 

Ms. Helen Hardin 

oNE HUNDRm TEN"rn CONGRESS 

1l~. ~01t5t of l\tpttStntatibtS COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS Of 

OFRCIAl. CONDUCT 

~inttbm. K 205l5-6328 

July 11, 2008 

Office of the Honorable Zach Wamp 

1436 Longworth HOll8e Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Ms. Hardin: 

DOC~ WASHINGTON AAI«INQREI'U8rX.6.N~MM:A 

.10-. ......... J.~ EWI£ti,SOl1JHCAAClltlA. JOHNkUHE. MNESOTA WCff.AELT.M<:C4Ut,.TEXA.S 

"'., COUNSa .. ,.. .... 'lOnE~NG - REf'U8UCAN MEMBER 

sure HT-,t THE CAPIToL t=U6--1'IC3 

Pursuant to House Rule XXV, clause 5( d)(2), the Committee on Standards of 

Official Conduct hereby approves your proposed trip to 'l'urIooy scheduled fur August 2 to 

13, 2008 sponsored by the American-Twkish Council and the Turkish Coalition of 

America. We note !bat this trip includes 2 days at your personal expense. 

You must complete an Employee Travel Disclosure Form (which your employing 

Member must also sign) and file it with the Clerk of the House within IS days after your 

relum from travel. As part of !hat filing, you are required to attach a copy of this letter and 

the Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form, including all attachments. You must also 

include a copy of the Traveler Form completed by you and signed by your employing 

Member. If you are required to file an annual Financial Disclosure Statement, you must also 

"'POrt all travel expenses totaling more !han $335 from a single source on Schedule vn of 

that statement. 

Because the trip may involve meetings with foreign government representatives, 

we note !bat House employees may accept, under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, 

gifts "ofmiuimal value [currently $335] tendered as a souvenir or malic of courtesy" by a 

foreign government. AnY tangible gifts valued in excess of$335 received from a foreign 

government must, within 60 days of acceptance, be turned over to the Clerk of the House 

and disclosed on a Form for Disclosing Gifts from Foreign Governments. 

If you have any further questions, please contact the Committee's Office of Advice 

and Educalion 'on 5-7103. 

Sincerely, 

Ranking 

f1J~ Republican Member 

STJIDH:trs 
194 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 200 HR176.187

PRIVATELY Sl'ONSOREDTRAVEL: TRAVELERroRM 

ForM .......... Oftk:enud~ 

(lIIbmftdJreeCly te fIIe~) 

This fum! d100Id be completed by House M ..... ot'liccn or empIoyee& ~ Committee approval 

of priWlely-ipOllSt>ml lm'el or reimbu:rtemmt tor IrawI under House Rule :XXV, clause S. The 

compItted 

~ 

futm tboukl be submiUed diRx:dy to theCommillec by each ilIvitod Houle Member, om- or 

togefhciwllh theClOlllpl«ed om<! lIignod PrivaIc Spoasor Tmd CettIiicatioa Form. 

~ qffit:er.r and employees seeiing I.IpPI'OV/!J for troveJ are urged to IIlhMiI ttI1 form:r to tIuI 

Com1IIiItee at lM.rt 38 lip Mj'onJ Ira'Id U ~ to begin. The!illhm: to provide tho Committee 

with ~ time to mkIw the fum! om<! ~may -'t in the iDvime DOtrecchiaa.approvaI 

fill' tho trip. A copy oflhia fum! wi)I be mjljluvailable filrpubllc hvIpecIi\1II.. PkaH type jDrm. F_ 

(11#1....." ....... .,.i¥/tae4tt>fIte c-.tt.,. (ZfZ) Z2S-13n. 

3. T~~~~T~~ ________________________________ _ 

4. a. D8tesoflnM:!: .!!August~.1!2l:.!2::.!'1j!.3-"~i.:OO::::..!," _____________ _ 

b. Will you be extendiIIg the Irip at)'OUr peni<lII8I expeosc? l!iIYes 0 No 

Jfyes, dates atpctSOllll! ~ ...!Auqu$t!!!!ol!!~lll1,:.!:'3!.-..::~::::o~O~€,--_______ _ 

S. a. Name ofa.:companyingmnily Jnember(lfany): !!!1lOIle!t!L ___________ _ 

b • .R~0IIShip to MemberJOtlicer: jJ Spouse CL ClJiId .0. Oth«(specify): ___ _ 

6. a. DId thelrip $pOIISOI'answcr"yes" IOQuestiOO 9(0)011 theTrlp $p()nIIC)rfolm (ie;.thetravcl u 

being ~red by an enIiIy that employs a lobbyist)? []Yes l!iI No 

1>. Jfyes, d>cct ODe of the fuJlow!ng: 

(1) Approvalfor~'.lodgiDgomdmealsisbeingroqut'l!tl!d: Oil[ (2l Approval filrlW<Hligbts'lodgiIIg and meals is beingroqut'l!tl!d: 0 

Jf"(2)"is cIx!dced, explain why the secood nigbtiB wmaDled: ________ _ 
195 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 201 HR176.188

8. Explain why participation in the trip is comteeted 10 your oflicial or RpteSCIIIatiollal duties: 

I handle intematlonaI affairs,1unan rights and Middle East IsSues for the Congresvnan. 

We have a large Turtclsh compaljY in our dI5Uict!hat emploYs many of our constitUents. 

9. I certifY !hal th"j;;e i . :;tinM' .Wrm is true, complete, and'CQl'leCt 10 the best ofmy 

Signature: 

knowledse· 

~ 

~ 

Name of Signatory ('uother than traveler); _____________ _ 

For staff. name of employing McmbcrlCanmiltee:..:;Rep~.lach=!..!W:.::a"'mp"__ ______ _ 

O~~: ~14~~~~~~~_~ ____________________ __ 

~wm~ ~~ .. L-____________________ __ 

Email address: 0mai!.I!0use.g0 

NOTE: Yoa Dl1ISt complete the contact IafIll'llWloll fteIds above, aa Commiu..e staff may need 

contact you if additional infumlatiOil is RqUlred. 

FOR STAFF: 

TO BE COMPLJrrED BY YOUR EMPLOYING MEMBER: 

I hereby authorize the individual named above, an empIoyec of the U.S. House of Represeo/aIlves who 

works WKIet my dim:t supervisjon, 10 accept expenses for the trip described in this request. I have 

detamincd that the abovo-descn'bed travel is in COODeCtion "With my employee's oflicial duties and that 

acceptance of these expenses will not create the ~ that the employee is using public office for 

private gain. 

Date: 26.lOO8 

Ifthe:re are any questiooa regarding this formplesse contact the Committee; 

Committee on Standanls of Official Conduct 

u.s. HouseofR.epnesentatives 

HT·2, The Capitol 

Wasbiogton. DC 20515 

(202) 225-7103 (phooe) 

(202) 225-7392 (fax) 

2 
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U.S. House of Representatives 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 

PRlV ATE SPONSOR TRAVEL CERTIFICATION FORM 

(provide directly to each House invitee) 

This form should be completed by private eotities offi:ring to provide travel or ~ fur travel to House 

M..me.s, ol'llct:!$ or employees under House Rule XXV, clause S. A complered copy of the form (and any 

attacbments) should be provided to each invired House Member, o:tneer or employee, who will thea forward it to the 

Comrnit1ee. The trip sponsor should NOT submit the Conn ditcctly to the Committee. 

Private .pen/wn are urged to submit this form ro each House i1tviWt at least 30 Up before travel is scheduled ttl 

begin. The failure to provide the Commitrae with adequate time to re\'iew tb:> form and attachments may result in 

the invitee not receiving approval for the trip. The.submission of an incomplete foIlll will delay the rc\'iew process. 

Before completing Ibis form, sponsot'$ are urged to CIlT'IIfoIIy review the Cotnmitrae's private travel guidelines and 

8dYisory memoranda detailing the rule$ and 1'C8Iricti0llS fur private travel, all wen 8lI the iDsIructions for completing 

Ibis form. Sponsors shonld call the Cotnmitt.:e with any quIlSIions prior to aubmitling the form. Pleas_ typ<! fo,..",. 

I. Spomor{s) (who will be paying forthe trip); Amerlcan-TurlOsh Coonci and the Turkish Coalition of AmerIca 

2. I n:p~ent !bat the trip win not be financed (in whole or in part) by a federally-registered lobbyist or a 

registered. foreign agent (sigmU "yes" by checking /m:): 8 

3. I represent that the trip sponsor(s) bas not accepred from any other8OW'Ce fonds ~ ditcctlyor indirectly 

to finance any aspeet orthe trip (signify 'Yes" by checking box); (l] 

4. Istra'llli being offered to an a<;eorepanying fanuly member of the House invitce(.)? 0 Yes IZI No 

5. Provide _ and titles of All. House invitees; for each invitee, provide elIplanation of why the individual 

was inYired (illclude additional pages if _essary): P!eaoo see the attache<f document 

6. Dates oftra'lllc Depart Washington. Oulles Airport on August 2 and return 10 August. 2006 

7. Cities of departure _ destination _ return: Washington, D.C. to Istanbul and return. In addition the group will 

!laVe1 to two olher CitIes within Turkey. Ankara and Palara 

8. Attaclted is a detailed agenda of the activities taIdng place during the travel (Le., an hourly deacription of 

planned activities) (signify 'Yes" by checking /m:): W 

9. I represent that (check one of thefollowing): 

.. The sponsor of the trip is an institution of higher education within the meaning of section 101 of the lfiglu:r 

Education Act of! %5: a 9I 

h. The SjlOlJSOr of the trip does not retain or employ a Cedcrally registered lobbyist or registered foreign agent 

B9I 

c. The trip is for attendance at a ooo-day..vent ami lobbyist involvement in planning, organizing, requesting, or 

arranging the trip was de minimis under the Cotnmittee's travel rcgnIations. (J 

10. If travel is fur participation in • "",,-day event (i.e., if you checked Question 9(0», check one of the following: 

a. One-night's lodging and meals are being offered: CI 9I 

b. Two-nights' Indging and meals are being offered: a 

!f"b" is checked. explain why the second nigh.! is wmanted: ____________ _ 
197 


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11. If the trip i$ not spoIlSOred by an iIlatitution of higbcr education, I repre$CIlt that a iCdcmlIy-registered lobbyist 

or foreign up win not accompany House Mcni>eIs or empk)yees on any segment of the trip (~ '»es" by 

checking box): 121 

12. Pm.", op<>JISOI:$ must have a direct and inlmediatc relationship to the pwpose of the trip or location being visited. Describe the role of each tlpoosor in oxgWzing and oonduc:ting the trip: _______ _ 

Please see \he altached document 

13. Describe each spoosot'S organizational inIcrest in the pw:pose of the trip: 

Please see the attachod doCument 

14. DCSC(ibe the type and class of the Iran:IpctIlIlio being provided. Indicate whotber coach, busilless-elass or 

first-elass transportation win be provided. In additi(ll!, for travel via aircraft, please indicate if travel is being 

offered on a commeteial flight, chartered flight or on III airc<oft operatod or p4id for by It catri"'notlicmsed by 

the Federal Aviation Administration to operate for eompenaation or hire (i.e.. a private alrcraft). If tint...,! ... 

litre is being provided, or if travel is via chartered or private aiImft, pIeaae provide an IIXplanation describing wbysuch travel is warranted: _____________________ _ 

Each pallicipanl is travelling coach Class on a commeroial airline. 

I S. I represent thst the expenditures related to local area travel dtuing the trip wiU be 1IJIl'elared 10 personal or 

recreationalllillivities of the invitce(a). (signify '.,.,." by checJdng box): 0 

16. I represent !bat either (clteck one Dr the {oI1qwing): 

a. The trip involves an event thst is manged or organized witltflUt regard to COIlgmSional paI1icipation and thst 

~ provided to oongresaional participants are similar to those provided to or purchased by other event 

attcnd=: 0 g;; 

b. The trip involves events that are arranged or orgsnized specijica11y with regard to congressioDal participation: tl . 

IC"bu is checlred, detIIil the ~ostpor dayofmea1a (approximate cost may be prnvided): ____ _ 

17. Reason forseleeting the location orthe event or trip: 

Please _\he altached document 

IS. Name of hotel or other lodging facility: _PI_- __ -_a_lta_c_hed_document ____________ _ 

19. Cost per night orOOtel or other lodging facility (approximate cost may be provided): ______ _ 

Approximate ooat per night at each of the hotefs is $250 ... tax 

20. R=on(s) for selel:ting hotel or other lodging facility: ______________ _ 

Please see the a!f.ached document 

2 
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21. WAL IlXP1iNSES FOR §AeR PARTICIPANT: 

o actIlaIlIIIOUllIo ToIaI~ Tolal Lodging Eapeme& Total MtIOl &peoaes p"" 

. : Iikood faillt estimaIes Participant Ipcr~ Par!iciDant 

For each M."ll.,., 

Offu:ct, or employee $3,300.50 $1970.00 $850.00 

For each accompanying 

fium1y I!IeIIlber 

~= Identify Specific NaIIW of"Olhet' Expcnsea (e.g •• 1lalti.~1I. ..... ~) 

For each Member. 

Officer, or emplo}'ee iWJo·OO Taxi fare, en!mnce fee, security, inIerpIIIter fees, etc. 

For each a=mponyfng 

llunily tnember 

-

22. I represent thatreimbttmement fOrmisc:elltmeoustravel expense.! lOrlbe trip, auchas trawl \0 and fromaixports, 

security costs, ~ fees. visa "I'l'1icatioR Iiiea, and aimilar el!peDSe3, wiIJ bo lOr aclual COllIs incuxred and 

are nee""",,,,>, for 1lHo purpoee of the Irlp (~ }tesH by chectmg box): eJ 

21. I certilY that 1lHo infunnafion cootafned in 1his form b !me, eompleto, and correct 10 the best of my Icnowledge. 

Signature: ~ /I. k-_______ _ 

N ..... andIitleJ ~ HoImee 

Otgallization: American-Turtlsh Council 

Addn!ss: 1111141h Street N.W., SUite.'~50_, W_ashlngI __ Gn_,_o_.C_. _20005 ___________ _ 

T~~~~: _~_2_~_~~ ... ~ _______________________________ __ 

Fu~ _202 __ ~_~_re __ 11__________________________________ _ 

Email Address: ~lhe-etc.org 

The Committee Slaffmay contact the above indiridual above If additional infonnation Ie requin:d. 

If there ate any questions tegarding au. form pi ..... eontacl the Committee at the following addn!ss: 

Committee 00 S1andards ofOf!icial Conduct 

U.S.lfousc ofRJ:pre.tontatives 

Kr-2, The Capiro) 

Washington. DC 20515 

(202) 225-7103 (phone) 

(202) 225-7392 (general tax) 

(202) 226-7112 (tax lOr travel approvals) 
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ATC-Tef Congressional Staff Trip to TUrkey 2-10 August,. 2008 Program &. Details 

American-Turkish Coundl Congressional Staff Visit to Turkey 

Qbfectiyes for Congressional Staffers • Promote and enhance the U.S. -Turkey relationship. 

• Engage in dialogue with Senior Turkish government officials, U.S. Embassy 

representatives, NGOs, and Turkish business executives. 

• Experience the heritage, landscape and overall cultural richness ofTurkey. 

• Observe first-hand the workings of the Turkish business community and government. 

• Understand the political, cultural and social dynamics of Turkey and its region. 

• Gain valuable information and insight from the Turkish media. 

Overview of Potential Briefing ToPics 

li> Strengths and weaknesses of Turkey's current economic and political 

situation. 

li> International issues central to Turkish foreign relations 

o The war in Iraq and Afghanistan and implications for the 

surrounding region 

o Turkey/Iran relations 

o Turkey's EU accession process 

o Turkey's rote in NATO and with its neighbors 

o caucasus, including Turkey/Armenian relations. 

o U.S.-Turkey cooperation against terrorism in the region. 

o Turkey's role in the rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

o Cyprus and the continued isolation of Turkish Cypriots 

li> Areas of economic and political bilateral relations between the U.s. and 

Turkey 

o Defense and Security Affairs 

o Construction and Energy Security 

o Foreign Direct Investment 

o Pharmaceuticals 

o Agribusiness and Food Industries 

o Banking and Rnance 

o Health 

o Information Technology and Teterommunications 

o Turkish Export Market 

o Si-lateral Trade Promotion 

» Turtdsh Govemment Issues 

o Constitutional Court case o Secularism versus democracy 

o Management of Kurdish issues 

Meetings with TurkIsh Government OfficialS 

• Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Other OfficIals of the Ministry 

• Defense procurement issues with Undersecretary for National Defense (SSM) • local and Munidpal Government leaders 

.• Parliamentarians 
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ATe-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program" Details 

Names and tiUes of each Invitee and the reason for their selection (question 5 on 

both Senate and House form): 

House: 

Mr. Lawrence J. Halloran 

Minority Staff Director 

House Committee on Oversight 

Ms. Helen Hardin 

Chief of Staff 

Office of Representative lach Wamp «R-3"' TN) 

Mr. Kenneth Kraft 

Deputy Chief of Staff and Appropriations Counsel 

Office of Representative DaVid L Hobson (R-J'h OH) 

Mr. Sean O'Brien 

Legislative Director 

Office of Representative Heath Shuler (D-l1th NC) 

Mr. Walter Gozales 

Senior Policy Advisor 

Office of Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (0-2nd MO) 

Senate: 

Mr. Paul Kong 

Legislative Director 

Office of Senainr Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 

Mr. Garrett Eucalitto 

Deputy foreign Policy Legislative Assistant 

OffICe of Senainr Joseph Ueberman (Indepenclent-cT) 

Invited staffers are selected according in one or several of the following: 

• Staffers from the Congressional offices of the members of The Caucus on U.S.-Turkish 

Relations and Turkish Americans 

• Offices of Representatives and Senarors who follow issues with regards to Turkey and 

the region and let us know of their interest 

• Names of Interested parties are given in us by our membership 

• Word-of-mouth recommendations from past trip participants from the House and Senate 

• A balanced group of both Democratic and Republican offices are given opportunities in 

send Staff members on these trips 

2 
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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turitey 2-10 August.. 2008 Program It Details 

Description of each Sponsor organizing the trip and their interest: in the purpose of 

the trip (questions 12 and 13 on both senate and House forms): 

American-Turkish Council each year selects group of Congressional Staffers who are invited to 

visit Turkey. This is an educational trip that combines meetings with top-level Government of 

Turkey and parliamentarians, U.S. Embassy and Consulate offidals, NOOs, and opportunities to 

visit some of the outstanding historical and cultural sights of the country. This trip also gives ATe 

an opportunity to show the achievements of Member US companies within Turicey such as power 

plants, factories, heaithcare and educational facilities, joint ventures and other businesses. This 

is the eieventh year that the ATe is organizing this trip. 

American-Turkish COUgdl; (A non-profit organization, Is exempt from federal income taxation 

under Section 501 @6 of the Intemal Revenue Code. Dues, contributions, or gifts to An::-are not 

tax deductible as cflaritable contributions. However, they may be tax deductible as ordinary and 

nea!SSi1ry business expenses to the extent such contributtons are not applied for the purposes of 

influend/1g legislation as that tenn Is defined under the Intemal Revenue Code.) 

As one of the leading business assodations in the United States, American Turicish Council (ATC) 

is dedicated to strengthening US-Turkish relations through the promotion of commercial, 

defense, technology and cultural relations. Its diverse membership includes Fortune 500, US and 

Turicish companies, multinationals, nonprofit organizations and individuals with an interest in USTuricish relations. Guided by member interests, ATC Strives to enhance the growing ties between 

the US and Turkey by initiating and fadlitating efforts to increase investment and trade between 

the two countries. 

GOALS OF AMERICAN TURKISH COUNCIL 

• To help resolve problems and disputes that affect US-Turkish commercial, defense and cuitural 

relations. 

• To encourage trade and investment between the United States and Turkey. 

• To educate the public and private sectors on the importance of the strategic alliance between 

the United States and Turicey. 

• To Increase the' understanding and appreciation of the history, culture and traditions of the 

United States and Turkey. 

• To promote awareness of US-Turkish issues.To facilitate dialogue between the government 

agencies of both Turkey and the United States and the private sector. 

Turkish Coalition of America: 

The Turkish Coalition of America (TeA) Is an educational, charitable organiZation incorporated in 

February 2007. Based in Washington, D.C. , TCA's objectives are to: 

• Educate the general public about Turkey and Turkish Americans and voice their opinion 

on critical Issues to Interested parties. 

• Engage and cultivate a new generation of young politically activeTurkish American 

leaders. 

• Promote and advance the interests of the Turkish American community and Turks. 

• Foster friendship, understanding and cooperation between the United States and Turicey. 

• Protect the character and ensure a realistic portrayal of Turkey and Turkish Americans In 

the media and the arts. 

• Serve as a think tank of expertise and a clearinghouse of information on Turicey and 

Americans of Turkish descent 

3 
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ATC-TCF Congressional staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program II< Details 

• Identify and recngnize the achievements of Turkish Americans in academia, arts, 

business, education, government, public service and science. 

In carrying out its mission, TCA is committed to building coalitions and working with all like 

minded organizations, based on shared values and goals, at local, Slate and national levels 

through the sponsorship and organization of : 

• Educational programs on Turkish American issues, Turkish heritage and Turkey. 

• Civic consciousness seminars on issues affecting Turkish Americans and the importance 

for Turkish Americans being involved in the political process. 

• Scholarships and Intemship programs for Turkish Americans interested in political 

scienoe, public administration and communication. 

• Dissemination of news about the activities and achievements of Turkish Americans and 

the Turkish Amerfcan perspective on critical issues. 

• Educational and cultural tours of Turl<ey and the United Slates. 

• Sister city relationships between Turkish and American dOes. 

Reason for selecting the location of the trip (Question 17 on House form and 18 on 

senate form): 

Every year the trip encompasses the capital city of Ankara where meetings with the Government 

and Military offICials are conducted, and ISlanbul for the NGO and business communities. In 

order to give Slaff members opportunity to see some of the vast diversity and cultural richness of 

Turkey and the delegation visits a third location in the country. This year we've chosen the 

antique dty of Patara, which has a unique historical relationship to the United States and is 

important for modem Turkey for its environmental activism and as a region rich in agriculture 

and land development. 

Name of hotel or other lodging fadlity (Question 18 on the House and 19 on the 

Senate form) 

Whenever possible ATC uses faalities owned or operated by ATC's members, as is the case with 

the Hyatt Hotel in ISlanbuf. It is the aim of ATC and TCA to make sure that the visitors return 

home with positiVe impressions. Proper and affordable lodging within the rllTlits set by the USG's 

ll!lr Qklm Slandards, creates a positive impression. 

4 
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ATe-TeF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program &- Details 

ATe/TCA CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TRIP DAILY PROGRAM 

(2-10 AUGUST, 2008) 

Saturday August 2, 2008 

17:23 Depart Dulles for Frankfurt on LH 9051 

SUnday August 3, 2008 

07: 10 Arrive In Frankfurt 

09: 15 Depart Frankfurt for Istanbul on LH 3340 

13:00 Arrive in Istanbul 

13:30 Depart Istanbul Airport for Kaliye Museum 

14:30 - 15:30 Arrive at and visit the Kaliye Museum 

15:30 Depart Kaliye for SUleymaniye Mosque 

15:45 - 16:30 Tour of the SUleymaniye Mosque 

15;15 Depart SUieymaniye for the Hotel 

16:00 Oleck into the Hotel 

19:00 Depart Hotel for Dinner 

19:30 Dinner at Nisantasl With ATe members and representatives of the 

Business Community 

ISTANBUL: 

A city that straddles both Europe and Asia, Istanbul, for nearly two millenia has been a 

symbol of greatness, coveted by empire builders from Xerxes through the Entente States duling 

World War I, and the Soviet Union, which Insisted after World War r on free passage through the 

Bosphorus Straits. Today, a decades old diplomatic compromise assures foreign commerce free 

passage as hundreds of ships each day, sometimes oversized and hazardous, stream up and 

down this epic waterway. 

The traditions inherited from 2,500 years of history are most evident in the Old City, 

known as Old Stamboul or 5ultanahmet. A stroll through this historic peninsula will reveal 

ancient Roman hippodromes, peristyles, and aqueducts, the greatest excesses of the Byzantine 

Empire, the mystique and power of the ottoman Empire, and the dubious sales tactics used by 

the city's self-made entrepreneurs, As a religious center (heart of the Greek Orthodox Church as 

weil as the Islamic faith for centuries), Istanbul is the custodian of one of the world's most 

important cultural heritages and home to some of the world's most opulent displays of art and 

wealth. Early Greek civilization left us the building blocks for Rome and Byzantium, which 

swathed these earlier foundations In rich mosaics and left its mark in monuments such as the 

Hippodrome and Ayarofya. Even Fatih Mehmet n was astounded at the beauty of the dty he 

finally conquered. The Ottoman dynasty redirected the city's fortunes into the imperial majesty 

of undulating domes and commanding minarets, the Incomparabie Blue Mosque and the 

sumptuousness of Topkapi Palace. 

Across the Golden Hom is the modem heart of the city, heir to the future of the country, 

vibrant With all the eIecbicity of a cutting-edge international metropolis. Although the political 

capital sits safely in the heartland, this part of Istanbul projects itself into the world as TurKey's 

commercial capital and ambassador of art, entertainment, musiC, and education. Istanbul is so 

exotic, wonderful, complex, and utterly monumental, that once seen, it's impossible to break free 

from its spell 

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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August. 2008 Program 8r. Details 

Monday August 4, 2008 

08:15 Depart Hotel for Breakfast with TCA & TCF 

08:30 Arrive at the Turkish Coalition of America and Turkish Cultural 

08:45 - 09:45 

10:00 -11:00 

11:10 

11:30 -13:30 

Foundation Offices 

Breakfast briefing with TCF & TCA Chainnan & OffICel'S 

Meeting with NGO's 

Depart Meeting for leaders of the minority community at Zeyrekhane 

Meeting with Leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Annenian Communities & 

lunch 

MINOIUTY COMMUNITIES IN TURKEY: 

The Empire of the Ocddeot had ancient Rome as the capital, while the Eastern Roman 

Empire, kept Constantinople as its capital. Western Rome did not survive this partitIOn for a long 

time and the barbarians (Francs, Goths, lombardic, Nonnan) used the weakness of the 

Westerners, to invade all territolY and to enter Rome In 476. Roman Empire limited itself to its 

Eastern part, induding the territories of the south of the Balkans, Southern Italy and SidIy, the 

north of Africa Induding Tripolitaine, the Near East with Syria and Mesopotamia. In spite of the 

wars of succession, collapses of small regional States, the plagues, Eastern Roman Empire 

remained intact until 1453, the date when the Ottomans invaded Constantinople and put an end 

to the empire of the millennium. When COnstantine moved the capital, he also deported a part of 

the population of Rome. The Latin language prevailed in the administration, In the court and In 

the middle classes, while Greek was spoken by the majority population of the city, the Balkans 

and AsIa Minor. The capital had the name of New-Rome, in the course of the centuries, the Latin 

language disappeared replaced by Greek and the city was named Constantinople, after its 

founder, Constantine. Empire was mUIti-ethn!c, just as the capital, but the Greek language 

remained as the only administrative language used by almost all the population until 1453. 

Constantinople remained as the capital of powerful Ottoman empire until the fonnation 

of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. The population of the Empire did not change radically, and the 

Greek language was still widely spread beside Slavic and Turkish. Islam had made its appearance 

at the end of the XIth century, but Christianity held on strong until the territories of Ottoman 

Empfre from the Arab countries of North Africa to the East of the Caucuses began converting to 

Islam. Multi-ethnicity and multi-religions were therefore two main characteristics of the Empire, 

from its creation and till its end in 1923. To manage this cosmopolitan population, Sultan Mehmet 

II gave statutes to four main nations of his empire. These statutes, which had only religious 

bases, envisaged a broad autonomy In the administration of communities. The Muslims fell 

directly under the authority of the sultan, himself admitted by the miiftii (religious authority), 

who also had the possibility of displacing the sultan; the Orthodox Christians had a leader and 

representative of the community, the Greek Patriarch who assembled in the Feller (Phanar) 

<f1Sl:r!ct of Constantinople; the Gregorian Christians had their own patriarchy, first established in 

the district of Samatya, then in Kumkapf. Finally, all Jews were under the authority of the Big 

Ottoman Rabbinate, which assembled in the district of Balat. Every community kept its 

institutions and its particular language: Turkish - Ottoman for the Muslims, Greek for the 

Orthodoxes, Armenian for the Gregorian, and Judaeo-Spanish for the Jews (also known as 

ladino), from 1492 onwards. Later, other "nations" were admitted by the Ottoman State. The 

Ottoman system of "nations", allowed the Romans to keep Greek language and orthodox 

Christian religion. It is noted by historian today that if it had not been for this particular system, 

the Greek language would have the same fate as that of Latin, and would have disappeared. 

6 
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ATC-TCF Congressional staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program &: Details 

In 1829-30, the PeIoponnese declared independence, which later became the Kingdom of 

Greece. Always supported by Russia and the Balkan States, this small kingdom several times 

went to war against the Ottoman Empire which, under threats of the foreign powers, left large 

terTitories between 1876 and 1912 (Thessalle, Epire of the South, Macedonia, Western Thrace 

and Crete). However, the last Greek offensive against the Empire was a disaster. Indeed, after 

Ottoman defeat in the conflict of 1914-18, the imperiarlSl: annles (England, France, Italy) 

occupied all of the Ottoman territories, with the aim of distributing it among themselves. Greece, 

with the downstream part of Great Britain, had annexed the oriental Thrace to Silivri (to 40 kin of 

the capital), but especially the city of Smyme (Izmir) and the neighbouring provinces. 

Encouraged by the orthodox populations of the region, the Greek anny attacked the rest of the 

Asia Minor and fought with the Turkish revolutionary anny. Defeat was drsasterous for the 

Greeks, who were deriven out of Izmir by the Turks. In 1922 Greece signed the capitulation and 

in 1923, Greece and the Turkfsh Republic signed the Treaty of Lausanne, which determined the 

borders of the new Turkfsh State and Greece. This was followed by an exchange of populations. 

The Greeks of Muslim origin let Greece, while Greek population of Anatolia and Thrace returned 

to Greece. This exchange of population between both countries, dfsplaced a total of two million 

Greeks, with miUions of Muslims of the caucasus and the Balkans, who took refuge in the new 

Turkish Republic. Since 1923, the Greeks of Turkfsh nationality together with the other minorities 

living In Turkey, benefit from a spedfic status, which allows them to keep their culture, language, 

schools, and religious institutions. This status admitted by the Treaty of Lausanne, is based on 

the Ottoman system of "nations". 

Throughout history, hundreds, thousands, millions of people lived in Anatolla, the present 

day Turkey. At times, their existence was marked by battles, and at others, peace reigned. The 

Annenians were among the inhabitants of this rich and vast area, which over the centuries was 

ruled by the Persians, Macedonians, Seljuks, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs. When the Turks 

gained sovereignty over Anatolia, in 1071, fighting gradually diminished and Byzantine 

persecution left its place to the just, tolerant, humanitarian and unifying beliefs and traditions of 

the 5eljuks. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who put an end to Byzantine rule in 1453, allowed 

the foundation of the Annenian Patriarchate, an unprecedented move for the Annenians to whom 

he granted freedom of conscience and faith. The transformation of the Annenian Episcopate In 

Western Anatolia to the Istanbul Patriarchate, following a decree he issued in 1461, is clear 

evidence of the vision and tolerance displayed by Mehmed and of the subsequent Ottoman 

SUltans toward other faiths. 

As a matter of fact, the present day Annenian Patriarch Mesrob II was quoated by 

saying: • We can duly grasp the significance of tolerance between different religions and cultures, 

as well as the value of this incident dating back to 538 years, by taking into account the tensions 

witnessed throughout the world on the threshold of a new millennium, the ongoing wars beyond 

our borl:lers in particular: 

Following the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, Turoo-Annenian relations 

continued excellently until the end of the 19th century. In fact, Annenians were by far, the 

greatest beneficiaries of the opportunities offered by the Ottoman Empire to all industrious, 

efficient, honest and produCtive subjects of the non-muslim communities. Being exempted from 

the military service and to a great extent from taxation, the Annenlans had the opportunity to 

make headway in trade, agriculture, craftsmanship and administration, and by reason of their 

loyalty to the empire, as well as their ability to intennlngle with other subjects, they had duly 

attained the title of 'loyal people' 

Today the Annenians continue to enjoy the ~nations' status given to all the minorities 

during the Ottoman Empire. They are the largest Cllristian minority, over than 100,000, living In 

present day Turkey. 

7 
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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August,. 2008 Program 8t Details 

Of the 25,000 Jews IMng in Turkey, 22,000 of them reside In Istanbul. Most of them are 

ancestors of those expelled from Spain in 1492, and offered a safe haven by the Sultan Mehmet. 

Although they are Orthodox Jews, their practices are a bit different They do not belong to a 

synagogue - only to the Jewish community. Overall, there are seventeen synagogues in Istanbul 

and most of them are still active. The most Important of these are the Neve Salom Synagogue, 

the Askenazi Synagogue, the Ahrida (Ohrida) Synagoue, the Sisli and Ortakoy Synagogues. Jews 

are active in fiNery aspect of Turkish life: education, politics, media, financing, the arts, and trade 

and commerce. 

13:45 

14:30 - 17:30 

17:30 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

22:00 

Depart Zeyrekhane for SUltanahmet 

VISit to the Historfcal sites in Sultanahmet induding the Topkapi Palace, 

Hagia Sophia, Museum of Islamic Art 8< Archeology 

Depart for the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for the Kabatas Dock 

Board boat at Kabatas for dinner with the Business community in 

Istanbul 

Arrive at Kabatas Dock and depart for Hotel 

Tuesday August 5, 2008 

07:30 Check out from Hotel and depart for the US Consulate General 

08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast Meeting with the US Consul General and Officers of the 

09:15 

09:45 - 11:00 

11:10 

11:45 -13:30 

13:30 

14:00 

15:00 

16:00 

ANKARA: 

Consulate 

Depart Consulate for Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control HQ 

Briefing and visit at the BSTC HQ 

Depart BSTC HQ for luncheon meeting with TUSKON Board and 

members at their HQ 

Meeting 8< Lunch at TUSKON (Confederation of Businessmen 8< 

Industrialist) at their Sisli HQ 

Depart TUSKON for the Airport 

Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport 

Depart Istanbul for Ankara on TK 128 

Arrive at Ankara Esenboga Airport 

Ankara lies deep within the heartland, protected and Insulated from uninvited guests. 

Atatiirk chose Ankara as the political capital for his new republic. While Istanbul was the seat of 

an imperial and dissolute empire, he saw Ankara as the clean-slate capital of an entirely new 

Turkish state. In the SO years since Atatiirk rode In on a dirt road and literally lifted Ankara out 

of the ashes, the city has established itself as the political and cultural center of Turkey. 

Ankara is almost exdUSlvely geared toward sustaining aU elements of the national 

government, a wide-ranging population of foreign ambassadors, visiting dignitaries, local 

politicians, and politically minded business enterprises. It also boasts a number of prestigious 

universities and technical COlleges, as well as the largest library in the country. 

Ankara is a center for opera, ballet, jazz, and modem dance, and is home of the 

Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the State Theatre, and the State Opera and Ballet Ankara has 

transfonned from the quiet center of the Turkish Republic to a city of more than three million and 

a hub of non-stop actlvity. The city is bubbling over with new construction, chic restaurants, 

COlYf cafes, and dazzling nightfd'e. 

16:30 

17:30 

19:30 

20:00 - 22:00 

Depart Ankara Airport for Hotel 

Check In to the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Kale Washington Restaurant 

Briefing and Dinner with TABA (Turkish-American Business Association) 

8 
207 


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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August, 2008 Program It Details 

and the Press at Kale Washington 

Wednesday August 6, 2008 

07:45 Breakfast at Hotel 

08:45 Depart Hotel for Anitl<abir 

ATATURK'S MAUSOLEUM - ANlTKABIR 

In an imposing position in the Anittepe quarter of the city stands the Mausoleum of 

Mustafa Kemal AtatOrk, founder of the Tur1dsh Republic. COmpleted in 1953, it represents the 

fusion of ancient and modem architectural ideas and was at its building considered the best of 

modem Turkish architectUre. There is a museum housing a superior statue of Atatiirk, writings, 

letters and other items belonging to Atatiirk, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording 

important moments in his lire and the establishment of the Republic. 

Construction of Anitl<abir commenced on 9 October 1944 With a splendid ceremony by 

laying the first stone of the foundation. Constructlon of Anitkabir took nine years in four stages. 

You will be expected to sign its book of visitors with an appropriate note of respect. 

09:30 - 10:00 

10:00 -10:30 

10:30 

11:00 

12:00 

Wreath laying ceremony and the signing of the Offidal Visitors Book 

Visit the Mausoleum Museum 

Depart Anitl<ablr for the Undersecretariat of Defi!nse Industries (SSM) 

Meeting with Mr. Murad Bayar, Undersecretary of SSM 

Depart SSM for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) 

Since the inception of the Republic, the vision and prindples of the founder of the 

RepubliC, Atatiirk (meaning Father of the Turks, a name given to him by the people), have 

guided Turkish foreign policy and his maxim "peace at home, peace in the worldN continues to 

constitute the fundamental objective of Turkish foreign policy. The Republic of Turkey is now 

represented by 162 missions throughout the world. These missions comprise of 93 Embassies, 11 

Permanent Missions to International organizations, and 58 Consljlate Generals. 

Serving under the leadership of the former Minister for the Economy the 41" Minister of 

Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Ali Babacan, the Turkish Foreign Service consists of 

approximately 90 diplomats who conduct and promote Turkey's international political, economiC 

and cultural relations In its region and beyond. 

For nearly half a century, NATO ally Turkey was a bulwark in NATO's Cold War policy of 

containment against the Soviet Union. While Turkey's reiations with Russia are good today, 

issues throughout Turkey's region rnake it no less important for U.S. foreign and national security 

policy. Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East Peace Initiative, A¢gean Affairs, Syria, Kurdish policy 

and the PKK, the Turkish states of central Asia - all are issues of U.S.-Turkey diplomatic 

discussion and exchange. 

12:30-13:50 

14:00 

14:00 - 15:00 

15:00 

16:00 - 17:00 

17:00-18:00 

18:00 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

luncheon Briefing at the Ministry of ForeIgn Affairs 

Depart MFA for US Embassy 

Briefing at the US Embassy 

Depart Embassy for ASAM (Eurasian Strategic Research center) 

Meeting and Lecture at ASAM on US-Tur1dsh Relations 

Reception 

Depart ASAM for Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner With ATe Corporate Members at TIke Restaurant 

Thursday August 7, 2008 

07: 00 Breakfast & Checkout from Hotel 

07:15 Depart for Ankara Airport 

9 
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ATC-TCF Congressional staff Trip to Turitey 2-10 AugIJ$t,. 2008 Program. Details 

09:00 

10:00 

11:45 

13:05 

13:30 

16:30 

17:00 

19:00 - 21:30 

PATARA: 

Depart Ankara for IsIanbul on TK 113 

Arrive at IsIanbul Airport 

Depart Istanbul on TK 216 to Dalaman 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman for Patara, Kalkan by bus 

Arrive at Patara 

Check In to Hotel 

Dinner with former Congressman Steve Solarz and Dr. Yaldn Ayasti, 

Chairman of TCA and iCF (Turl<ish CUltural Foundation) 

The antique dty of Patara emerged at the tum of the 21st Century thanks to an 

archeological team led by Akdeniz University Professors Fahrl Isik and Havva Iskan Isik. It has a 

unique political relationShip to the United States. Recently the archeological team unearthed an 

ancient parliament building in Patara - the meeting place of the first federal republic In recorded 

human history. Authors of the Federalist papers made at least two spedflc references to the 

Lydan League as an example of the federal structre of government they envisioned for the 

United States. 

The unearthed parliament building, called the Bouleuterlon, housed representatiVes of at 

least twenty-three dty-states of the lydan League, whiCh existed along the Mediterranean mast 

of Turkey from about 167 Be until 400 AD. The archeological team has rescued numerous 

buildings and items from the sand and scrub brush, besides the Bouleuterion parliament building, 

including: a large necropolis; a Roman bath; a sizeable ~iclrcular theater; a sprawling main 

avenue leading to the market square; a Byzantine basl1ica (one of 22 churches once packed into 

Patara); one of the world's oldest lighthouses; and a fortlfied wall. 

Modem-day Patara sports what the London Sunday limes decribes as one of the world's 

best beaches and a nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle, locally known as the Caretta 

Caretta. During the turtle hatching season environmentalists from all around the world, come to 

Patara where the eggs and nesting sites of the Caretta Caretta turtles are protected and 

permanent structures on the mast forbidden. 

Friday August 8, 2008 

08:30 Breakfast at the Hotel 

09:30 Depart Hotel for the lydan City of Patara 

10:30 - 12:30 VIsit and lecture at the site where the Federalists papers originated (see 

attached document desoibing in detail the importance of this site for the 

origins of AmeriCan Democracy) 

12:30 - 13:30 lunch at Patara 

13:30 -14:30 Visit the site where the endangered Loggerhead Turtles lay their eggs 

This project is supported by UNEP &. WWF. 

14:45 Depart Patara to visit Organic Farms and production facilities within the 

region 

15:30 -17:00 

17:00 

19:30 

20:00 - 22:00 

Visit to the Organic Farms 

Depart for Patara 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with the local Municipal authorities 

Saturday August 9, 2008 

08:40 Depart Hotel for !(as (lydan dty of Habesos) 

10:30 Arrive at !(as and visit the ancient ruins of the dty 

12:30 -13:30 lunch at Kale Island Restaurant 

13:30 Depart Kale for Dalaman Airport 

17:45 Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

19:30 Depart Dalarnan Airport for IsIanbul on TK 219 

10 
209 


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ATC-TCF Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey 2-10 August,. 2008 Program 1ft Details 

20:50 

21:15 

Arrive In Istanbul Airport 

Depart Airport for Hotel 

Sunday August 10, 2008 

04:00 Breakfast & OJedrout 

04:15 Depart Hotel for Airport 

05:55 Depart on LH 3345 for Frankfurt 

07:55 Arrive at Frankfurt Airport 

09:55 Depart Frankfurt for DC on LH 416 

13:00 Arrive at Washington Dulles Airport 

11 
210 


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EXHIBIT 2 
211 


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American-Turkish Council 

ill! 14th Street, N.W. 

Suite 1050 

Washington, DC 20005 

G. Lincoln McCurdy 

1025 Connecticut Ave, NW $te 1000 

Washington, DC 20036 

USA 

I P.O. No 

I 

Invoice 

B y: .. !J:::L'::~.?L!. (I;...,>' 

I Terms I Project 

I I Quantity Amount 

--.·--.----~1~2~OO~8~S~ta7.~~~~·1~r'~·p-s~--ns-oc~sh~iP------------------------------~------,~.O~.O~OO-.O-O+------2~O~,OO~O~.O~O~ 

Description Rate 

Invoice ,t 0[2: due immediately 

Total $20,000.00 

Turkish Coalition of America 

I:' 
212 


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American~ Turkish Council 

1111 14th Street, N.W. 

Suite 1050 

Washington, DC 20005 

I O""~ 2008 Staffers: Tl'ip spoflliorship ~- Invoice 2 of2: Due AuguSt 1,2008 

I 

Thank you for your sponsorship. 

Rate 

15.000.00 

Total 

Invoice 

Amount 

15,000.00 

$15,000.00 

Turkish Coalition of Amenta 

Itt 
213 


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EXHIBIT 3 

Insert graphic folio 220 HR176.207sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS

..... 

'" 

'" 

Q 

-i 

o 

J:l> 

1:55PM 

02115113 

Accrual Basis 

Bill 

em 

Bill 

8m 

Bill 

Bill 

BU! 

BlI! Bill Bill Bill 

Bill 

8U1 

Bill 

Bill 

Bill 

Bill Bill 

BiI! 

Bill 

Bill Bill 

aill 

Bill Bill 

Bill 

eill 

Bill 

ell! 

Bil 

Bill Bill Bill 

Bill 

Bill 

Bill 

Bill 

Bill 

B1II 

Bill 

Bill 

Turkish Coalition of America, Inc. 

Profit & Loss Detail 

January 2007 through December 2009 

Type Date Num Name Memo 

7256 • Study Tour to Turkey Grants 

21112008 Community College ." Grant..community College of Philidelphia 

4/812009 Community College .,. Grant·Community College of Philidelphia 

1211112009 Meldan Tanrissl TeA Turkey Faculty 2009 

Tota17256 Study Tour to Turkey Grants 

7275 . Sponsorships 

4/112007 InV#1 .. TASSA Sponsorship ofTASSA 2007 Annual Conference 

4llJ2007 InV#f... American Friends of •.. Contribution for AFOT 25th Gala Dinner 

4/2312007 US House Members ... Sponsorship of Members Dinning 

4123/2007 US House Members ... Sponsorship of Members Dinning 

412512007 Association for Safe ... Contribution for ASIRTs World Dinner 

51212007 USAFMC Program Services of Congressional Study Group on Turkey 

51612007 Istanbul Unv. Alumn.<. Sponsorship of Melungeons Event 

512912007 C ... Sponsorship of Annual Gala Dinner 

612512007 AmericanwTl.lrkish C ... Sponsorship of ATC Programs 

713012007 USAFMC Program Services of Congressional Study Group on Turkey 

1111712007 The George Wash!n •.. Sponsorship for Event of Turkish Student Association 

1/1412008 Istanbul Unv. Alumn." Golden Sponsorship of RConnectlon of Native Americans ,. 1/1712008 American Friends 01... Contribution 

3/4/2008 United Nations Dele •.. Sponsorship for Women for Peace Project 

41112008 USAFMC 4th Annual Statesmanship Award Dinner 

41712008 AmericanwTurkish C ... Sponsorship: of ATC Programs 

41712008 JUMEZUSA Sponsorship.-Desperate Hours 

41712008 TASSA Sponsorship of TASSA 2008 Annual Conference 

6/1012008 ASIRT Gala Evening 2008 

7/112008 Ulduoz Bereniforoush TUSIADrrCA Summer Internship 

7/1012008 American--Turkish C.,. Sponsorship for ATCITCA Congressional Tour 

81112008 AmericanwTurkish C ... Sponsorship for ATCITCA Congressional Tour 

11/12/2008 American Friends of ... Senator Hagel Event 

12/1112008 IUMEZUSA Sponsorship-Ahiska Turks Event 

11912009 484 USAFMC Contribution to USAFMC • Congressional Study Group on, .. 

2118/2009 501 USAFMC ContIibution to USAFMC - Congressional Study Group on •.. 

311112009 527 USAFMC Congressional Study Group to Turkey 

412012009 lUMEZUSA Korean War Vets Event 

5/2812009 Azerbaijan America ... Pax Turcica Conference 

6/312009 ASIRT Gala Evening 2009 

8/3/2009 CIEE Study Abroad Conference 

9/812009 Congressional Hisp ..• Sodal Event 

912812009 Howard University J ... TCA Event-Music Entertainment 

10/13/2009 Turk of America, Inc. Sponsorship 10/1912009 IUMEZUSA Donation for Mary Taschi 

11/1312009 IUMEZUSA Sponsorship 

1112712009 Azerbaijan Society ." JewishfTurkic Event 

1212112009 IUMEZUSA Ataturk Conference 

Total 7275 . Sponsorships 

Amount 

2,000.00 

3,000.00 

1,236.28 

6,236.28 

1,000.00 

5,000.00 

180.72 

55.10 

400.00 

40,000.00 

450.00 

5,000.00 

6,500.00 

66,000.00 

500.00 

3,000.00 

250.00 

250.00 

10,000,00 

6,000.00 

2,500.00 

5,000.00 

500.00 

750,00 

20,000.00 

15,000,00 

3,000.00 

4,000.00 

15,000.00 15,000.00 13,000.00 

3,000.00 

4,000.00 

500.00 

1,000.00 

250.00 

800.00 

10,000.00 

3,000.00 3,000.00 

4,000.00 

5,000.00 

272,686.82 

Balance 

2,0

5,06,26,2

1,0

6,06,1

6,26,6

46,547,0

52,0

58.5

124,5

125,0128.0

128,3

128,5

138,5144,5

147,0

152,0

152,5153,3

173,3

188,3

191,3195,3

210,3

225,3

238,3

241,3245,3245,8248,8

247,0247,6257,6260,6

263,6

267,6

272,6

Turkish Coatilian of America IS 

p!h'1"""''''\!. 
215 


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EXHIBIT 4 
216 


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Insert graphic folio 223 HR176.210sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS

N 

IW 

o 

o 

W 

o 

I: 

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Congressional Siaff Trip 200$ 

Budget for 8 Staffefs 

VerSIOnS 

Cabs & I'arking 

C:H<'ring and Ml'a!::; 

Gifts 

!lo({'is Totals 

1I.Ii$(', 

Postage <lnd Couri(,f 

Printing llnd Graphk Design 

Supplies 

'!'eh'phollt" 

BusC's 

Transportation Tota! Tlltal E"pe!1st' 

!:::'1'- Al'-!E>PATA};'i\ ,t50fWO 

for Staff(,fS and ;\ TC Staff as we!! as 

tJ.OOO.OO 

300.00 governm<.>J1t officials and others hosts 

Tips for Drivers, Waite-rs, Hotel Seryice StalL Guid€' Fees, Museum Entrance 

___ ',-,50",_",00"-. Postage (or invitations, ('ourier to pick up !Jtaift'r p<Issports 

__ -,6"",X)""".OO"-. Designing and Printing the Programs for Staffers and Sponsors 

___ Office supplies 

GOO.OO 

pt'f Tlckl:'l 

-1.675.00 

21.904.00 

6:"175(10 

20f4 
218 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 224 HR176.211

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sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 226 HR176.213

EXHIBIT 5 
221 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 227 HR176.214

ATC_0215 

13-S1~3_00~ 
222 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 228 HR176.215

000126 

CORPORATE SPONSOR 

TURKISH 

t (},,\ft, 11 itH\J II)! 

AMERICA 

, hM't~'NIJtJ IIl1dr'J~.ff:tluli"tiJ el',:::r;flVit-:4t 

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS 
223 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 229 HR176.216

r~l[' A ~\ f RIC :\ N 

T U R K I \ II 

C U U i\: C I I 

000127 

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224 


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000128 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Trip Program Summary 

Objectives & Topics 

Delegation List 

Daily Programs 

Saturday. August 2, 2008 

Sunday, August 3, 2008 

Monday, August 4, 2008 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 

Wednesday, August 6. 2008 

Thursday. August 7. 2008 

Friday. August 8, 2008 

Saturday. August 9, 2008 

Sunday. August 10. 2008 

Hotel & Contact Information 

Delegation Biographies 

About American Turkish Council (ATC) 

Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) 

plO 

plO 

plO 

p16 

plB 

p20 

p21 

p21 

p22 

p04 

pOB 

p09 

pIO 

p23 

p24 

p34 

p36 

The Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkish Relations & Turkish Americans p37 

ATC Member Company Briefs p39 

Articles & Other Information p45 

Turkey in 2008: The U.S" the EU and the Future 

Turkish Economy Brief 

Today's Zaman Article 

p45 

pSI 

p52 

Brief Defense 0- Security Aff. Perspective on US. -Turkish Relations p53 

Information about Patara 0- the Federalist Papers 

Agriculture Trade Statistics 

INDEX 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

p57 

p65 

pSO 
225 


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TRIP PROGRAM SUMMARY 

Saturday, August 2, 2008 

20:00 

21:54 

Meet at the United Airlines International Flight Desk at Dulles Airport 

Depart Washington Dulles Airport for Frankfurt on LH 9253 

Sunday,August3,2008 

11:45 

13:20 

16:55 

17:20 

18:15 

19:30 

20:00 

Arrive at Frankfurt Rhein Main Airport 

Depart Frankfurt for Istanbul on LH 3342 

Arrive at istanbul AtatUrk Airport 

Depart Airport for the Hyatt Hotel 

Check into the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner at Anemon Restaurant in Galata 

Monday, August 4, 2008 

08:15 

08:30 

08:45 - 09:45 

10:00 - II :00 

11:10 

11:30 - 13:30 

13:45 - 14:10 

14:15 

14:30 - 17:30 

17:30 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

22:00 

Depart Hotel for Breakfast with Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) and 

Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) 

Arrive at the TCA & TCF Offices 

Breakfast briefing with TCF & TCA Chairman & Officers 

Meeting with NGO's at TCF 

Depart TCA for meeting with the leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian 

Minority Communities 

Meeting with Leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian Communities & 

Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif 

Visit Kariye Museum 

Depart Kariye for Sultanahmet 

Visit to historical sites in Sultanahmet including the Topkapl Palace, 

Hagi. Sophia, Museum of Islamic Art & Archeology and the Grand Bazaar 

Depart for the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with the Business Community in lstanhul Hosted hy 

Turkish-American Business Association (TABA ) 

Depart for the Hotel 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 

07:30 Check out from Hotel and Depart for the U.S. Consulate General 

08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast Meeting with the U.S. Consul General & Officers of the COllsulate 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
226 


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09:15 

09:45 - 11:00 

11:00 

12:00 - 13:30 

13:30 

14:00 

15:00 

16:00 

16:30 

17:30 

19:30 

20:00 

Depart Consulate for Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control HQ (BSTC) 

Briefing and Visit at the BSTC HQ 

000130 

Depart BSTC HQ for Luncheon Meeting with Confederation of 

Businessmen & Industrialists (TUSKON) Board and Members at their HQ 

Meeting & Lunch at TUSKON at their Si~li HQ 

Depart TUSKON for the Airport 

Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport 

Depart Istanbul for Ankara on TK 128 

Arrive at Ankara Esenboga Airport 

Depart Ankara Airport for Mega Residence Hotel 

Hotel check-in 

Depart Hotel for Kale <;:engelhan Restaurant 

Briefing and Dinner with the Press hosted by Turkish-American 

Business Association (TABA) at Kale «engelhan Restaurant 

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 

07:30 Depart Hotel for the us. Ambassador's Residence 

07:45 - 09:00 

09:00 

09:30 - 10:30 

10:30 - 11 :30 

11:45 

12:15 - 13:50 

13:50 

14:30 

15:30 

16:00 - 17:00 

17:00 - 18:00 

18:00 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Breakfast Briefing with Ambassador Ross Wilson and the us. Embassy 

Officials at the Residence 

Depart Residence for Anltkabir 

Wreath Laying Ceremony and the Signing of the Official Visitors Book 

Visit the Mausoleum Museum 

Depart Anltkabir for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 

Luncheon Briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Depart the MFA for Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) 

Meeting with Mr. ismail Tohumcu, Deputy Undersecretary of 

National Defense (SSM) 

Depart SSM for Eurasian Strategic Research Center (ASAM) 

Meeting and Roundtable discussion at ASAM on US.-Turkish Relations 

with Government Officials and the Academia 

Reception at ASAM 

Depart ASAM for Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Trilye Restaurant 

Dinner with ATe Corporate Members at TrUye Restaurant hosted by NTP 

Construction 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
227 


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Thursday, August 7, 2008 

07:00 Breakfast & Checkout from the Hotel 

07:15 

09:00 

10:00 

11:45 

13:05 

13:30 

16:30 

17:00 

19:00 - 21:30 

Depart Hotel for Ankara Airport 

Depart Ankara for istanbul on TK 113 

Arrive at istanbul Airport 

Depart lstanbul on TK 216 to Dalaman 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman for Patara. Kalkan by Bus 

Arrive at Kalkan 

Check in to Patara Princess Hotel 

Dinner with the delegation at the Marina 

Friday, August 8, 2008 

08:30 - 09:30 Breakfast at the Hotel 

09:30 

10:30 - 12:30 

12:30 - 13:30 

\3:30 - 14:30 

14:45 

15:30 - 17;00 

17:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Depart Hotel for Patara Excavation Site 

Visit and Lecture at the Site of Ancient Patara 

(a Member of the Lydan League) 

Lunch at Patara 

Visit UNEP & WWF project for Endangered Loggerhead Turtles 

Depart Patara to Visit Organic Farms 

Visit to the Organic Farms and Production Facilities 

Depart for the Hotel 

Reception and Dinner with the Local Municipal Authorities at the Hotel 

Saturday, August 9, 2008 

08:30 - 09:30 Breakfast Meeting with Former Congressman Steve Solarz and 

Dr. Yal,m Ayash 

09:45 Depart Hotel for Ka!i (Lydan city of Habesosl 

10:30 

12:30 - 13:30 

13:30 

17:45 

19:30 

20:50 

21:15 

Arrive at Ka~ and visit the Ancient Ruins of Kekova 

Lunch at Kale Island Restaurant 

Depart Kale for Dalaman Airport 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalaman Airport for Istanbul on TK 219 

Arrive in istanbul Airport 

Depart Airport for Hotel 

000131 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
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Sunday, August 10, 2008 

04:00 Breakfast 8< Checkout 

04:15 

05:55 

07:55 

09:55 

13:00 

NOTES 

Depart Hotel for Airport 

Depart on LH 3345 for Frankfurt 

Arrive at Frankfurt Airport 

Depart Frankfurt for DC on LH 416 

Arrive at Washington Dulles Airport 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

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OBJECTIVES and TOPICS 

Objectives for Congressional Staffers 

Promote and enbance the U.S.-Turkey relationship. 

Engage in dialogue with Senior '!urkish government officials, U.S. Embassy representatives, 

NGOs, and Turkish business executives. 

Experience the heritage. landscape and overall cultural richness of Turkey. 

Observe first-hand the workings of the Turkish business community and government. 

Understand the political, cultural and social dynamics of Turkey and its region. 

Gain valuable information and insight from the Turkish media. 

Overview of Potential Briefing Topics 

Strengths and weaknesses of Turkey's current economic and political situation 

International issues central to Turkish foreign relations 

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan and implications for the surrounding region 

Turkey/Iran relations 

Turkey's EU accession process 

Turkey's role in NATO and with its neighbors 

Caucasus, including Turkey! Armenian relations. 

U.S.-Turkey cooperation against terrorism in the region. 

Turkey's role in the rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Cyprus and the continued isolation of Turkish Cypriots 

Areas of economic and political bilateral relations between the U.S. and Turkey 

» Defense and Security Atfairs 

» Construction and Energy Security 

» Foreign Direct Investment 

Pharmaceuticals 

Agribusiness and Food Industries 

Banking and Finance 

Health 

Information Technology and Telecommunications 

Turkish Export Market 

» Bilateral Trade Promotion 

Turkish Government Issues 

Constitutional Court Case to ban the AKP 

Secularism versus democracy 

Management of Kurdish issues 

» Ergenekon indictments 

Meetings with Turkish Government Officials 

Unders",relary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & other Officials of the Minis!f)' 

Defense procurement issues with Undersecretary for National Defense (SSM) 

Local and Municipal Government Leaders 

Parliamentarians 

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Gril .o~l..'14 Ul\;rIUr.N I. 

DELEGATION LIST 

U.S. House of Representatives: 

Mr. Walter GOn1.ales 

Senior Policy Advisor, Office 0/ Represelltative C. A "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-2nd MD) 

Mr. Lawrence J. Halloran 

Minority Staff Director. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

Ms. Helen Hardin 

Cltief of Staff, Office a/Representative Zach Wamp (R-3rd TN) 

Mr. Kenneth Kraft 

Deputy Chief of Staff & Appropr;cUiorls Counsel, Office of Rep. David L. Hobson (R-7th OIl) 

Mr. Sean O'Brien 

Legislative Director, Office of COrlgressman Heath Shuler (D-ll th NC) 

Ms. Ashley Orr 

Legislative Assistant, Office of Congressman Brad Miller (D- 13th NC) 

U.S. Senate: 

Mr. Garett Eucalitto 

Deputy Foreign Policy Legislative Assistant, Office a/Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CN) 

Mr. Paul Kong 

Legislative Director, Office afSenator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 

ATC and TCA Members 

Ms. Canan Buyilldinsal 

Executive Director, American-Turkish Council 

Mr. TaIga Gorgulli 

External Relations Manager, FritoLay Turkey 

Dr. Cengiz lsrafil 

Managing Director, Fi! Finance 

Mr. G. Lincoln McCurdy 

President & CEO, Turkish Coalition 0/ America 

Ms. Ane Sumer 

Directot; Government Affairs & Commercial Programs. American-Turkish Council 

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DAILY PROGRAMS 

Saturday, August 2, 2008 

20:00 Meet at the United Airlines Desk at Dulies Airport 

21 :54 Depart Washington D.C. for Frankfurt on LH 9253 

Sunday, August 3, 2008 

11:45 Arrive at Frankfurt Reihn Main Airport 

13:20 Depart Frankfurt for Istanbul on LH 3342 

16:55 

17:20 

18:15 

19:30 

20:00 

ISTANBUL 

Arrive at lstanbul AtatUrk Airport 

Depart Istanbul Airport for the Hyatt Hotel 

Check into the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner at Anemon Restaurant in Galata 

0001.35 

A city that straddles both Europe and Asia, istanbul for nearly two millennia has been a symbol of greatness. coveted by empire builders from Xerxes through the Entente States during World War l.The Soviet 

Unionatter World War I insisted on free passage through the Bosphorus Straits. Today, a decades-old 

diplomatic compromise assures foreign commerce free passage as hundreds of ships each day, sometimes 

oversized and hazardous, stream up and down this epic W<lterway. 

The traditions inherited from 2,500 years of history are most evident in the Old City, known as Old 

5tamboul or Sultan.hmet. A stroll through this historic peninsula will reveal ancient Roman hippodromes. peristyles. and aqueducts, the greatest excesses of the Byzantine Empire, the mystique and power 

of the Ottoman Empire. and the dubious sales tactics used by the city's selfMmade entrepreneurs. As a 

religious center (heart of the Greek Orthodox Church as well as the Islamic faith for centuries), istanbul 

is the custodian of one of the world's most important cultural heritages and home to some of the world's 

most opulent displays of art and wealth. Early Greek civilization left us the building blocks for Rome 

and Byzantium. which swathed these earlier foundations in rich mosaics and left its mark in monuments 

such as the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. Even Falih Mehmet II was astounded at the beauty of the 

city he finally conquered. 1he Ottoman dynasty redirected the city's fortunes into the imperial majesty of 

undulating domes and commanding minarets, the incomparable Blue Mosque and the sumptuousness of 

Topkapi Palace. 

Across the Golden Horn is the modern heart of the city, heir to the future of the country, vibrant with 

all the electricity of a cutting·edge international metropolis. Although Ankara, the political capital sits 

safel), in the heartland, istanbul projects itself into the world a. Turkey's commercial capital and ambassador of art, entertainment, musk, and education. tstanbul is $0 exotic. wonderful. complex. and utterly 

monumentalrhat once seen, it's impossible to break free from its spell. 

Monday, August 4, 2008 

08: 15 Depart Hotel for Breakfast with Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) and 

Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) 

08:30 Arrive at the TCA & TCF Offices 

08:45 - 09:45 Breakfast briefing with TCF & TCA Chairman Dr. Yal~m Ayash & Officers 

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10:00 - 11:00 

CONFIDENT/AL 

Meeting with NGO's at TCA 

(The representatives of Ihe following NGOs will be at the meeting: Association for 

Supporting and Training Women Candidates-KADER: Women Entrepreneurs 

Association of TlIrkey-KAGIDER; The Turkish Foundation For Combating Soil 

Erasion, For Reforestation And The Protection Of Natural Habilals-1EMA; The 

Mother Child Education Foundation-ACEV and Educational Funds for Elementary 

SclIOOls-lLKYAR) 

000136 

11:10 Depart TCA for meeting with the leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian 

Minority Communities. 

11 :30 - 13:30 

13:45 - 14:10 

14:15 

14:30 - 17:30 

17:30 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

22:00 

Meeting with leaders of the Jewish, Greek & Armenian Communities & 

Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif 

Visit Kariye Museum 

Depart Kariye for Sultanahmet 

Visit to historical sites in Sultanahmet including the Topkapl Palace, 

Hagia Sophia, Museum of Islamic Art & Archeology and the Grand Bazaar 

Depart for the Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Dinner 

Dinner with the Business Community in Istanbul Hosted by 

Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) 

Depart for the Hotel 

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPPORTING AND TRAINING WOMEN CANDIDATES (KA·DER) was 

established in 1997 in Istanbul. Its founders - women activists mainly from academia -. initiated it with 

the objective of empowering and encouraging women to develop strategies for elfective and equal participation in local councils and national parliament; and to be represented on all decision making bodies. 

Currently. KA-DER has over 17 branches in major cities and more than 3000 members. The Ankara 

branch of KA·DER is involved in a wide variety of activities, aims at empowering women in all spheres of 

life and acts as an 'umbrella organization' of the Turkish Platform to the European Women's Lobby. 

EDUCATIONAL FUNDS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (ILKYAR): 

'Ihe roots of lLKYAR lie in the EFES (Educational Funds for Elementary Schools) organization, founded 

by the Turkish Student Association at Princeton University (New Jersey, U.S.A) in 1978, The aim of the 

organization is to stimulate educational activities in rural schools by giving financial support for a basic 

library in these schools. The center of the organization first moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Tcchnology (Boston, MA, U.S.A) and then to Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI, U.S.A). Twenty 

years after its original establishment, in 1998, EFES was re-founded in Turkey with the name lLKYAR 

(Aid Foundation for Elementary Schools), 

Vision 

Not to leave any village school or Y!BO (nick for the elementary level boarding school) unvisited by 

lLKYAR. 

Mission 

To create opportunities lor students in rural and underdeveloped areaS to commit themselves to their 

education. 

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Goals 

Help the students in rural areas gain motivation for continuing their educatiou. 

Leave no village schools without books. 

Organize programs for teachers working in rural areas. 

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION OF TURKEY (KAGIDER): 

000137 

KAGlDER was chartered in September 2002 as a non-profit and non.governmental organization by 37 

prominent Turkish female entrepreneurs. It has grown steadily over the past three years as other successful businesswomen have joined its ranks. Today it bas 172 members from various sectors, including textile, communication, human resources, tourism, chemicals, mining and health. Kagider strives to develop 

women entrepreneurship, to empower women in economic and social lite, and envisions a world where 

women are effective in all decision making processes by producing and expressing their 'self freely. 

The main programs of Kagider are the Women Entrepreneurs Development Program, the Women's Fund, 

and Women's Way to Europe. KAGIDER puts great emphasis on lobbying activities; publishes statements, provides policy recommendations to the state. public and private institutions to make women's 

voice heard, to foster gender equality and to better women's starus in general. It is a member of many 

international organizations including World Women Entrepreneurs Association (FCEM), European 

Women l.obby (EWL), Mediterranean Business Women Association (AFAEMME), and Balkan Regional 

Coalition of Women Business Associations. 

THE TURKISH FOUNDATION FOR COMBATING SOIL EROSION. FOR REFORESTATION. 

AND THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL HABITATS (TEMA): 

'Ihe TE.\1A Foundation ('Ihc 'Iurkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion. for Reforestation and the 

Protection of Natural Habitats) was founded in 1992 by two Turkish businessmen, Hayrettin Karac., who 

established the first Arboretum in Turkey and Nihat Gfikyigit, winner of the UN Environment Award. 

Since then it has grown to a large NGO. 

Gokyigit highlighted in a 1992 interview that the richness and riches in the soil that is lost every year in 

Turkey is equal to the country's budget, and carelessly letting the environment deteriorate is inconsistent 

with patriotism 

THE MOTHER CHILD EDUCATION FOUNDATION (ACEV): 

The Mother Child Education Foundation (A<;EV). was founded in 1993 through the initiative of found· 

ing president Ay~en Ozyegin, and in light of the scientific research of prof. Dr. <;igdem Kagt,lb~1 and 

Prof. Dr. Sevda Bckman. A(;EV's mission is to makc a lasting contribution to society and to improve the 

quality of individual's lives through education. Tn its two main areas of expertise. early childhood and 

adult education, AC:;:EV develops and implements various training programs and projects both within 

Turkey and abroad. 

A<;EV is guided by three fundamental beliefs: 

• equal opportunity in education for all, 

• learning is a lifelong process that must begin in early childhood 

• the child as well as hislher immediate caregivers must be educated and supported, 

Since 1993, A<;EV has been working to: 

• increase public awareness aboutlhc importance of early childhood education, 

• increase implementation of its training programs in order to reach more beneficiarie~ 

• locus on research and development of new projects. methods and models, 

• increase collaboration with both local and international NGO·s. the slate and the private sector 

• be a reference institution in policy constitution and strategy development about early childhood. 

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MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN TURKEY: 

The Empire of the Occident had ancient Rome as the capital. while the Eastern Roman Empire kept Constantinople as its capital. Western Rome did not survive this partition for long and barbarians (Francs. 

Goths. Lombards. and Normans) used the weakness of the Westerners to invade and to enter Roman territory in 476. The Roman Empire limited itself to its Eastern part. including the territories of the south of 

the Baikans. Southern Italy and Sicily. the north of Africa including Tripolitaine. the Near East with Syria 

and Mesopotamia. In spite of the wars of succession. collapses of small regionai States. and plagues. the 

Eastern Roman Empire remained intact until 1453. the date when the Ottomans invaded Constantinople 

and put an end to the empire of the millennium. When Constantine moved the capital. he also deported 

a part of the population of Rome. The Latin language prevailed in the administration. in the court. and 

in the middle classes. while Greek was spoken by tbe majority population of the city. the Balkans. and 

Asia Minor. The capital bad the name of New-Rome. in the course of the centuries. tbe Latin language 

disappeared replaced by Greek and the cit)' was named Constantinople. after its founder. Constantine. 

Although the empire was multi-ethnic. as was its capital. the Greek language remained as the only administrative language used by almost all the population until 1453. 

Constantinople remained as the capital of powerful Ottoman Empire until the formation of the Republic 

of Turkey in 1923. The population of the Empire did not change radically. and tbe Greek language was 

still widely spoken beside Slavic languages and Turkish. Islam had made its appearance at the end of the 

6th century. but Christianity held on strong until the territories of the Ottoman Empire from the Arab 

countries of North Africa to the East of the Caucusus began converting to Islam. ReligiOUS and ethnic 

diversity were therefore two main characteristics of the Empire. from its creation until its end in 1923. To 

manage this cosmopolitan population. Sultan Mehmet 11 gave st.tutes to four main nations ofh!s empire. 

-lhese statutes. wbicb had only religious bases. envisaged a broad autonomy in the administration of 

communities. The Muslims fen directly under tbe authority of tbe sultan. himself admitted by the mliftu 

(religious authority). who also had the possibility of displacing the sultan; the Orthodox Christians had 

a leader and representative of the community. the Greek Patriarch who assembled in the Fener (Phanar) 

district of Constantinople; the Gregorian Christians had their own patriarchate (or patriarchl. first 

established in the district ofSamatya. then in Kumkapi. Finally, aU lews were uuderlhe authority of the 

Ottoman Rabbinate. which assembled in tbe district of Balat. Every community kept its institutions and 

its particular language: Turkish Ottoman for the Muslims. Greek for the Orthodox. Armenian for the 

Gregorian. and Judaeo-Spanish (also known as Ladino) for the Jews from 1492 onwards. Later other 

"nations' were admitted by the Ottoman State. The Oltoman system of "nations;' allowed the Romans to 

keep the Greek language and Orthodox Christian religion. It is noted by historians today that if it had 

not been for this particular system. the Greek language would have met the same fate as that of Latin. 

and would have disappeared. 

In 1829-30. the Peloponnese declared independence. which later became the Kingdom of Greece. Always supported by Russia and the Balkan States. this small kingdom went to war several times against 

the Ottoman Empire which. under threats of foreign powers, 1eft large territories between 1876 and 1912 

(Thessalie. Epire of tbe South. Macedonia. Western Thrace and Crete). However. the last Greek offensive 

against the Empire was a disaster. Ind«d. after Ottoman defeat in the conOict of 1914-18. the imperialist 

armies (England. France. and Italy) occupied all of the Ottoman territories. with the aim of distributing them among themselves. Greece. with the downstream help of Great Britain, had annexed OdentaJ 

'Ihrace. but especially tbe city ofSmyrna(Izmir) and the neighboring provinces. Encouraged by tbe 

Orthodox populations of the region. the Greek army attacked the rest of the Asia Minor and fought with 

the Turkish revolutionary army. Defeat was disastrous for tbe Greeks. who were driven out of Izmir by 

the Turks. In 1922. Greece surrendered and in 1923. Greece and the Turkish Republic Signed the Treaty 

of Lausanne. which determined the borders of the new Turkish State and Greece. This was followed 

by an exchange of populations. -lhe Greeks of Muslim origin left Greece. while the Greek population 

of Anatolia and Thrace returned to Greece frolll Turkey. This exchange of population between both 

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CONFID[NTIAL 

countries displaced a total of two million Greeks, together with millions of Muslims of the Caucasus and 

the Balkans, who took refuge ill the new Turkish Republic. Since 1923, the Greeks of Turkish nationality together with the other minorities living in Turkey benefit from a specific status, which allows them 

to keep their culture, language, schools, and religious institutions. 1his status admitted by the Treaty of 

Lausanne is based on the Ottoman system of "nations~ 

Over the years, millions of people have lived in Anatolia, presentday Turkey. At times, their existence 

was marked by battles. but at others. peace reigned. The Annenial1s were among the inhabitants of this 

rich and vast area, which over the centuries was ruled by the Persians. Macedonianst Seljuks. Romans, 

Byzantines and Arabs. When the Turks gained sovereignty over Anatolia in 1071, fighting gradually 

diminished and Byzantine persecution gave way to just, tolerant, humanitarian and unifying beliefs and 

traditions of the Seljuks. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who put an end to Byzantine rule in 1453, allowed the foundation of the Armenian Patriarchate, an unprecedented move for the Armenians to whom 

he granted freedom of conscience and faith. The Iran,formation of the Armenian Episcopate in Western 

Anatolia to the Istanbul Patriarchate, follOWing a decree he issued in J 461, is dear evidence of the Vision 

and tolerance displayed by Mehmed and of the subsequent Ottoman sultan, toward other faiths. 

As. matter of fact, the current Armenian Patriarch, Mesrob II, was quoted as saying: " We can duly grasp 

the significance of toleranc. between different religions and cultures. as well as the value of this incident 

dating back 538 years, by taking into account the tensions witnessed throughout the world on the threshold of a new millennium, the ongoing wars beyond our borders in particular:' 

FollOwing the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, excellent Turco-Armenian relations continued 

until the end ofthe 19th century. In fact, out of all the non-Muslim communities, Armenians were by far 

the greatest beneficiaries of the opportunities offered by the Ottoman Empire to all industrious, effiCient, 

honest and productive subjects. Being exempted from the military service and to a great extent from 

taxation, Armenians had the opportunity to makct headway in trade, agricultuTt\ craftsmanship and 

administration, and by reason of their loyalty to the Empire, as well as their ability to intermingle with 

other subjects, they attained the title of "loyal people." 

Today Armenians continue to enjoy "nation" status given to all the minorities during the Ottoman Empire. They are the largest Christian minority, with owr than 100,000 living in present day Turkey. 

From the last years of the 19th Century through the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire at the end of 

the World War I, Anatolian Armenians revolted regularly against the Ottoman authority, sometimes in 

alliance with Russia, sometimes on their own. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians and Muslims died 

at this lime due to starvations, dislocations, dcsease and brutal massacres of entire communities. 1his is 

the period that Armenians now portray as the time of "genocide'" and Turks reject as a tragic loss of life 

on both sides but without the necessary official intent. 

Of the 25,000 Jews living in Turkey, 22,000 of them reside in Istanbul. Most of them are ancestors of 

those expelled from Spain in 1492 and subsequently offered a safe haven by Sultan Mehmet. Although 

they are Orthodox jews, their practices are a bit different. Ihey do 110t belong to a synagogue-only to 

the Jewish community. Overall, there are seventeen synagogues in istanbul, and most of them are still 

active. Ihe most important ofthes. ar. the Neve Salom Synagogue, the Asken.zi Synagogue, the Ahrida 

(Ohrida) Synagoue. the $i~1i and Ortakoy Synagogues. Jews are active in every aspect onitrkish life: 

education, politics. media, financing, the arts. and trade and commerce. 

ASITANE RESTAURANT: 

Asitane restaurant is renowned for its fine Ottoman cuisine based on authentic recipes retrieved by a 

dedicated staff from palace archives. Its menu features dishes originally prepared for the sumptuous 

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000140 

CONFIDENTIAL 

(debration feast given for Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent's sons in 1539. [n the summertime, the 

tranquil courtyard in the shadow of the Chora Church offers a splendid backdrop in which to sample 

fine Ottoman cuisine. 

KARiYE MUSEUM: 

Originally built in the 4th century as the 'Church of the Holy Savior Outside the Walls' or 'in the Country' 

(chora), it was indeed outside the walls built by Constantine the Great. lhe present bUilding was built in 

the late 11 th century, with lots of repairs and restructuring in the following centuries. Virtually all of the 

interior decoration-the famous mosaics and the less renowned but equally striking mural paintingsdates from about 1320.The mosaiCS are breathtaking. lhe first ones are those of the dedication, to lesus 

and Mary. Then come the offertory ones: Theodore Metochites, builder of the church, offering it to jesus. 

The two small domes of the inner narthex have portraits of alilesus's ancestors back to Adam. A series 

outlines Mary's life, and another, lesus's early years. Yet another series concentrates on lesus's ministry.!n 

the nave are three mosaics: of lesus, of Mary as Teacher, and of the Dormition of Mary. South of the nave 

is the Parecdcsion, a side chapel built to hold the tombs of the church's founder and relatives. The frescos, 

appropriately, deal with the theme of death and resurrection. 

The Kariye Museum (Church of the Holy Savior in Choral has the best Byzantine mosaics in the region, 

lh. church was enclosed within Ih. walls buill by the Emperor lheodosius II in 413, less than 100 years 

after Constantine, so the church 'outside the walls' has in fact been 'in the city' for 1550 years. For four 

centuries after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul it served as a mosque (Kariye Cam;;), and is now a 

museum (Kariye Mfizesi) because of its priceless mosaics, 

SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE (BLUE MOSQUE): 

The mosque is one of several mosques known as lhe Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of 

its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed l. Like many other mosques, it 

also comprises a tomb of the founder. a madrasah. and a hospice. 

The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination of two centuries afboth Ottoman mosque 

and Byzantine church development, 1t iocorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagi. 

Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical 

period. 

HAGIA SOPHIA: 

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in istanbul. Famous in 

particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. lt was the largest 

cathedrol ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years. until the completion of the Medieval Seville 

Cathedral in 1520. 

In 1453, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, Sultan Mehmed II ordered the 

building to be converted into il mosque. '[he bells. aIlar. iconostasis. and sacrificial vessels were removed. 

and man)' of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features~such as the mihrah. the 

minbar, and the four minarets outside-were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans. It 

remained as a mosque until 1935. at which time it was converted into a musC'um by the Government of 

Turkey. 

The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 AD on the orders of 

the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the 

site. The Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured. among other things, a 50 foot 

(15 m) silver iconostasis.lt was the patriarchal church oftbe Patriarch ofCon.tantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years. 

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TOPKAPI PALACE: 

The Topkapl Palace was the Ottoman sultans' official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman 

Sultans from 1465 to 1853. 

000141 

Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constan· 

tinople. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the 

height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4.000 people. formerly cov· 

ering a larger area with a long shoreline. lhe complex has been expanded over the centuries. with many 

renovations such as after a 1509 earthquake and 1665 fire. Topkapl Palace gradually lost its importance 

at the end of the 17th century. as the Sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the 

Bosphorus. 

After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921. Topkapl Palace was transformed by government decree on 

April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The Palacl! is listed among lhose monuments belonging 

to the historic areas oftstanbul, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. 

TURKISH & ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM: 

lhis museum is located in Sultanahmct Square in Emin6nft district ofistanbu1. Constructed in 1524, 

the bUilding was formerly the Palace of ibrahim Pasha, who was the first grand vizier to Suleiman the 

Magnificent. The collection Includes notable examples of Islamic calligraphy. tiles, and rugs as well as 

ethnographic displays on various cultures in Turkey. particularly nomadic groups. These displays recreate 

rooms or dwellings from ditTerent time periods and regions. 

BASILICA CISTERN: 

The Basilica Cistern Is the largest of several hundred anCient cisterns that still lie beneath the city of 

Istanbul. The cistern, located in the historical peninsula of Istanbul next to the Hagi. Sophia, was built 

during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. the golden age of Eastern Rome. also called 

the Byzantine Empire. 

The bases'of two of the (Clumn, reuse earlier blocks carved with the head of a Medusa. They are located 

in the northwest corner of the cistern. The origin of the two heads is unknown. though it is rumored that 

the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from an antique building of the late Roman 

period. Another mystery is why one of the heads is upside down. while the other is tilted to one side. It is 

commonly accepted by scholars that they were placed that way deliberately. 

GRAND BAZAAR: 

The Grand Bazaar or Covered Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 

more than 58 streets and 6,000 shops, and has between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. 

It is well known for Its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are 

grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar 

contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and ,afe keeping), the first of which 

w.s constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was 

vastly enlarged in the 16th century. during the reign of Sultan Suleimon the Magnificent. and in 1894 

underwent a major restoration folJowing an earthquake. 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 

07:30 Check out from Hotel and Depart for the US. Consulate General 

08:00 - 09:00 Breakfast Meeting with the US. Consul General & Officers of the Consul· 

ate 

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000142 

09:15 

09:45 - 11 :00 

11:00 

Depart Consulate for Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control HQ (BSTe) 

Briefing and Visit at the BSTC HQ 

Depart BSTC HQ for Luncheon Meeting with Confederation of 

Businessmen & Industrialists (TUSKON) Board and Members 

12:00 - 13:30 

13:30 

Meeting & Lunch at TUSKON at their Si~li HQ 

Depart TUSKON for the Airport 

14:00 

15:00 

16:00 

16:30 

17:30 

19:30 

20:00 

Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport 

Depart istanbul for Ankara on TK 128 

Arrive at Ankara Esenboga Airport 

Depart Ankara Airport for Mega Residence Hotel 

Hotel check-in 

Depart Hotel for Kale <;:engelhan Restaurant 

Briefing and Dinner with the Press hosted by Turkish-American 

Business Association (TABA) at Kale <;:engelhan Restaurant 

BOSPHORUS STRAITS TRAFFIC CONTROL (BSTC) HEAD QUARTERS: 

'n,e Turkish Straits (164 NM) consist of the istanbul Strait (17 NM in length), the Marmara Sea (110 

NM) and C;:allakkale Strait (37 NM). The entire length Is opened to internaUonal maritime vessel traffic 

under Turkish government control. It is the only waterway between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea making it highly congested with international maritime trallic and of enormous geopolitical 

and strategic importance, The Bosphorus Traffic Control Service (TSVTS) is deSigned to assist and 

improve the safety of navigation for Turkish and foreign flagged vessels through these very congested 

and vulnerable Turkish waters. 

Safe naVigation oflbe Turkish Straits depends on: 

Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Services - The TSVTS are in current operation are equipped with 

thirteen observation Towers. Each Observation Towers has X band radar. Monocolor - ColorInfrared Camera and Network Equipment, A few Towers have extra meteorological stations and 

communications equipment. 

Search I Rescue & Salvage· Salvage Department has underwater works. salvage & towage with two 

convention.al types of salvage vessels. two Fi-Fi dass tugs. eleven firefighting tugs and various types 

of service boats which make up 54 vessels. 

Rescue Services are well organized on the Turkish Straits and are well equipped with 14 Rescue Stations (6 Boat Stations and 8 Shore Based Stations), and 10 Rapid Response Boats. 

Navigational Aids - Organized along the Turkish coast with 417lighthollses, 34 light-buoys. nineteen marking buoys, fifteen fog whistles, two fog bell and three beacon, and nine racon signals. 

CONFEDERATION OF BUSINESSMEN AND INDUSTRIALISTS OF TURKEY (TUSKON): 

TUSKON is a non~governmental organization formed by regional federations of the business world 

which were founded in istanbul in 2005 and expanded country-wide, TUSKO:\, today represents 9500 

businessmen active in 124 organizations of businessmen. TUSKON aims to make the enterprises and 

entrepreneurs into the part of the global business worlJ by promoting Scientific and rational methods of 

commercial and industrial life TUSKON is a pioneer institution in sharing businessmen's experience in 

international markets and providing new job opportunities. 

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.... _._~~ffIDENT/AL 

ANKARA 

Ankara lies deep within the heartland. protected and insulated from uninvited guests. Atatiirk chose Ankara as tho political capital for his new republic, While Istanbul was the seat of an imperial and dissolute 

empire. he saw Ankara as the dean~slate capital of an entirely new Turkish state. In the 80 years since 

Ataturk rode in on a dirt road and litera11y lifted Ankara out of the ashes. the city has established itself as 

the political and cultural center of Turkey. 

Ankara is almost exclusively geared toward sustaining an eJements of the national government. a wide~ 

ranging poputation of foreign ambassadors, visiting dignitaries. local politicians. and politically minded 

business enterprises. It also boasts a number of prestigious universities and technical colleges. as well as 

the largest library in the country, 

Ankara is a center for opera. ballet, jazz, and modern dance. and is home of the Presidential Symphony 

Orchestra. the State TIleatre. and the State Opera and Bailet. Ankara has transformed from the quiet center of the Turkish Republic to a city of more than three million and a hub of non-stop activity. The city is 

bubbling over with new construction. chic restaurants, cozy cafes, and dazzling nightlife. 

TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (TABA): 

TASA founded in 1987 is a non-profit organization. headquartered in istanbul. it has five branches in 

Turkey, TABA's membership is over 650 companies, 

As the representative of the American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey. TABA's goal is to enhance trade 

relations between the U.S.A and Turkey; to encourage American investments into this country; assist 

members by connecting them with potential strategic partners; help solve their trade-related issues and 

contribute to Turkey's promotion abroad. 

In order to accomplish these goals, TABA/AmCh.m founded several task committees, These committees 're: Membership: Project Development; Telecommunication & Information Technology: Energy & 

Infrastructure; Law & finance. Publications; Activities & Communications; Corporate Affairs; Consumer 

Products; Intellectual Royalty Rights; Trademarks Defense Industry: Tourism: Real Estate & Transporta· 

tion and Investment & Regulations pertaining to EU relations. 

TABA/ AmCham is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A (COCU.s.A), member of the 

European Council of American Chambers of Commerce (ECACC) and American-Turkish Council 

(ATC), 

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 

07:30 Depart Hotel for the U.S. Ambassador's Residence 

07:45 - 09:00 

09:00 

09:30 10:30 

10:30 - 11:30 

11:45 

12:15 - 13:50 

Breakfast Briefing with Ambassador Ross Wilson and the u.s, Embassy 

Officials at the Residence 

Depart Residence Amtkabir 

Wreath Laying Ceremony and the Signing of the Official Visitors Book 

Visit the Mausoleum Museum 

Depart Amtkabir for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 

Luncheon Briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

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13:50 

14:30 

15:30 

16:00 - 17:00 

17:00 - 18:00 

18:00 

19:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Depart the MFA 

Meeting with Mr. Ismail Tohumcu. Deputy Undersecretary of 

National Defense (SSM) 

Depart SSM for Eurasian Strategic Research Center (ASAM) 

Meeting and roundtable discussion at ASAM on U.S.-Turkish Relations 

with Government officials and the Academia 

Topics to be covered include the future of Iraq. terrorism, Afghanistan, 

U.S. Presidential Elections and Bilateral Relations. Irans Nuclear Program, 

Cyprus and EU-Turkey Relations 

Reception at ASAM 

Depart ASAM for Hotel 

Depart Hotel for Trilye Restaurant 

Dinner with ATC Corporate Members at Trilye Restaurant hosted by 

NTF Construction 

ATAT{)RK'S MAUSOLEUM - ANITKABiR 

000144 

This imposing monument located in the Antttepe quarter of the city is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal 

At.turk, founder of the Thrkish Republic. Completed in 1953, it represents the fusion of ancient and 

modern architectural ideas and when built. it was considered as one the best examples of modem Turkish architecture of the time. lhere is a museum housing a superior statue of Atatiirk, Writings, letters and 

other items belonging to Atatiirk. as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments 

in his life and the establishment of the Republic. 

Construction of Anltkabir commenced on 9 October 1944 with a splendid ceremony by laying the first 

stone of the foundation. Construction of Amtkabir took nine years in four stages. You wiU be expected 

to sign its book of visitors with an appropriate note of respect. 

UNDERSECRETARIAT FOR DEFENSE INDUSTRIES (SSM) 

SSM was established by the Defense Industry Law, and it was given the main duty of putting into effect 

the decisions taken by the Executive Committee. In this regard. SSM was given a special legal identity 

of its own. as well as its own extrawbudgetary financial resources. '[he main tasks and ~sponsjbilities of 

SSM are: putting into elfect decisions taken by the Defense Industry Executive Committee; to reorga· 

nize existing Turkish industry in line with the prerequisites of a successful defense industry; to plan 

the production of modern arms and equipment at private and public sector entities: to realize research 

and equipment of modern arms and equipment. and to have their prototypes built; to make advance 

payments. plan advance orders and determine other financial and economic supports; and to coordinate 

export and offset trade issues relatillg to defense industry products. 

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) 

Since the inception of the Republic, the vision and principles of the founder of the Republic. Ataturk 

(meaning Father of the Turks. a name given to him by the people). have guided Turkish foreign potiey 

and his maxim "peace at home. peace in the world" continues to constitute the fundamental objective of 

Turkish foreign policy. The Republic of Turkey is now represented by 162 mis..lOiQns throughout the world. 

1hese missions comprise 0[93 EmbassieS. II Permanent Missions to international organizations. and 58 

Consulate Generals. 

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000145 

Serving underlhc leadership of the former Minisler for the Economy the 41st Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

His Excellency Mr. Ali Babacan. the large contingent of Turkish Foreign Service diplom.ts conduct and 

promote Turkey's international political. economic and cultural relations in its re-gion and beyond. 

For nearly half a century. NATO ally Turkey was a bulwark in NATO's Cold War policy of contain· 

ment against the Soviet Union. While TInkey's relations with Russia are good today. issues throughout 

Turkeyls region make it no less important for u.s, foreign and national security policy. Iraq. Afghanistan. 

the Middle East Peace Initiative. Aegean Affairs. Syria. Kurdish policy and the PKK. the Turkish states of 

Central Asia - all are issues of U.S.-Turkey diplomatic discussion and exchange. 

EURASIAN STRATEGIC RESEARCH CENTER (ASAM): 

ASAM is established to conduct research on international relations and regional studies. The Center examines international conflicts, makes scholarly and scientific assessments of relevant issues, and reviews 

Turkish foreign policy with a futuristic perspective. It is a consultative body with the responsibility of 

bringing to the attention of decision makers independent. unbiased views and fmdings from different 

sources.1he Center is chartered by law and has been active since May 1995. 

Thursday, August 7, 2008 

07:00 Breakfast & Checkout from the Hotel 

07:15 

09:00 

10:00 

11:45 

13:05 

13:30 

16:30 

17:00 

19:00 - 21:30 

PATARA: 

Depart Hotel for Ankara Airport 

Depart Ankara for Istanbul on TK 113 

Arrive at istanbul Airport 

Depart istanbul on TK 216 to Dalaman 

Arrive at Dalarnan Airport 

Depart Dalaman for Palara, Kalkan by Bus 

Arrive at Kalkan 

Check in to Palara Prince Hotel 

Dinner with the delegation atlhe Marina 

The antique city of Patara emerged at the turn of the 21 st Century thanks to an archeological team led by 

Akdeniz University Professors Fahri Isik and Havva Iskan Isik. It has a unique political relationship to 

the United States. Recently the archeological team unearthed an ancient parliament building in Patara --

the meeting place of the first lederal republic in recorded human history. Authors of the Federalist papers 

(Hamilton and Madison. Federalists NQ. 9, 16 and 45. respeclively) made at least three spedfic references 

to the Lydan League as an example of the federal structure of government they envisioned for the United 

States. 

lbe unearthed pa.rliament building. called the B()uleuterioll. housed representatives of at least tWC11ly~ 

three dty~states of the Lydan League. which existed along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey from about 

167 BC until 400 AD. The archeological team has rescued numerous buildings and item' from the sand 

and scrub brush. besides the Boulcuterion parliament building. including a large necropolis, a Roman 

bath. a sizeable semicircular the~'ter. a sprawling main avenue leading to the market square. a Byzantine 

basilica (one of 22 churches once packed into Patara). one of the world', oldest lighthouses. and a fortifiedw.l!. 

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Modern -day Patata sports what the London Sunday Times describes as one of the world's best beaches 

and a nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle, locally known as the Caretta Caretta. During the turtle 

hatching season environmentalists from all around the world come to the area of Patara where swimming, diving and permanent structures on the coast are forbidden. The eggs and nesting sites of the 

endangered Caretta Caretta turtles are protected. 

Friday, August 8, 2008 

08:30 - 09:30 Breakfast at the Hotel 

09;30 

10;30 - 12:30 

12:30 - 13:30 

13:30 - 14:30 

14:45 

15:30 - 17:00 

17:00 

19:30 - 22:00 

Depart Hotel for Patara Excavation Site 

Visit and Lecture at the Site of Ancient Patara 

(a Member of the Lycian League) 

Lunch at Patara 

Visit UNEP & WWF project for Endangered Loggerhead Turtles 

Depart Patara to Visit Organic Farms and Production Facilities 

Visit to the Organic Farms 

Depart for the Hotel 

Reception and Dinner with the Local Municipal Authorities at the Hotel 

LOGGERHEAD TURTLES: 

As amphibians, loggerhead turtles are adept at moving on both land and sea. To lay eggs the females first 

crawl onto the shore. TheIl, using their hind legs, the turtles dig holes in the sand and. after depositing 

their eggs, return to the sea. The baby turtles hatch when nature tells them to, and instinctively using the 

moonlight as a compass, they head towards the sea. 

Saturday, August 9, 2008 

08;30 - 09:30 Breakfast Meeting with Former Congressman Steve Solarz and 

Dr. Yal~tn Ayash 

09:45 

10:30 

12;30 - 13:30 

13:30 

17:45 

19:30 

20:50 

21:15 

KA~-KEKOVA: 

Depart Hotel for Ka~ (Lydan city of Habesos) 

Arrive at Ka~ and visit the Ancient Ruins of Kekova 

Lunch at Kale Island Restaurant 

Depart Kale for Dalarnan Airport 

Arrive at Dalaman Airport 

Depart Dalarnan Airport for istanbul on TK 219 

Arrive in Istanbul Airport 

Depart Airport for Hotel 

lhe town of Ka~ is OIl a hill running down to the sea. The district has a typical Mediterranean dimalf of 

hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters, which allows the growth of oranges, lemons and bananas. lhe 

lowland areas are also planted with cut flowers and a variety of fnlits and vegetables; many are grown all 

year round under glass. TI,e hillsides produce honey. and almonds, while at high altitudes there are exSTAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
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000147 

tensive pine forests. '!he weather is drier at high altitudes. Although agriculture is still important, tourism 

is the main source of income in the district, which has many hotels and guest houses. 

Kekova. also named Caravola (Dolichist. in Lycian). is a small Turkish island near Ka~ (ancient AntipheJ· 

los) district of Antalya province which faces the villages of KalekOy and O,aglz. 

The Kekova region was declared a specially protected area on lanuary 18, 1990 by the Turkish Ministry of 

Environment and Forests. All swimming and diving was prohibited and ,'Ubjec! to special permits from 

governmental offices. In later years the prohibition has been lifted except in the area of the sunken city. 

Sunday, August 10,2008 

04:00 

04:15 

05:55 

07:55 

09:55 

13:00 

NOTES 

Breakfast & Checkout 

Depart Hotel for Airport 

Depart on LH 3345 for Frankfurt 

Arrive at Frankfurt Airport 

Depart Frankfurt for DC on LH 416 

Arrive at Washington Dulles Airport 

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ANKARA 

ISTANBUL 

KALKAN 

ATCSTAFF 

000148 

HOTEL and CONTACT INFORMATION 

MEGA RESIDENCE 

Tahran Caddesi No.5. Kavakhdere. Ankara/Turkey 

Tel: OIL +90(312)468. 

Fax: 011 +90(312)468-5415 

HYATT REGENCY ISTANBUL 

Taskl~la Cad. No: I. Taksim.lstanbullTurkey 

General Numbers: 

Tel: 011 +90 (212) 368_ 

Fax: OIL +90 (212) 368-\000 

Contact: Omtir Yeker 

Tel: 011 +90 (212) 368-_ 

Fax: 011 +90 (212) 368-1286 

HOTEL PATARA PRINCE 

Kalkan. AntalyalTurkey 

Tel: 011 +90 (242) 844-_ 

Fax: 011 +90 (242) 844-3930 

Canan Biiyiikiinsal 

u.s. Cell: I 

Turkey Cell: 011 +90 ••• 

Ay~e Siim.e_r ••• U.S. Cell:1I!I 

Turkey Cell: 011 +90 

U.S. EMBASSY Paris Caddesi 32. PK 6540. Kavakhdere. Ankara/Turkey 

ANKARA Tel: 011 +90 (312) 455_ 

Fax: 011 +90 (312) 468-4775 

Contact: Anthony RenzI/iii; 

u.s. CONSULATE istinye Mahallesi. Kaphcalar Mevkii No.2. 

ISTANBUL Istinye 34460.lstanbuliTurkey 

Tel: 01\ +90 (212) 335_ 

Fax: Oil +90 (212) 335-9003 

Contact: Amy J. Lillis 

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DELEGATION BIOGRAPHIES 

Mr. GARRm EUCALITTO 

Deputy Foreign Policy Legis/ative Assistant 

Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-cn 

Garrett Eucalitto is Deputy Foreign Policy Legislative Assistant for Senator Joseph l. Lieberman 

of Connecticut, and previously served as Constituent Relations and Correspondence Coordinalor. Prior to joining Sen. Lieberman's staff in 2007, he worked at the Hudson Institute's Center 

for Future Security Strategies in Washington. D.C. A resident of the Torrington, CT, Garrett 

earned an undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross, and a Master's Degree in 

International Relations from Boston University. 

Senator Joseph Lieberman's Leadership and Committee Assignments 

Senator Joe Lieberman is a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman 

of the Subcommittee on AirLand. He also serves on the Subcommittee on Personnel and the 

Subcommittee on Seapower. He is Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs Committee. Lieberman is also a member of the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works. where he is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions 

to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection, and he also serves on the Subcommittee on Clean 

Air and Nuclear Safety. and the Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, 

Oversight, and Children's Health Protection. He also serves on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. 

Mr. WALTER GONZALES 

Senior Policy Advisor 

Office of Representative C. A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-2nd MD) 

Walter Gonzales serves as Senior Policy Advisor for Congressman C. A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger from Maryland's Second Congressional District. In that role, Walter staffs the Congressman 

on the Appropriations Committee and advises the Congressman's daily votes; administers the 

Congressman's Whip assignments, attends leadership functions. strategizes and implements 

vital district projects. and covers a wide variety oflegislative issues. In Walter's legislative 

portfolio: intelligence, defense, telecommunications. health care, energy. and lntemational 

affairs. Walter oversees the Congressman's work on the Intelligence Committee and staffs the 

Congressman on the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. He also covers the 

State Department/Foreign Operations Appropriations. the Energy and Water Appropriations, 

Intelligence Budget. and Defense and Military Construction Appropriations. 

A native of Baltimore, Maryland Walter Gonzales' career in politics spans over a decade. A 

graduate of the University of Vermont, Walter started his career on Capitol Hill in 1995, in the 

office of Congressman Gene Green, Texas 29th Congressional District. 

He worked for Congressman Green for 6 years. From there, he moved into the private sector 

using his skills and contacts on the Hill to become a lobbyist for Mannat, Phelps and Phillips 

law firm and for lefferson Government Relations. In this capacity he lobbied on behalf of com2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
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000150 

panies like Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, iMotors.com and a number of Silicone Valley start-ups. 

After this two-year stint in the private sector, Walter returned public service in the 2002 

election cycle, servicing as the policy director for Congressman Ruppersberger's successful 

congressional campaign. 

Congressman "Dutch" Ruppersberger's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Congressman Ruppersherger serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House 

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he is Chairman of the Technical and 

Tactical Subcommittee. Congressman Ruppersberger is part of the Leadership structure in the 

House of Representatives serving as an Assistant Whip and as a Member of the Democratic 

Steering and Policy Committee. Official Travel: China, M()rocc(). Taiwan 

Mr. LAWRENCE J. HALLORAN 

Minority Staff Director 

H()use Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

Lawrence J. Halloran is an attorney with more than twenty-five years of experience in public 

policy and advocacy. He currently serves as Minority Staff Director of the House Committee 

on Oversight and Government Ref()rm. From April 2006 to March 2008. he was Deputy Staff 

Director. In the 109th Congress. he also acted as Deputy Special Counsel to the House Select 

Committee on Hurricane Katrina. 

From 1999 through March 2006. he was Staff Director and Counsel to the Government Reform 

Suhcommittee on National Security. Veterans Affairs and International Relations. From 1995 

through 1998, he was Staff Director and Counsel to the Subcommittee on Human Resources of 

the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. 

A graduate of Fairfield University (1973) and the Catholic University Columbus School of Law 

(1976). he served on the staff or U.S. Rep. Stewart B. McKinney (R-Conn.) from 1973 to 1980. 

Mr. Halloran then worked as Legal Counsel and Deputy Executive Director of the National 

Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). advising candidates and Members of Congress 

on election matters and campaign finance laws. 

Experienced in recounts and election contests. Mr. Halloran has participated in recount proceedings in Indiana, Virginia. California, Ohio. Connecticut. Minnesota and South Dakota. 

He spent nine days in Florida during the presidential election recount training observers and 

participating in the complete recount of votes in V()lusia County. 

Returning to Connecticut in 1987, he served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Republican Party. In 1988, he joined the law oflices ()f J. Brian Gaffney in New Britain. Connecticut. From 1991 to 1994. Mr. Halloran served as Legal Counsel to the Governor of Connecticut. 

He and his family now reside in Bethesda. Maryland. 

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Mr. Halloran is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and the District of Columbia. He is an 

inactive member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal bar. 

Ms. HELEN HARDIN 

Chief of Staff 

Office of Representative Zach Wamp «R-3rd TN) 

Before coming to Washington to work for Rep. Zach Wamp, Helen Hardin spent 12 years as a 

news reporter and TV talk show host. She also has a business background in sales and worked 

in the cellular telephone industry for 7 years. When Congressman Wamp was elected in 1994, 

Ms. Hardin moved to Washington and became his Chief of Staff, managing the three congressional offices and advising the Congressman on political and policy matters. She also oversees 

Congressman Wamp's Appropriations Committee work as Appropriations Associate. Congressman Wamp is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans 

Affairs and Related Agencies. 

In Tennessee, Ms. Hardin works closely with the major federal government facilities in Oak 

Ridge including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the largest multi-purpose science lab in 

the nation. Some of our country's most advanced computing, biological and materials research 

is carried out at ORNL. 

Ms. Hardin regards international travel as one of the most important educational and policy 

trends. She has focused her official travel primarily on North Africa and the Middle East 

because of its strategic importance to the the u.s. and the world. First hand exposure to 

international issues and foreign cultures, personally meeting foreign government officials and 

developing friendships with people from other countries have been extremely beneficial in her 

public service and have enlightened her views on the growing and increasingly interdependent 

global economy. 

Ms. Hardin is active in her church. She is an avid gardener, and a private pilot. She enjoys 

spending time with nieces and nephews. 

Congressman Zach Wamp's Leadership and Committee ASSignments: 

Known for his energy and determination, Congressman Zach Wamp serves with seniority as a 

member of the influential House Appropriations Committee. Using conservative principles, he 

has established himself as a leader on national issues like alternative energy, preventive health 

care and global security. 

Congressman Wamp is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction 

and Veterans Affairs, which funds u.s. military installations at home and abroad and resources 

the important benefits for the nation's 23 million veterans. Zach has served for 10 years on the 

Energy and Water Subcommittee, which oversees and funds the national missions at the Oak 

Ridge National Lahoratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex and the replacement of the 

Chickamauga Lock on the Tennessee River. 

000151 

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Mr. PAUL KONG 

Legislative Director 

Office of Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska (R-NE) 

Paul Kong is Legislative Director for Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. and previously served 

as Legislative Assistant handling domestic policy. Prior to joining Senator Hagel's staff. he 

represented non-profit clients for a Washington. DC firm. 

A resident of Chevy Chase, MD, Paul earned undergraduate degrees from the University of 

Mkhigan, and a law degree from Catholic University where he serves on the adjunct faculty. 

He is an alumnus of the Aspen Institute's Socrates Society and bas served on the DC Board of 

Governors of tbe University of Micbigan Alumni Association. 

Senator Chuck Hagel's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Chuck Hagel, Nebraska's senior U.S. Senator, is serving his second term in tbe United States 

Senate. Senator Hagel's duties include membership on four Senate committees: Foreign Relations; Banking; Housing and Urban Affairs; Intelligence and Rules. 

Mr. KENNETH A. KRAFT 

Depllty Chief afStaff t!r Appropriations Counsel 

Office of U.S. Representative David L. Hobson (R-7th OH) 

Kenny Kraft currently is Appropriations Committee Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. 

Representative David L. Hobson, having worked for him from 1993 to 1999 and from 2000 

to present. with particular responsibility for Mr. Hobson's work as a member of the Defense 

Appropriations Subcommittee and as the Ranking Minority Member of the Energy and Water 

Development Appropriations Subcommittee. 

Mr. Kraft's duties include analyzing the United States budget and various legislative proposals; 

evaluating tbe effectiveness of federal programs; recommending funding levels; advising on 

substantive fiscal and policy matters; plotting legislative strategy; meeting witb constituents, 

agency personnel, and industry representatives requesting assistance or information on appropriations and legislation; and planning and participating in international travel for Members 

and staff. 

Mr. Kraft lectures on the Budget and Appropriations process for several different government 

and university groups, induding Georgetown University, the Brookings Institution, 'lhe George 

C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. the National Guard Bureau, the Internalional Republican Institute. the Office of Personnel Management, the United States Congress 

Summer Intern Program, George Mason University, Kent State University, and 111e Capitol.Net. 

He serves on The Speaker's Congress-Bundestag/Bundesra! Staff Exchange Selection Committee and on tbe U.S.-Asia Foundation Congressional Staff Advisory Committee. 

Mr. Kraft's other Capitool Hill jobs have included Appropriations Committee Counsel to 

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Representative Rodney 1'. Frelinghuysen from 1999 to 2000 and to Representative Lawrence 

Coughlin from 1977 to 1992. He was Legislative Assistant to Senator Joseph M. Montoya from 

1971 to 1977. He was Senior Assodate Attorney at Patton Boggs in 1999, and Senior Congres· 

sional Relations Officer at the Office of Personnel Management in 1992. 

Mr. Kraft is a Colonel, Judge Advocate General's Corps, District of Columbia Army National 

Guard, commanding a Legal Support Office (LSO) lhal provides legal assiSlance in international, operational, fiscal, contract, and general law matters to the National Guard Bureau .t the 

Pentagon. 

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Kraft received his B.A. degree in British Literature and Art History from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from The George Washington University. He 

is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Mr. SEAN O'BRIEN 

Legislative Director 

Office of Congressman Heath Shuler (D-11th NC) 

Sean O'Brien is the Legislative Director for Congressman Heath Shuler (NC-II). 

Prior to working for Congressman Shuler, Mr. O'Brien worked for three years as a Legislative 

Assistant for Congressman Rahm Emanuel (lL-OS). 

Prior to this he was a consultant for various clients induding the City of Chicago, KPMG Netherlands, ABN AMRO Bank, and GE Capital Services Hong Kong. Mr. O'Brien was born in New 

York City and received a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. 

He is currently completing a Masters in National Security and Strategic Studies with the United 

States Naval War College and has completed coursework at the United States National Defense 

University. 

Congressman Heath Shuler's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Congressman Shuler is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship for the House Committee on Small Business. 

He also serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources (Subcommittee on National 

Parks, Forests, and Public Lands) and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Water Resources and 

Environment). 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

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Ms. ASHLEY ORR 

Legislative Assistant 

Ofiice of Congressman Brad Miller (D-13th NC) 

Ashley Orr has worked for Congressman Brad Miller of North Carolina since 2004. She currently serves as a Legislative Assistant. In addition to handling Rep. Miller's work on the House 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, ber issue portfolio includes Defense, Trade, Homeland Security. 

Immigration and Judiciary. 

She received a B.A. degree in Peace, War and Defense from the University of North Carolina in 

Chapel Hill. 

Congressman Brad Miller's Leadership and Committee Assignments: 

Brad Miller was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1953. He attended public schools and 

graduated from Terry Sanford Senior High School in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree from 

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master's degree from the London School 

of Economics, and a law degree from Columbia University. He served as law clerk to Judge J. 

Dickson Phillips, Jr. of the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for one year following his graduation from law school and practiced law in Raleigh from 1980 until his election to 

Congress in 2002. He is a member of the House Committee on Foreign Alfairs, the Committee 

on Financial Services, and the Committee on Science and Technology, where he also serves as 

Chairman of the Investigative and Oversight Subcommittee. 

Ms. CANAN BOYOKONSAL 

Executive Director 

American-Turkish Council 

Canan (Jahn-an) Biiyiikiinsal joined the American-Turkish Council in January 0[2000 and 

currently serves as the Executive Director. In this capacity, Ms. Biiyiikiinsal works as the 

President's deputy ensuring the success of all ATC programs. Her responsibilities include 

over-seeing financial procedures, preparing the event budgets and the ATC annual budget, and 

managing the day-day activities of the office. As lhe Executive Director, Canan also directs the 

ATC Annual Conference, now in its 27th year. The 2008 ATC Annual Conference attracted 

over 700 participants and is one of the largest bi-national conference promoting U.S. -Turkish 

commercial, defense and cultural relations. 

Before joining ATC, Ms. Biiyiikiinsal worked as the General Manager of Cities Restaurant. 

in Washington, DC, for 14 years. Cities was named "one the fifty favorite restaurants" by The 

Washington Post Magazine on numerous occasions and has been featured on TIle Food Chan· 

ne!, In Style Washington, Harper's Bazar, and Food Arts. While at Cities, Canan designed and 

implemented an employee training program manual that has since been purchased by several 

independent restaurants across the United States. Canan continues to consult in the restaurant 

industry. 

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She is an active community volunteer serving on the Board of the Mercy Hospital, Women's 

Association; and Food for Friends. She also serves on the Executive Committee for Oyster Bilingual School's Creative Activity Program and is on the Fund RaiSing Committee for the Saint 

Mary's Armenian Church Sunday School. 

Ms. Biiyiikiinsal graduated from Goucher College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. She 

currently resides in Washington DC with her husband, Arel Sahakyan and their II year old 

son, Aren. 

Mr. TOLGA GilRGOLO 

External Relations Manager 

Frito Lay Co. 

General: Born in 1969. Sakarya. Married 

Languages: English and French tluent. 

Education: 

Graduated from Galatasaray High School (1988), 

istanbul University Faculty of Economics (1992). 

Career: 

Telka Rabak Copper Company (1992) as Assistant of General Coordinator. 

Human Resources Manager ofYasar Paint & Chemical Group (DYO 1997 - 2001) 

Human Resources Manger of Ak-Al Acrylic Yarn Company (Akkok Group 2001 - 2003) 

Human Resources Manger of Frito Lay Co. istanbul Turkey (PepsiCo Group 2003 - 2006 ) 

External ReIations Manager of Frito Lay Co. (jan. 2007 - present) 

Professional Achievements: 

PepsiCo Chairman Award (2007) 

Middle East Africa President Award (2005) 

PepsiCo International Star Award (2006) 

Project Manager of Turkey's second Snacks Plant in Tarsus 

Membership: 

Galatasaray Sport Club 

Fenerbahee Rotary Club 

Turkish Offshore Racing Club 

Peryon 

Hobbies & Interests: Sailing and racing in different class teams for the past 20 years. Three 

times winner of Turkish Of Ish ore Racing Class trophy. 

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Dr. CENGiZ iSRAFiL 

Managing Director 

FU Finance 

000156 

Cengiz israfil was born in Warsaw, Poland. He received bis B.S. in Matbematics from Columbia University in 1967. He studied in tbe Ph.D. Program in Economic History of Ottoman Empire at Columbia University from 1968 to 1973. He received an honorary Doctor of Philosopby 

from Batumi University in 2001. He is fluent in English, Turkish and Polish and speaks good 

Russian. He is a dual citizen of tbe u.s. and Turkey. He served in the U.S. Navy and Turkish 

Army. 

From 1967 to 1973, Mr. 1sralil was a Research Associate with Morgan Guaranty Trust Company 

and from 1973 to 1976. he was Senior Management Scientist for United States Trust Co. From 

1976 to 1986. be was Vice President at Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., in charge of the Money 

Market Researcb Department. In 1985, on leave from Morgan. he joined the World Bank 

Mission to Turkey and prepared a report on money markets, which became the blueprint for 

reforms subsequently implemented by the Central Bank of Turkey. In 1986. he was instrumental in Morgan's winning the Privatization Master Plan project in Turkey, as well as the Turkish government's approval for the Gerede-Ankara motorway project. where Morgan was the 

arranger for lbe 5380 million financing facility. From 1986 to 1992. he was Advisor to Prime 

Minister and then President Turgut azal for whom he was instrumental in the development 

and implementation of reforms in the monetary system. financial markets and privatization. 

He also contributed to the development of strategy that led to tbe establishment of the Black 

Sea Economic Cooperation Zone. 

From 1992 to 1993, Cengiz was Vice Cbairman of Marmara Bank, Istanbul. Turkey. and 

Advisor to tbe Governor. Atyrau Province, Kazakbstan. He organized the 1993 Black Sea Oil 

& Gas Conference, which for the first time brougbt together international oil companies and 

the energy ministries of the FSU republics. From 1993 to 1996. he was Cbief Executive Officer 

of <;olakoglu Dl~ Ticaret. trading company of the <;olakoglu Group. Istanbul. Turkey, and Vice 

Chairman and Executive Director of the Group affiliate TOTAL Oil Tiirkiye. 

Since 1996 Mr. isralil has been Managing Director, FIL Finance Inc., a consulting company 

based in New York. proViding strategic, technical and financial adVisory services to a select 

group of international clients and governments. with special emphasis on the energy and infrastructure sectors. 

Mr. G. LINCOLN McCURDY 

President 

Turkish Coalition of America 

Mr. McCurdy is president of tbe Turkish Coalition of America (TCA). a 501 (C)3 not-far-profit 

organization, based in Washington, DC. TCA fosters understanding of Turkish American issues tbrough public education. (Web site for TCA is www.turkishcoalitionofamerica.org) 

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Mr. McCurdy has over 30 years ofleadership and management experience in both U.S. government service and the private sector. He has extensive experience in dealing with binational 

boards; working with senior officials of the governments and military of the United States and 

Turkey; leading trade/investment missions and u.s. congressional delegalions to Turkey; cosponsoring activities with the State and Commerce Departments, Environmental Protection 

Agency, Smithsonian Institute and National Public Radio; and fund raising. 

He served as the senior advisor to the Turkish American Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

in New York in 2005 and 2006. 

Mr. McCurdy was the president and chief executive officer, 1998 - 2004, and executive director, 

1989 - 1998, of the American-Turkish Council (ATC) in Washington, the leading business 

association in the United States devoted to the promotion of U.S.-Turkish commercial, defense 

and cultural relations. He received ATC's Distinguished Career Award in 2005. 

Before joining ATC. Mr. McCurdy served in the American Consulate General in istanbul as the 

Consul for Commercial Affairs, 1980 - 1984. In this capacity, he received the Department of 

State's Meritorious Honor Award for "re-establishing American pre-eminence in the istanbul 

International Business Community:' After government service, he consulted in Istanbul for 

five years for the Bank of Boston and several Turkish companies. In the late 1970s, he worked 

at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, organizing trade shows in Brazil. 

G. Lincoln McCurdy received his B.A. at Hanover College in Indiana and holds a M.A. in International Management from The George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the 

Foreign Service Institute's Turkish Language and Culture Program. In May 2001, Mr. McCurdy 

received Hanover College's Alumni Achievement Award. 

Mr. McCurdy is a board director for the Association for Safe International Road Travel 

(ASIRT). He is an advocate for smart growth and played a key role in beautifying 1-66 ill Arlington, Virginia, in the J 970s. He is married with two daughters and enjoys yoga, gardening, 

hiking and travel. 

Ms. AY~E SOMER 

Government Affairs and Commercial Programs Director 

American-Turkish Council 

Ane Slimer has been working for the American-Turkish Council as the Commercial Programs 

and Government Affairs Director since April 2004. She is responsible for the follOWing sector 

committees: Agribusiness & Food Industries; Banking & Finance; Information Technology 

& Communication; Health care Services; Technology Innovation; and Trade. She organizes 

the Annual CongreSSional Staff trip and the Chairman's Annual visit to Turkey. Ms. Slimer is 

ATC's liaison on the Hill. 

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Ane first joined the Council in November 2000 as the Communications Director. Prior to 

joining ATC, Ms. Slimer lived and worked in different parts of the world. She was the Client 

& Strategic Planning Director for Rekta Ketchum PR, Research & Marketing Manager for 

Egon Zehnder Int., Editor-In-Chief of Istanbul The Guide, Human Resources Coordinator of 

'96 Istanbul Habitat II NGO Forum, and Director of External Affairs at the Graduate School 

of Management, Koc University, Istanbul. Upon her return to the United States, and before 

joining the American-Turkish Council she worked as the Conference Assistant for the 2000 

U.S.-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce. 

000158 

She served as the International Relations Coordinator for the Istanbul 2000 Olympic Committee; was the founding member & Vice·Chairman of Etc. A.S.,; Public Relations Manager of Hotel Munamar. Marmaris; and the Consular & Public Affairs Officer in the Canadian Embassy, 

in Ankara. 

Ms. Sumer studied Psychology and Mass Communications at the University of North Carolina 

in Greensboro, U.S.A and American University in Cairo, Egypt. She is fluent in English. Turkish, French and speaks adequate Arabic. Born in Ankara, Turkey. she traveled around the 

world extensively and lived in Libya, Indonesia. Egypt. India, Pakistan, and Turkey. She moved 

to the United States in 2000 and lives in Chevy Chase, MD. 

She is the founding member of the Assodation for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Abused 

Children in IstanbuL Ms. Sumer. a dual citizen of the United States and Turkey, is an amateur 

deSigner and producer of jewelry. 

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AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL 

MISSION STATEMENT 

A Business Association dedicated to enhancing the promotion of U.S.-Turkish Commercial. 

Defense. Technology and Cultural Relations 

OVERVIEW 

As one of the leading business associations in the United States. American-Turkish Council 

(ATC) is dedicated to strengthening U.S.' Turkish relations through the promotion of commercial. defense. technology and cultural relations. Its diverse membership includes Fortune 

500. U.S. and Turkish companies. multinationals. non-profit organizations and individuals with 

an interest in U.S.-Turkish relations. Guided by Member interests. ATC strives to enhance the 

growing lies between the u.s. and Turkey by initiating and facilitating effnrts to increase investment and trade between the two countries. 

GOALS OF AMERICAN TURKISH COUNCIL 

To belp resolve problems and disputes that affect U.S.' Turkish commercial. defense and 

cultural relations. 

To encourage trade and investment between the United States and Turkey. 

To educate the public and private sectors on the importance of the strategic alliance between the United States and Turkey. 

To increase the understanding and appreciation of the history. culture and traditions of 

the United States and Turkey. 

To promote awareness of U.S.-Turkish issues. 

To facilitate dialogue between the government agencies of both Turkey and the United 

States and the private sector. 

ACTIVITIES 

ATC has many different activities that take place throughout the year. These activities range 

from cultural to business to governmental affairs. 

Annual Conference 

An event of enormous value to its Members is the ATC Annual Conference. Held every year 

in Washington DC. it incorporates the whole spectrum of U.S.-Turkish relalions. The Conference program addresses the key issues between the two countries and the region. Participation 

is diverse: Members of the U.S. Congress and the Turkish Parliament; Ministers and Cabinet 

Secretaries; senior U.S. and Turkish military leaders; other senior Administration and Turkish Government officials and politic.lleaders. The Conference also attracts hundreds of other 

participants, including leaders in international business, investment and the professions from 

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Turkey and the United States. The Conference offers up-to-the-minute political and economic 

briefings as well as cultural events. It provides an opportunity for American and Turkish businessmen and women to develop business contacts and to exchange ideas and information on 

strategic issues, product marketing, and scientific topics. 

Committees 

000160 

Our ATC Members are also diverse. Their interests and activities cover a vast range of subjects. 

In order to incorporate and make the best use of this diversity, the Council has formed industry 

specific committees that actively work on issues pertinent to their own areas, but also crossout with the interests of the other committees in order to encourage and enhance the business 

interests of each Member. The Council's Standing Committees, which guide its activities, are 

as follows: Agribusiness & Food Industries, Banking & Finance, Cultural Affairs, Defense & 

Security Affairs, Construction, Electric Power, Oil & Gas. and Pharmaceuticals. Ad hoc commillees also exist for Textiles. and Trade & Investment. Corporate members are encouraged to 

take part in these work groups. 

Congressional Staff Trip 

Each year, select groups of Congressional Staffers are invited to visit Turkey, an educational trip 

that combines meetings with top-level administration members. NGOs. and visits to some of 

the outstanding historical and cultural sights of the country. This trip also gives ATC an opportunity to show the achievements of Member companies within Turkey such as power plants. 

schools. factories. joint ventures and other businesses. 

Publications & Web site 

The Council has two annual publications, one is the Conference magazine and the other is the 

Annual Report. Both of these provide an opportunity for Members to advertise and promote 

their activities as well as share their experiences. These publications are distributed to government officials of the u.s. and Turkey and also at various ATe sponsored workshops in the 

U.S., Turkey and Europe. The American-Turkish Council's integrated website provides links to 

related sites. as well as Member sites and is the milieu in which interesting articles and related 

information about Turkey and the United States is posted. Members and other interested parties may .lso use the web site to advertise their company andlor product. 

Seminars, Workshops & Briefings 

Throughout the year. ATC sponsors seminars and workshops in Turkey and the U.S •• as well 

as breakfasts. luncheons. dinners and receptions for visiting dignitaries and other Turkish officials. In Washington, as part of its educational awareness program. ATC organizes briefings on 

current U.S.-Turkish issues with senior officials in the Executive Branch and members and staff 

officials of both Houses in the Congress. 

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TURKISH COALITION OF AMERICA 

lhe Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is an educational, ,-hadtahle organization lncmp'" 

rated in 2007, Based the TCA's objective is to educate the general 

ested parties. 

Engage and cultivate a new generation 

Promote and advance the 

Foster friendship, Ul1dCl'st,md.illg 

Protect the character and ensure a 

the media and the arts, 

tI"'irnnin;,,,, on critical issues to jnter~ 

Serve as a think tank nf expertise and a clearinghouse of information on Turkey and 

Americans of Turkish descent. 

Identify ami recognize the achieve111.ents of TurkIsh Americans in academia) arts, businesst 

edUi:(lt!on~ government) public service and science. 

its mission, TCA is committed to bnilding coalitions and working with all 

organizations, based on shared values and goals, on the local, state and national levels 

ol'ganizatioll of: 

Ed!uc,!!ional p"'grams on Turkish American issues, Turkish heritage and Turkey. 

Civic c:onsciotlsness seminars on and the importance 

for Turkish Americans being involved in 

inlemship 

News perspective on critical issues and the 

activities and achievements of Turkish Americans. 

Educational and cultural Uuited States. 

cities. 

For further information about TeA you can log on to their web sjte~ W\\,\v,turkishcoalition.org 

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co~ml!f~ TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION (TCF) -~ ~-~~---~- ~~ . __ ... _-_ .. _._- .---"-~-------.... ----------

TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION (TCF) 

Turkish 

Cultural 

Foundation 

The Turkish Cultural Foundation was established in January 2000 with the mission to support 

the preservation and promotion of Turkish culture and heritage worldwide. through original 

programs and cooperation with like-minded organizations. The Foundation is an U.S. taxexempt public charitable organization supported entirely by private donations. 

Since its inception. the Foundation has provided an endowment for a permanent Turkish 

Language Lectureship at the UniverSity of Chicago, Middle Eastern Studies Department and 

awarded grants to many leading organizations in the United States and Turkey in support of 

their cultural programs. 

Last year, the Foundation provided a total of $ 218.000 in grants and pledges in pursuit of 

its mission. and in support of efforts of other civic organizations in the United States and in 

Turkey. 

In recognition of the importance of preserving Turkish language and culture among young 

Turkish Americans. the Foundation issued a challenge grant to local Turkish organizations in 

the United States and in Canada to open Turkish community schools. The Turkish American 

Cultural Alliance of St. Louis (www.tacast!.org).theTurkishAmericanAssociationofCentral 

Ohio (www.taaco.org) and the Pittsburgh Turkish American Association (www.ptaa.org) in the 

United States and the Turkish Canadian Society in Vancouver (www.vancouverturkishsociety. 

org). Canada. were awarded grants and opened schools to serve their community's children. 

The Foundation also supports education in Turkey through grants to the Turkish Educational 

Foundation (www.tef-usa.org) for scholarships to needy school children, the Turkish American 

Women's Scholarship Fund to support disadvantaged and successful female college students 

(www.tawsf.org) and to the American Research Institute in Turkey (ccat.sas.upenn.edul ARIT) 

to create a joint Fellowship Program for research grants to Turkish scholars in the areas of 

archeology, the humanities and social sciences. The Turkish Cultural Foundation has also given 

a grant to Anatolian Artisans (www.anatolianartisans.org) to organize a workshop on small 

bUSiness development for female artisans in developing regions of Turkey. 

In support of promoting Turkish art and culture in the United States, the Foundation offered 

grants to interested organizations to screen a Retrospective of films by the award winning Turkish director. Zeki Demirkubuz. In cooperation with the Moon and Stars Project 

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000163 

CONFIDEml

' 

TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION (TCF) cld. 

(www.moonandstarsproject.org).theFoundationsupported the screening of this film series 

in Tempe. Arizona by the Bosphorus Art Project (www.bosphorusartproject.org) and in Ann 

Arbor. Michigan by the Turkish Student Association and the University of Michigan and in 

Buffalo. New York by the University at Buffalo. The Foundation also co-sponsored the 2004 

Turkish Film Festival in Boston and the screening of a Retrospective of films by renowned 

Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan by the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England 

( www.tacsne.org).ln 2006. the Foundation has awarded a grant to Moon and Stars Project in 

support of the 7th Annual New York Turkish Film Festival and for the screening of the Festival's movies in other u.S. cities. 

The Foundation also awarded grants to the Turkish Festival in Seattle (www.turkfest.org) and 

the 9th Boston Turkish Festival (www.tacsne.org). The American Turkish Society (www.americanturkishsociety.org) was also awarded a grant in support of its cultural programs. The Turk· 

ish Cultural Foundation has also made a pledge to become the premier Foundation sponsor of 

an exhibition on Ottoman Textiles, "Style and Status," to be held at the Freer Gallery of Art I 

Arthur M. Sadder Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. DC in Fall 2006. 

In support of creating a better understanding of Turkey among U.S. lawmakers. the Turkish 

Cultural Foundation co-sponsored visits to Turkey by members of the U.S. congressional staff 

prepared by the American Turkish Council (www.the-atc.org). The Foundation organizes a 

tour of istanbul's historic and cultural sites as part of this program. 

In the area of preserving Turkish culture. the Foundation is supporting the English translation, 

publication and U.S. distribution of the novel "Huzur - Peace of Mind" by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar by Archipelago Books (www.archipelagobooks.org) and has commissioned the creation 

of a web site dedicated to Turkish Music through the ages. Both projects will be completed at 

the end of this year. 

Also under its preservation and education mission, the Turkish Cultural Foundation is underwriting the work of the Archeological Settlements in Turkey Project (TAY Project. www. 

tayproject.org). This Turkish NGO's mission is to record. protect and preserve the cultural and 

natural heritage of Turkey by creating a complete documentation of all archaeological sites 

starting from prehistoric times. The Foundation commitment to TAY Project stretches over the 

next eight years and will cover the creation of an "Iron Age [nventory." 

The Foundation also maintains the most visited web site on Turkish culture www.turkishculture.org. Over five hundred fifty thousand visitors from ninety·one countries visited the site. Its 

web site. currently undergOing a facelift. is a cornucopia of information on Turkish culture and 

also works as a gateway to many other sites on Turkish culture, helping to open these resources 

to the world. It also feature a Turkish Culture Calendar on the web site. listing events on Turkish culture worldwide. 

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THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS 

THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCU.S. ON U.S.-TURKISH RELATIONS & 

TURKISH AMERICANS 

The Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans rThe Turkey Caucus) was co-founded by Reps. Robert Wexler (D-FL), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and Kay Granger 

(R-TX) in March 2001. The Turkey Caucus was established in an effort to strengthen u.s.-

Turkish relations and raise the level of economic, military, cultural and strategic cooperation 

between the two NATO allies. As of today, the Turkey Caucus has 78 members. 

Since its inception, there have been more bills and resolutions offered in Congress in support of 

Turkish-U.S. relations than ever before. Among the legislation sponsored by Caucus members 

are resolutions commending Turkey for her supportive role in Operation Enduring Freedom 

and a second resolution highlighting Turkey's cooperation in the war against terrorism. Additionally, resolutions have been offered commending Turkey for her efforts to implement tough 

economic reforms, recognizing the strong economic relationship between Turkey and the 

United States and commemorating Turkey's abiding relationship with Israel. Finally. resolutions have been offered supporting Turkey's membership in the EU and establishing Qualifying 

Industrial Zones (QIZ trade zones). 

111e Caucus also increased the number of Members of Congress traveling to Turkey. In 2002. 

Reps. Granger and Wexler led the inaugural Caucus delegation to Turkey to meet with Prime 

Minister Ecevit, President Sezer. Foreign Minister Cern. as well as other top officials in Ankara. 

During this high-level visit. the Caucus delegation focused on strengthening U.S.-Thrkish 

relations with respect to counter-terrorism. defense. and energy. In addition. they discussed 

pressing foreign policy issues regarding Afghanistan. Israeli-Turkish relations. Iraq. the Middle 

East, the Balkans. Central Asia. and the Caucasus region. 

In March 2003 Congressmen Wexler and Whitfield traveled to Turkey to consult with Thrkish 

leaders following the vote in Turkish parliament regarding hosting u.s. troops. Soon after 

their return. the Caucus took a leadership role in support of the Administration's $1 billion 

assistance to Turkey to help soften the economic effects of a war in neighboring Iraq, Efforts to 

eliminate the assistance were defeated on the House floor by a vote of 3 to I. indicating strong 

Congressional support for U.S.-Turkish relations irrespective of events surrounding Operation 

Iraqi Freedom. 

The Caucus has hosted numerous Turkish business and government delegations for briefings, 

including then - Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Ugur Ziyal. the Turkish u.s. Business CouncillDEIK executive committee. and then - Minister of Fordgn Affairs Abdullah Gul. In 2004, 

during PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington, the Caucus members were able to 

meet and discuss issues concerning the relations between the two countries. More recently. the 

Caucus has worked with the House Appropriations Committee to restore funding for the Voice 

of America Turkish Services. They also helped host a 125th birthday celebration for Kemal 

Ataturk with the Ataturk Society of America. 

In addition to the activities of the Caucus, Congressmen Whitfield and Wexler founded the 

CongreSSional Study Group on Turkey through the United States Association of Former 

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000165 

Members of Congress in 2004. Since 2005 the Turkey Study Group and Former Members 

of Congress have visited Turkey numerous times. They also visited the Turkish Republic of 

Northern Cyprus in 2005. 1he two groups hosted several events for visiting Turkish delega· 

tions, including a spedal reception on Capitol Hill honoring Prime Minister Erdogan and his 

delegation during his June 2005 visit. 

REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT REPRESENTAT1VE DISTRICT 

Rep. Robert Wexler' D·FL Rep. John Lewis D·GA 

Rep. Ed Whitfield' R·KY Rep. Betty McCollum D·MN 

Rep. Kay Granger' R·TX Rep. Mike McIntyre D·NC 

Rep. Robert Aderholt R·AL Rep. Greg Meeks D·NY 

Rep. Spencer Bachus R·AL Rep. Brad Miller D·NC 

Rep. Joe Barton R·TX Rep. Dennis Moore D-KS 

Rep. Gresham Barrett R·SC Rep. Jim Moran D-YA 

Rep. Howard Berman D·CA Rep. John Murtha D·PA 

Rep. Charles Boustany R·LA Rep. Solomon Ortiz D-TX 

Rep. Dan Burton R·IN Rep. Bill Pascrell D·NJ 

Rep. G. K. Butterfield D-NC Rep. Mike Pence R·IN 

Rep. Andre Carson D-IN Rep. Joe Pitts R·PA 

Rep. Steve Chabot R·OH Rep. Todd Platts R·PA 

Rep. Ben Chandler D-KY Rep. Earl Pomeroy D-ND 

Rep. Howard Coble R-NC Rep. David Price D·NC 

Rep. Stephen Cohen D-TN Rep. Adam Putnam R·FL 

Rep. Tom Cole R-OK Rep. Nick Rahall D-WY 

Rep. Bud Cramer D-A!. Rep. Jim Ramstad R-MN 

Rep. Henry Cuellar D·TX Rep. Silvestre Reyes D-TX 

Rep. Geoff Davis R-KY Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger D-MD 

Rep. Lincoln Davis D-TN Rep. rean Schmidt R·OH 

Rep. Norm Dicks D-WA Rep. David Scott D·GA 

Rep. Lloyd Doggett D-TX Rep. Pete Sessions R-TX 

Rep. 'lhelma Dr.ke R-YA Rep. Chris Shay, R-CT 

Rep. Phil English R-PA Rep. Bill Shuster R·PA 

Rep. Bob Etheridge D-NC Rep. Mike Simpson R-ID 

Rep. Eni FaJeomaveaga D-Sam Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO 

Rep. Akee Hastings D-H. Rep. Cliff Stearns R·FL 

Rep. Jeb Hensarling R-TX Rep. Adam Smith D-WA 

Rep. Rush Holt D-NJ Rep. Tom T.ncredo R-CO 

Rep. Virginia Foxx R-NC Rep. Gene Taylor D·MS 

Rep. Jessie Jackson, Jr. D·!L Rep. lohn Tanner D-TN 

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX Rep. Bennie lhompson D·MS 

Rep. Willliam Jefferson D·LA Rep. Edolphu, Towns D-NY 

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson I)-TX Rep. Henry Waxman D-CA 

Rep. Tim Johnson R-IL Rep. Rob Winman R·YA 

Rep. Walter Jones R-NC Rep. Heather Wilson R·NM 

Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick D·M! Rep. Joe Wilson R-SC 

Rep. Randy Kuhl R·NY 

Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen R·FL .. Caucus Co~chairs 

~' 2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

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000166 

CO ~II""I"F' 

i~rtJ~, 

ATC MEMBER COMPANY BRIEFS 

tI, 

7banl<pozitif 

BankPozitif makes positive contributions to the finance sector by means of activities which 

they perform in the individual. corporate and investment banking areas. Its dear vision 

strengthens its position in the banking sector. 

Its mission is to be a bank that brings a new dimension to the Turkish sector banking and is 

proven exemplary at the international level by means of developing innovative and modern 

approaches which help enhance the living and business qualities ofits customers. 

In five years. BankPozitif aims to be among Turkey'S top three banks in its sector for profitability, different distribution channels of its offices in istanbul. Ankara and Izmir, it will offer to 

more than 500,000 customers its innovative solutions to the financial needs of the individuals. 

It will be the bank of choice by customers in the sectors it targets because of its high-level risk 

management ability, specialized and continuously developing staff, and active use of the latest 

technology. 

Since its beginning, the core business of BankPozitif has been corporate banking. It renders 

services for its customers as a boutique bank. By being strictly committed to the principles of 

productivity. effectiveness and effective risk managemen~ BankPozitif presents corporate financing services. corporate credits, financial leasing, and project financing. It targets construction (material, real estate, land allocation). marine and transportation (ports). energy. tourism. 

foodstuffs and agricultural products, financial organizations, automotive, entertainment. and 

others. 

In addition to this. BankPozitif is interested in the privatization of state·owned enterprises and 

large performed asset sales, performed openly and transparently (in which there are lots of 

national and international participants). 

BankPozitif takes a positive approach to its customers, endearing to provide banking services 

that make the customer's life easier and solutions that are both appropriate and fullfil) expectations, whether for business, home vehicles, or otherkinds of individual credits. 

In line with its extraordinary banking approach. BankPozitif is prepared to visit customers at 

any place and time and give information about financial solutions. Its fast and solution-orient· 

cd BankPozitif call center is committed to answering all financial questions and responding to 

a wide variety of problems as quickly as possible. 

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000167 

NTF Construction is. Turkish construction company that has worked on a variety of construction projects. Previous work includes dams and hydroelectric power plants; irrigation and 

drainage projects; roads, bridge and tunnel works; earthworks; potable water and waste water 

networks; mining and quarry operations; drilling and grouting works; buildings and industrial 

plants; urban infrastructure; airport; harbour; and natural gas and oil pipelines. 

NTF uses state-of-the-.rt information technology. 

NTF Information System is an integrity of the software designed to overcome the difficulties in 

controlling the work sites of NTF, which are spread over different geographical regions. Owing 

to the data processing technologies being intensely used, productivity and speed have been 

provided in the fields of production planning, human resources, purchasing, machinery, quality control and accounting. 

With the NTFBS software designed and developed completely by NTF personnel for use in 

the work sites, it is possible to examine all human resources data, access the data on the daily 

production - consumption and operating hours of the machinery and prepare and monitor 

daily work site reports. 

GPS (Global Positioning System) -Supported Vehicle Monitoring System, wbose project, 

hardware and software were developed by NTF personnel and resources, makes it possible to 

monitor the main production vehicles currently active in tbe work sites with the help of tbe 

location data obtained from GPS satellites, and the data like their position, speed, load, etc. are 

collected over the radio lines in real time at the main center. This data has provided increased 

productivity for the vehicles used in the work sites. Same project won tbe award at tbe contest 

"New Horizons" organized by GYIAD (Association of Young Managers and Businessman) in 

the year 1997. 

Moreoyer, regular training courses are held on the subjects of installation and upgrade of the 

other software used by the departments under full license at the center and ill the work sites, 

in order to increase the activity of the software used. 'lhe equipment of NTF Construction 

includes 101 machines, 67 trucks, and 35 other vebicles. 

To date NTF Construction has worked on projects from the Akkoprii Dam, to the Pervari Dam 

and Pendik Collector. 

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TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (TABA) 

TABA founded in 1987 is a non-profit organization, headquartered in Istanbul. it has five 

branches in Turkey. TABXs membership is over 650 companies. 

As the representative of the American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey. TABXs goal is to enhance trade relations between the U.S.A and Turkey; to encourage American investments into 

this country; assist members by connecting them with potential strategic partners; help solve 

their trade-related issues and contribute to Turkey's promotion abroad. 

In order to accomplish these goals, TABAI AmCham founded several task committees. These 

committees are: Membership; Project Development; Telecommunication & Information 

Technology; Energy & Infrastructure; Law & Finance, Publications; Activities & Communications: Corporate Affairs; Consumer Products; Intellectual Royalty Rights; Trademarks Defense 

Industry; Tourism; Real Estate & Transportation and Investment & Regulations pertaining to 

EU relations. 

TABA! AmCham is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A (COCU.S.A), member of the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce (ECACC) and AmericanTurkish Council (ATe). 

http://www.amcham.org.tr 

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FRITO LAY IN TURKEY 

~rM 

fIIIlfll11} 

000169 

Having been founded as a Turkish company In 1986, Uzay Food sold 50 % of its shares to 

Pepsico after 2 years and Frito Lay was founded as a 100 % Pepsico company in 1993. Today, it 

provides employment opportunities for more than 2.400 people through its plants in Izmit and 

Tarsus, its head office in istanbul and sales and distribution network that spans all over Turkey. 

Operating in the Turkish market with four international brands including Lay's, Ruffles, Doritos, and Cheetos, Frito Lay is the leader of savory snacks In Turkey. Since it entered to the 

Turkish snack market, Fdto Lay Turkey has been growing continuously. Recently, it received 

the prestigious PepsiCo Founder's Award (Donald M. Kendall Award) in 2004 and 2005. 

Product Categories 

Potato Chips (Lay's, Ruffles) The world's number one savory snacks company and the leader in 

Turkey. has 2 brands -Lay's and Ruffles- in the potato chips category. Lay's offers 3 choices: 

Classic Potato Chip, Harvest Feast (Yoghurt & Seasonal Vegetables Flavor) and Spices Flavor. 

With a selection of satisfying flavors, Ruffles also offers alternative choices such as Originals -

Ridged Potato Chip, Tat Ketchup Flavor and Maximum - Cheese & Onion Flavor. 

Corn Chips (Dodlos. A La Turca) 

Doritos, Doritos Dippas and A La Turca are Frito Lay's corn chips. Doritos has 3 choices: Taco 

(Spices Flavor), Nacho (Cheese Flavor) and Hot Corn (Hot Pepper Flavor). Doritos Dippas was 

created for chip lovers who prefer eating chips with sauces. A La Turca provides a fascinating 

traditional tastes with its Poppy seed assortment. 

Corn Snacks (Cheetos, Gerezza) 

With its wide product range suitable for all age groups, Prito Lay has two corn snack brands. 

Cheetos and <;:erezza. Cbeetos, produced from 100% corn semolina with vegetable oil and oven 

baked has an indispensable laste with its Cheese, Peanul, Ketchup, Steak. Twisled, '[hunder. 

Crispy Cheese & Thunder and Mini Cheetos varieties. 

Plants and Warehouses 

Frito Lay Turkey has a large distribution network all around the country with 200 distributors 

and a sales force of more tban 1.000 people. Delicious and appetizing snacks are produced in 

Frito Lay's two plants in Suadiye Kocaeli and Tarsus. Frilo Lay reaches all of Turkey with 

its distribution system and continues growing through marketing activities with its products 

suitable for all age groups. Frito Lay keeps its leadership in the potato chips market with Lay's 

and Ruffles, in the corn chips market with Doritos and A La Turca and corn snacks with Cheetos and Gerezza. 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE 

000170 

ARTICLES 

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal AtatUrk (1881-1938), known 

also as ATATORK. "Father of the Turks:' founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923. The Republic was founded upon secular democratic principles, but has suffered recurrent periods of 

political instability and intermittent military coups that disrupted its democratic development. 

Turkey became a member of the UN in 1945, NATO in 1952, an associate member of the European Community in 1964. and began the process for accession into the EU in 2005. 

Turkey's population is approximately 72 million people. It is one of the largest countries in 

Europe and the Middle East. A quarter of the population is under 15 years of age, 69% is of 

working age, and its median age is 29. Ethnically diverse, Kurds are thought to constitute about 

20% of the population with concentration in the Southeast and Istanbul. 

Turkey endured an economic depression and collapse of its banking sector in 2000-2001. In 

the past five years. however, it has enjoyed political stability and strong economic growth. Its 

GOP grew S.9% in 2004, 5% in 2005, 6.1 % in 2006, and 5% in 2007. It is expected to grow at 

a rate of 4.5% in 200S. The Turkish Lira. which depreciated at an alarming pace through the 

1990s, has been remarkably steady for the past four years. 

Diverse challenges, a rich history and geopolitical fate give Turkey a commanding regional 

role that can be projected well into the future. It is in fact located in a prime intersection of 

culture, political power, influence, and commerce. Turkey has big dreams to use its position to 

integrate into the European Union and once again become a nation of regional influence and 

global Vitality. 

Economic Picture 

Turkey's macroeconomic picture has improved dramatically over the past five years. Growth 

in GDP has averaged 6.9%. Inflation was brought to single digits. Foreign direct investment 

blossomed to more than $21 billion in 2007. Privatization of state-owned enterprises moved 

forward at a rapid pace. Economic reforms required for accession to the European Union 

have led to tightening fiscal policy, foreign direct investment flows, and investor confidence. 

The Turkish Lira was revalued In 2005 and has held remarkably stable, but a recent spike in 

inflation rates cause concern among investors. Foreign currency is getting harder to come by. 

especially with the end of the IMF oversight in May. drastically decreasing foreign direct capital 

inflows. In 2008 we are seeing a slow down in GOP growth and in investments. 

The growth in Turkish exports in 2008 has heen dramatic, but so too has been the growth of 

imports led by imported and more expensive oil and gas. When combined with a decline in 

foreign investment in privatized state-owned enterprises, Turkey's negative current account has 

steadily deteriorated in 2008. Turkey's economy can be expected to remain strong in the future 

by turning to micro-economic reforms that will benefit its strong manufacturing base and 

small and medium enterprises. Its increasingly market-oriented economy is in a prime location for international commerce and its economy has grown in ways that tie it ever closer to the 

EU. Domestically and around the world Turkey is regarded as important for its role as an 

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CONF\DEN1\J\L 

TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE 'td. 

energy transportation hub and thus as a leader in the energy sector. With its economy, now 

17th largest in the world. Turkey is expected to be one of the world's ten largest economies 

within the next fifteen years. Membership in the EU would further promote economic progress. 

U.S.-Thrkish Relations 

00017. 

Despite difficulties that commenced with the Iraq invasion in the spring of 2003, the U.S. and 

Turkey have recognized that they are each others indispensable ally and preserved the core of 

their relationship through common goals and shared values. 

In 1947 the Marshall Plan initiated a tight U.S.-Turkey relationship as Europe was rebuilt 

after World War II. Five years later Turkey and the U.S. became allies through membership 

in NATO. This strong security partnership was solidified with Turkey's dedication of armed 

forces to halt the spread of Communism, including a remarkable reputation for valor earned in 

the Korean War. 

Throughout the Cold War, Turkey acted as the southern flank protector of Western interests 

against the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union. Turkey's role changed, enduring a period of uncertainty but emerging in the 21st Century no less strategically important 

than it had been for the previous 50 years. Terrorism, religious and cultural clashes, Persian 

Gulf and Middle East conflicts, energy security. the potential for a nuclear armed Iran, and the 

alarming spread ofIslamic fundamentalism have all placed Turkey and its regional position 

front and center. 

Three issues became major irritants in the U.S.-Turkey relationship over the past five years: the 

Iraq invasion, dealing with PKK terrorism, and congressional flirtation with a resolution that 

ascribes to Turkey the crime of "genOcide" for the Ottoman Empire's hanrlling of the Armenian 

rehellion nearly a century ago. The first two issues have been satisfactory managed; the third 

looms as a genuine flashpoint for the future. 

Turkey surprised and disappointed the u.s. with its rejection in March 2003 of u.s. plans for 

a northern front in Iraq to be opened by transiting U.S. troops into Northern Iraq through 

Turkey. When Baghdad fell and Northern Iraqi Kurds appeared to emerge as the dominant 

post -Sadam players, Turkey feared that Iraq would disintegrate and an independent Kurdistan emerge. This was thought to be cataclysmic for Turkey's own territorial integrity and its 

struggle against the PKK and Kurdish independence. 

Nonetheless, Turkey continued to permit massive amounts of war materiel and logistic support to transit Turkey to U.S. and coalition forces fighting in Iraq. Today, upwards of75% of 

airborne re-supply for the Iraq war transits Turkey and 100% of the refueling for air operations 

in both Iraq and Afghanistan stage through Incirlik Air Base. Turkey has been reassured with 

the evolving federal structure for Iraq's government and has participated in extensive training 

of Iraq's politicians, bureaucrats and police, as well as large swaths of reconstruction. 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ctd. 

Rising unpopularity for America among Turks was fueled by the perception that America's occupation of Iraq provided a northern Iraq safe haven for PKK terrorists. A dramatic up-tick in 

PKK cross border violence in late 2007 led Prime Minister Erdogan to seek an urgent meeting 

in November with President Bush. The agreement to provide Turkey "actionable intelligence" 

on the PKK and President Bush's pronouncement of the PKK as a "common enemy" have 

resolved this irritant. Likewise. the unexpected success of the Administration in getting members of the House to withdraw their support for the Armenian "genocide" resolution removed 

that issue from the bilateral agenda for the present. 

As a result of successfully managing these three issues, U.S.-Turkey relations are the best today 

that they have been at any time in the past five years. 

Turkey and the European Union 

Although EU -oriented reforms dropped off during the 2007 election year and were slow to 

resume, they are now once again an active part of the Turkish Government's political and economic agenda. Successful integration into the EU would greatly benefit Turkey and will see its 

continued development and progression to a prosperous democratic SOciety. As a secular democracy within a Muslim society, it faces challenges balancing social and political issues. The 

Justice and Development Party (AKP) members, President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have reaffirmed the country's commitment to this goal. Turkey's social 

maturity is evident in their willingness to accept EU-mandated reforms, and has improved its 

economy, political and social position to meet these reforms. 

Turkey is in a prime location for commerce and influencing regional international relations. Its economy has grown to be the 17th largest in the world, larger than many EU states. 

Turkey has a young population with good work ethic and rapidly developing skills in modern 

technologies. Eager today to find employment and be prosperous, it is a labor force that will 

be desperately needed in the future by many European states. As a Democratic State with a 

majority Muslim population. Turkey can become not only a geopolitical bridge. but a cultural 

and political bridge between the EU and the Middle East and a prime example of a prosperous, 

democratic, yet dominantly Muslim. society. 

Turkey's path to EU membership is far from certain. More than any previous aspirant. Turkey 

is being asked to jump over ever-changing political hurdles in its pursuit of EU membership: 

Cyprus. Armenian genOcide, the Kurdish problem, domestic reform, and freedom of expression are but some of the problems that Turkey must address before becoming a memher. To 

date. Turkey has managed to close but one chapter of the 35 necessary for membership. Eight 

chapters were suspended at the insistence of France and Cyprus. All of this amounts to a long 

and tremulous process of setbacks and ach ievements undoubtedly extending the time frame for 

accession of Turkey. At the same time, the EU has itself suffered from indecisions and misdirection. leading many Turks to question whether the EU can ever be a successful destination for 

Turkey. 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE cld. 

Afghanistan 

Turkey was the first Muslim country to actively pursue the Taliban by sending troops to 

Afghanistan. Turkey assisted in training the Afghan military and supporters of humanitarian 

aid, and Turks authorized the transit of u.s. aircraft and war materiel destined for Afghanistan 

through Turkey's Incirlik Air Base. Turkey has been an active participant in "Operation Enduring Freedom': twice commanding the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Efforts 

made to build infrastructure and promote peace in Afghanistan have engaged Turkish troops 

and the private sector in infrastructure development and delivery of humanitarian aid, Turkey 

faces a constant struggle with its own population over their demands for priority in opposing PKK terrorism before assisting its allies in Afghanistan. Nonetheless. this year Turkey has 

doubled its humanitarian assistance pledge and increased foreign direct investment projects by 

Turkish tirms. 

Kurds in Turkey 

Kurdish ethnidty accounts for nearly 20% of the total Turkish population. Individually, Kurds 

have been denied recognition of their unique ethnidty. language. books, radio and television. 

music and other cultural manifestations. In recent years, however, these rights have increasingly been improved with help from EU mandates and strong representation of Kurds within the 

Turkish government. Recent laws now permit Kurdish language broadcasts and magazines and 

newspapers. Kurdish is still not permitted to be written or spoken in government or in publicly 

supported education. Great economic disparity is also apparent when comparing the poverty 

of the Southeast with the burgeoning economies of Western Turkey. 

Kurdish terrorist group, the PKK, has been taking a huge toll in Turkey. particularly the 

Southeast. For more than three decades. Turkey has looked to the u.s. and the international 

community for support against the PKK, but that support has rarely been provided. Recently, 

the United States became much more active against the PKK providing "actionable" intelligence 

information to Turkey about PKK whereabouts and actions in Northern Iraq. President Bush 

named the PKK "an enemy of Turkey. an enemy of Iraq. and therefore an enemy of the United 

States:' The United States has also encouraged Iraqi Kurdish authorities to work more closely 

with Turkey against the PKK. This too appears to have positive effect. Turkey's own Kurdish population has shown that it is not primarily interested in an independent Kurdish state. 

Kurds in 1l1rkey look forward to Turkish accession to the EU as a path for increased freedoms 

and economic success for their people within Turkey. 

Cyprus 

The election of a new Cypriot President. Dimitris Christotias. in February 2008 has opened 

the best opportunity since the failure of the Annan Plan in 2004 for the Cyprus dispute to be 

settled. Turkey encourages the resumed negotiation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots under the auspices of the UN. In a colossal diplomatic blunder, the EU granted Cyprus membership in the EU. and European Union rights to Greek Cypriots only. even though Greek Cypriots 

rejected the Annon Plan. By such action. the EU assured no progress for the next four years 

under former President Papadopoulos. In the meantime. Turkish troops remained in place, 

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TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE ctd. 

Turkish Cypriots remained isolated, and progress on EU membership for Turkey became a hostage to the Greek Cypriots and a Cyprus solution. 

Greece 

Remarkable progress has been made in Greece-Turkey relations since the tragedies of dual 

earthquakes in Turkey and Greece in 1999. Disputes over ownership of islets and areas in the 

Aegean, treatment of each country's minority populations, and recurrent military tensions are 

increasingly rare. Greece supports Turkey's membership in the European Union. Exchanges of 

high level visits have taken place. Matters such as the reopening of the Halki Seminary remain 

to be resolved. 

Global Relations 

Increasingly, Turkey sees a role for itself beyond its regional influences. For example, in Africa 

Turkey's historical, cultural, and economic interests are paving the way to increased relations in 

sub-Saharan Africa, opening 15 new embassies, a robust growth ofbit.teral commerce, and a 

partnership with the African Union. Turkey has contributed humanitarian aid projects paralleling U.S. strategic aid projects in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Palestine, 

The Balkans 

The Balkans continue to have a special relationship with Turkey because of their historical connections to the Ottoman Empire, and because they are close neighbors with mutual economic 

and political growth prospects and accession into the EU. 'lhese countries generally are benefiting from increased commercial and humanitarian ties with Turkey and mutual memberships in NATO. Croatia is also an aspiring state for EU membership and is progressing toward 

that objective much more quickly than Turkey. Turkey and the Balkan States are working 

toward co-operation in energy supply and building infrastructure to support energy networks 

to Europe. 

The Caucasus 

Turkey cooperates closely with Azerbaijan and Georgia on the elimination of terrorism, human 

trafficking, and drug smuggling, and development of commercial projects. A fundamental 

piece of Europe's energy security puzzle was put in place when Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia 

opened the Baku-Tblisi-Ceylan pipeline on luly 15,2006. Commercial projects in the region 

have been fostered in conjunction with many international finance and trade organizations including the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the u.s. Trade and Development Agency 

(TDA), and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Turkey has the support of 

the u.s. in its efforts to reduce tensions in the region through "Operation Black Sea Harmony" 

in conjunction with NATO's Operation Active Endeavor. In the midst of the Armenian issue is 

the U.S. Congress. Turkey will not normalize its relations with Armenia or open its land border with Armenia unless Armenia's long-standing occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territory in 

Nagorno Karabagh comes to an end. Turkey's dispute with Armenia over Armenia's occupation of vast tracts of Azerbaijan and the efforts to brand Turkey for the crime of genOCide for 

its treatment of Armenians at the end of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire 

remain a major trouble spot. 

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000175 

CONFIDENTlr\L 

TURKEY IN 2008: THE U.S., THE EU AND THE FUTURE cld. 

Eurasia 

When the Soviet Empire collapsed in 1991, Turkey was the first country to recognize the inde· 

pendence of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan believing (mistakenly) that a common linguistic and cultural heritage would result in all five looking to Turkey 

for leadership and encouragement. While Turkey's political and cultural gambit failed. its commercial penetration of markets throughout the "Stans" succeeded. Today, Turkish clothing, 

food, all variety of manufactured goods and construction can be found through Eurasia, and 

Turkey is a major transit hub for Eurasian energy exports to Turkey and Western Europe. 

General 

Population 

Population growth 

Life expectancy at birth 

GOP (ppp) 

GOP per capita (ppp) 

Real GOP Growth 

Inflation 

Unemployment 

71.892,807 

1.013% 

73.14 years 

$888 billion 

$12,900 

5% 

8.5% 

9.9% 

Statistics obtained from The World Factbook, july 7.2008: 

http://www.cia.govllibrary/publications/the-world-factbookigeos!tu.htmi 

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TURKISH ECONOMY BRIEF 

July 9th 2008 

From the Economist Intelligence Unit 

Source: Country Forecast 

Outlook for 2008-09 

000176 

The Economist Intelligence Unit expects the Constitutional Court to dose the Justice and 

Development Party (AKP) and ban leading members, including the prime minister, Recep 

Tayyip Erdogan, from membership of any party. 

If this happens, we expect the party to re-form under a new name and remain in government. Most of the banned members will be able stand as independents in by-elections or 

possibly a general election in late 2008 or early 2009. 

We expect that Turkey's EU accession bid and economic reform will remain the government's main priorities, but progress will be slow. 

Tensions with the military may hinder the government's ability to engage fully in efforts to 

resolve the division of Cyprus. 

lhe government has not signed another IMF stand-by accord. However, post-programme 

monitoring and the option of a precautionary stand-by agreement at a later stage should 

help to maintain investor confidence. 

Owing to the continued rise in inflation, we expect the Central Bank of Turkey to keep 

monetary policy tight and only start to cut interest rates again in 2009. 

Owing to high inllation and interest rate increases we expect GDP growth to slow from 

6.6% in the first quarter of 2008 to average 4-4.5% a year in 2008-09. 

Monthly Review 

On June 5th Turkey's Constitutional Court annulled the constitutional amendments 

passed by the AKP and part of the opposition, which had allowed female students to wear 

Islamic-style headscarves in universities. 

On June 16th the AKP submitted its written defence in the closure case against the ruling 

party. The AKP is accused of being a focus of anti-secular activity. 

During a visit to Diyarbalor in the predominantly Kurdish inhabited south-easl of Turkey, 

Mr. Erdogan announced a South-east Anatolia Project (GAP) Action Plan to complete the 

GAP plan. which began in the 1980s. by 2012. 

With consumer price inllation at 10.7% in May and riSing, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank decided on June 16th to raise interest rates by 50 basis points for 

the second month in succession. 

GDP growth accelerated to 6.6% in the first quarter 0(2008, from 3.4% in the second 

half of 2007. Recent indicators suggest that economic activity was sluggish in the second 

quarter of 2008 and will remain so in the third. 

Following a bout of weakness in March and early April the lira recovered and remained broadly stable in late May and June. On June 26th the lira was trading at about 

YTLI.22:U.S.$1 and YTL!.90:€1. 

http://www.economist.comlcountries/Turkey/profile.cfm ?folder= Profile-Forecast Accessed luI), 16. 2008. 

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ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM CHAOTIC POLITICAL CLIMATE GROWING, 

SAYS MINISTER 

Extracted from Jul)' 8. 2008: l'ODAY'SZAMAN WITH WIRES ANKARA 

The cost of the political uncertainty stemming from a dosure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and an investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization is climbing. 

Economy Minister Mehmet ~im!ek has said. noting that the Turkish Treasury has thus far sustained a loss 

ofYTL 20 billion. 

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency yesterday. the minister acknowledged that the economy is being 

shaken by glob.l developments such as soaring energy prices. a liquidity squeeze and the U.S. sub prime 

mortgage crisis. but said political uncertainties on the domestic front are causing more damage to the 

Turkish economy. 

000177 

'What we and many national and foreign experts think is that if there had been no political uncertainty in 

Turkey. it would have been among the countries least affected by the global crisis because our economy was 

already in a period of normalization; the minister stated. 

Despite all these adverse developments in the domestic political sphere. the government did not lose focus 

on steering the economy and continued structural reforms to achieve a sustainable growth rate in the 

medium and long terms. he noted. 

Still. interest rates have increased by 5.5 percentage points to 225 percent since the dosure case filed 

against the AK Party in March. which. he said. represents a sharp rise. "So. the political uncertainty, together with an upsurge in risk premiums and interest rates. has caused YTL 20 billion of additional burden 

for the Treasury:' he stated, adding. "Turkey does not deserve this crisis," 

The minister pointed to the losses of companies whose stocks are traded on the Istanbul Stock Exchange 

(iMKB) as another result of the political turbulence. He stated that the totallass.s in the market capitalization of these companies have exceeded $80 billion. More has been lost with the huge outflows of foreign 

capital from financial markets, the slowdown in foreign direct investment (FDI) and a contraction in 

consumption, he added. 

A more serious upshot of the troubles in the political arena is yet to arrive, the minister predicted, stating 

that the economy may stop growing at the expected ratc. The economy recorded 6.6 percent growth In the 

first quarter due to a stronger manufacturing industry. higher consumption and inwstment expenditures. 

he noted. However. he said he was not optimistic about the second quarter as the: effects of the political 

disrupllons will be seen more markedly in the figures of that period. 

KOBiDER plead. for stability 

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (KOBtDER) Chairman Nurettin Ozgen~ has complained about the 

uncertainty in the political arena. saying that it caused a sharp downward trend in demand that is crippling 

production. Turkey's top priority is the economy. and the economy 

can only grow when there is stability. he emphaSized. adding that "democracy spreads to the masses only in 

econom ically developed countries:' 

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency. Ozgen~ claimed that political ambigUities are always accompanied 

by a contraction in demand as households are deterred from spending their disposable incomes with a 

propensity to save more. He warned that political actors must be more careful in their steps for the sake of 

protecting the peaceful environment that the economy's actors need to run the wheels of production. 

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THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY AFFAIRS PERSPECTIVE ON 

U.S.-TURKEY BILATERAL RELATIONS IN MID-200S 

Bilateral Relations 

000178 

Overall, US.-Turkey relations are in better shape now than they have been in five years. This is 

due to several key developments: US. support for Turkey's own war on terror through provision of "actionable intelligence" that back-stops Turkish attacks on the PKK in Northern Iraq; 

successful side-tracking of the Armenian Genocide resolution in the u.s. House of Representatives; and the continued Significant partnership of Turkey in the global war on terror in Iraq 

and Afghanistan. 

As an outcome of Prime Minister Erdogan's November 2007 meeting with President Bush 

and President Bush's identification of the PKK as a 'common enemy:' the US. military agreed 

to provide real-time intelligence to the Turkish military. The Turkish military has successfully used this intelligence to pursue PKK cross-border in Northern Iraq. Immediately after 

the Erdogan-Bush meeting, a high-profile round of airstrikes was mounted against the PKK 

in Northern Iraq, followed by ground attacks employing UAV s acquired from Israel as well 

as Turkish ground troops. The operations were successful and showed Turkey's ability to use 

predsion-guided munitions effectively against PKK targets with truly minimal collateral damages. The "actionahle intelligence" delivered by the U.S. is playing a crucial role in the success of 

the military operations. 

Despite approval by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a resolution tbat would have adopted the term "genocide" to describe the Ottoman-Armenian massacres of93 years ago, was not 

successful in passing in 2007 by the u.s. House of Representatives. House Speaker Nancy PelOSi 

supported the resolution, calling it "one that is consistent with what our government has always 

said about. .. what happened at that time." President Bush disagreed, saying 'one thing Congress 

should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire." Eight past 

Secretaries of State and three past Secretaries of Defense shared this viewpoint. 'rhanks to energetic efforts of the Administration and intense lohhying by the Government of Turkey, support 

for the resolution evaporated at the last moment, with several of Speaker Peiosi's leadership 

team urging her to withdraw the Resolution from the floor. Had this resolution come to a vote 

and passed, it would seriously have harmed relations between the US. and Turkey and outraged the Turkish public who would surely have demanded retribution of some form harmful 

to the US. war in Iraq. Should a similar or the same resolution reappear in 2009, it will again 

be a major threat to vital US.-Turkish commercial and defense interests. For example, Turkey's 

response to passage could wen be to limit future US. access to Incirlik Airbase inside Turkey, a 

key logistical support base into and out of [raq and Afghanistan. 

AllOWing the United States to use this airbase near Iraq continues to be Turkey's strongest 

commitment to the global war on terror. Indeed, this is a continuation the US.-Turkey military 

partnership that supported the 1991 Gulf War, Operation Provide Comfort, and Operation 

Northern Watch, an aerial patrol of Northern Iraq that shielded the Iraqi Kurds from Saddam 

Hussein from 1997-2003. Turkey also supports through Incirlik the logistics of US. operations 

in Afghanistan. As a member of NATO, Turkish troops are part of the ISAF and Turkey has 

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CONFlnFNTI41 

twice commanded ISAF for six·month rotational tours. Turks have also been very successful 

assistance partners in Afghanistan, building schools, providing humanitarian assistance, and 

training Afghani police. 

Inside Turkey 

Although not directly related to the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey, a few recent 

events crucial to the understanding of the domestic situation in Turkey are worthy of mention. 

'Ihe AK Party and Government have had a tension·filled relationship with the 1urkish military 

ever since the 2002 parliamentary elections. lhe military issued a statement in April 2007 

expressing disapproval of the government's choice of Foreign Minister GUI to become Turkey's 

next President in what has been popularly referred to as an "e· coup:' The military's memoran· 

durn and a subsequent ruling by the Constitutional Court prompted the Government to call 

snap elections in July 2007 in which tbe AK Party was overwhelmingly preferred to continue as 

Government. 

In separate cases in 2008, Turkey's ruling AK Party and Prime Minister Erdogan face charges 

relating to the undermining of secularism, charges which could result in the AK Party's aboli· 

tion and in Erdogan's being barred from polities (along with several other leaders of the AK 

Party). For its part, the AK Party has mounted an aggressive criminal investigation of retired 

military officers and others for allegedly planning assassination of prominent liberals and a 

presumed military takeover in 2009. This included in early July two ex· generals, one of the only 

instances of Rag-grade military officers being arrested in Turkey's history. 

Since the inception of the Republic, the military - which led coups that displaced popularly 

elected governments in 1960, 1971, and 1980 - has been seen as the guardian of secularism 

in Turkey. It continues to be held in bigh respect by the Turkish public. 'lhe current AK Party 

Government, despite achieving another majority in Parliament by winning 47% of the vote in 

the 2007 general election, is not secular enough for the military's taste and now finds itself under investigation by the Constitutional Court. Many inside and outside Turkey believe that the 

Party will be disbanded and Prime Minister Erdogan banned from politicS. However, it is not 

possible at tbis point to predict the outcome. Should the AK Party be disbanded and Erdogan 

barred from politics, it is not clear just how this would affect Turkey's political stability and 

economic progress-but it wouldn't be positive. 

The criminal investigation of retired military officers and others for allegedly planning assas· 

sination of prominent liberals and a presumed military takeover in 2009 (referred to in the 

media as the Ergenekon case or conspiracy), became public in January 2008, when 33 people, 

including some military members, were arrested. The Ergenekon case started after the dis· 

covery of 27 hand grenades on June 12,2007 in a shanty house officer in Istanbul's Omraniye 

district that belonged to a retired noncommissioned ollicer. On July 1,2008, two ex·generals 

were arrested and a total of 86 individuals indicted. This led to speculation that the arrests were 

possibly revenge for the otherwise unrelated AK Party closure case. According to leaked 

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--------.-.~-..... ---- THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY AFFAIRS PERSPECTIVE ON 

U.S.-TURKEY BILATERAL RELATIONS IN MID-200B ctd. 

information from the investigators, the ultra-nationalist Ergenekon operation was allegedly 

plotting to assassinate more high-profile liberal intellectuals, including a winner of the Nobel 

Prize, in an attempt to destabilize the nation and hurt Turkey's progress towards joining the 

EU If assassinations had been carried out, it is alleged the military was planning to seize power 

in Turkey in a moment of confusion, terror, and destabilization. At the time of this writing, no 

formal indictment had been announced regarding any of those arrested in connection with this 

case. 

The Turkish-US_ Defense Industry Cooperation 

The bilateral defense relationship between the us. and Turkey is a mutually beneficial relationship which has existed for over sixty years and has enhanced the national security of both 

countries as well as peace within Europe. Especially in recent years, Turkey's approach to 

defense industry cooperation has been driven by two complementary aspirations, the need for 

the most modern and effective defense technology, which is often acquired by partnerships 

between the Turkish military (TSK) and foreign governments or businesses (including many 

in the US.), and Turkey's desire to become technologically self-sufficient, ultimately achieving 

its own indigenous defense industry driven by the most up-to-date Turkish defense companies. 

Spearheading this effort is the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), Turkey's military 

procurement agency. The SSM attempts to strike a balance between the short and long-term by 

encouraging immediate acquisition of military technologies while fostering Turkish innovation and self-sufficiency. In 2006, Turkey exported $352 million worth of arms and bought 

$1.7 billion for its own use. lhe International Cooperation Department of SSM is responsible 

for the research of potential international project opportunities under the Director of Bilateral 

Cooperation and the Director of Multilateral Cooperation. 

Turkey's military is moving in the direction of a leaner, more modern force. Turkey plans to 

reduce the overall number of troops by twenty to thirty percent and to increase their level of 

specialization. TSK and SSM run a tight ship, a very strong conventional-weapons operation of 

armor, aviation (planes, helicopters, and UAVs), missiles, and naval forces_ 

Turkey intends to remain the strongest aviation power in the region_ One of eleven countries 

in the Joint Strike Fighter project, in which the US. plays the leading role, Turkey plans to buy 

100 JSF-35 planes for a cost of $11 hillion to replace its aging fleet made up of F-4s and F-16s. 

Turkey has used Israeli-built UAV s in successful attacks in Northern Iraq against the PKK, but 

the business situation with Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) has frustrated Turkey, which is now 

developing its own UAV prototypes_ 

US. Government and businesses have supplied defense products to Turkey for many years 

beginning in 1947 with the Marshall Plan_ Sales stalled following Turkey's invasion of Cyprus 

in 1974 and the imposition orthe US. arms embargo. Sales stalled again in 1995 and 1997 after 

reports ofUS.-made weapons being used in committing war crimes against Kurdish communities in Turkey's Southeast. Yet droughts of U.s. arms flows to Turkey have many limes led to 

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000181 

Turkish innovation. Trading with the U.S. (the world's leading exporter of defense technology) 

is, in some respects, more appealing to Turkey than dealing with Russia or South Korea. In any 

case, foreign relations between Turkey and any defense partner are burdened by external issues 

such as the A rmenian genocide debates. interoperability with NATO. and the humanitarian 

situation of the Palestinians or Kurds. and thus become extremely complicated business ventures. Nonetheless. the SSM and TSK are moving Turkey in the direction of improved military 

capabilities. Reliable American technologies. especially those effective in fighting the PKK in 

Northern Iraq and in the Southeast. are still very attractive to the Turkish military. 

Conclusion 

Although it is impossible to predict how Turkey's domestic political situation will play out 

over the next few months. it is likely that Turkey's secular democratic government and its dose 

ties with the West-particularly including the United States-will remain in place. The one 

predictable exception to this scenario is if the U.S. Congress passes an "Armenian Genocide 

Resolution." As has already been mentioned. this action would certainly have an immediate 

and extremely detrimental effect on U.S.-Thrkey relations in every arena. particularly including commercial ties and security cooperation. Regardless of what else happens, Turkey wiU 

remain important globally and regionally. It will also remain an important market for defense 

technology acquisition/development. even as it continues to place increased emphasis on a 

more balanced model of defense industry cooperation. For these reasons. a strong U.S. -Turkey 

relationship. based on mutual respect of each other's sovereignty and close cooperation in all 

fields. should be a vital component of U.S. foreign policy. as designed through careful cooperation between the Executive and the Legislative branches of our government. 

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Congressional Record 

Vol. 152 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MAY 16.2006 No. 60 

PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION 

Patara: The Origins of American Democracy, 

1800 Years and 7000 Miles Away 

(House of Representatives • May 16,2006) 

HON. CLIPP STEARNS 

OFPLORIDA 

IN THE HOU.S.E OF REPRESENTATIVES 

Mr. STEARNS: Mr. Speaker, the city of Palara in Turkey sports a fantastic beach that sprawls 

for more than 11 miles. It recently rated number one on the London Sunday Times' list of the 

world's best beaches. But Patara is worth our attention for more than sand and surf. An archeological team led by Akdeniz University Professors Fahri lsik and Havva Iskan Isik recently 

unearthed an ancient parliament building in Patara -- the meeting place of the first federalrepublic in recorded human history. The building, called the Bouleuterion, housed at least 

twenty-three city-states of the Lycian League, which existed along the Mediterranean coast of 

Turkey from about 167 BC until 400 AD. 

The Lycian League's republican governing system. utilizing proportional representation, was 

unparalleled in the ancient world, and fascinated the pioneering philosophers of the Enlightenment, particularly Montesquieu. Depending on the size of the member cities. each elected one, 

two or three representatives to the Lydan parliament. When cities were too small, two or three 

banded together to share one representative vote. The six largest cities in the League had the 

right to three votes. The parliament elected a president, called the "Lyciarch:' which at various 

times served as the League's religious, military, and political leader. Although it is contested, 

there is evidence to suggest that women could be and in fact were Lyciarch. 

In Book IX of Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws, after charting the highs and lows of the earliest 

republics, he stresses the utility of a confederacy. He cites the Lycian League as an example: "It 

is unlikely that states that associate will be of the same size and have equal power .... If one had 

to propose a model of a fine federal republic. I would choose the republic of Lycia:' 

Montesquieu's interest in the Lydan way of government would prove central to our founding. 

Thanks to his writings. in the debates about our own Constitution. Alexander Hamilton and 

James Madison cited the Lydan League as a model for our own system of government. 

As well, in literal linkage. the semi-circular configuration of seats in this House of Representatives is exactly the same seating arrangement as in the Bouleuterion in Patara. The Boulcu· 

terion's throne-like perch, where the elected Lyciarch sat. is much the same as the seat of the 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

On June 30. 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, James Madison appealed 

to the delegates' understanding of the Lycian League. 1he Convention had just rejected the 

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"New Jersey Plan'; which called for a rather modest revision of our nation's first constitutional 

framework, the failed Articles of Confederation. The delegates resolved to come up with a new 

constitution, but had few notions in common of how it should proceed. 

A delegate from Connecticut, Oliver Ellsworth, had just finished arguing for the Articles of 

Confederation's principle that every state should be equal in the national arena. He specifi000183 

cally asked, "Where is or was a confederation ever formed, where equality of voices was not a 

fundamental principle?" lames Madison replied that the Lycian League was different, according 

representation in reflection of actual size. His Virginia plan provided for a bicamerallegislature, with both houses' representation based on states' population. He eventually had to accept 

a compromise, with a people's house of proportional representation, our House of Representatives, in tandem with a Senate of equal state representation. 

Hamilton and Madison also cited the Lycian League in defense of representative democracy. 

While direct rule usually resulted in either tyranny or anarchy, the two founders felt that delegation of authority to elected representatives would allow the government to function properly. 

TIle ideas and debates of our founding fathers may seem archaic to our modern times, but we 

face questions of federalism every day in this Congress. A federalist system of government 

divides power between a central authority (the federal government) and constituent political 

units (the states and localities). The delineation of that power comes into question particularly 

often on the Energy & Commerce Committee, of which I am a Subcommittee Chairman, 

whether we are debating the proper authority over electricity transmission across state lines, 

the regulation of hazardous waste, or the transmission of information through our telecommunications infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, whether we are helping Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries develop representative democratic systems, or prOViding advice to the burgeoning democracies of post-Soviet 

Eastern Europe, we effectively reenact the Constitutional Convention's dehates about the Lydan 

League and the nature of democracy around the world. We are doing what we can to help 

spread freedom and democracy, in our own image. Unfortunately, while it is relatively easy to 

conceive of the best model of government -- as our founding fathers did, and Montesquieu 

did before them -- the diversity of the reaJ world, in geography, ethnicity, religion, and history, 

makes applying that best model quite difficult in practice. 

-nl. British archeologist George Bean highlighted some of the unique features of the Lydan 

League -- features not dissimilar to our own country's: '\<\mong the various races of Anatolia, 

the Lydans always held a distinctive place. Locked away in their mountainous country, they 

had a fierce love of freedom and independence, and resisted strongly all attempts at outside 

domination; they were the last in Asia Minor to be incorporated as a province into the Roman 

Empire:' 

Our experience so far in guiding the nascent democracy in Iraq should certainly illustrate that 

representative democracy may not be perfectly replicable, at least overnight. 

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Fifteen years ago, all a visitor to Patara would have noticed were the tops of a few old stones. 

Today. the excavations at Patara have unearthed the remains of an entire city. The archeological 

team has rescued numerous buildings and items from the sand and scrub brush. besides the 

Bouleuterion parliament building. including: a large necropolis; a Roman bath; a sizeable semicircular theater; a sprawling main avenue leading to the market square; a By-£antine basilica 

(one of 22 churches once packed into Patara); one of the world's oldest lighthouses; 

and a fortified wall. 

I would encourage everyone to visit Patara, for its beauty and for its archeological significance. 

The excavation site is a 10-15 minute from the gloriOUS beach. and will be opened to the public 

in 2007. While we wait. one of Turkey's largest museums, the Antalya Archaeological Museum, 

displays many of the finds from Patara and the surrounding area. 

We owe a great debt to Turkey's Ministry of Culture and the Akdeniz University in Antalya for 

their dedication of time and money to bringing the ancient ruins ofPatara out of the dust and 

back into our lives. 

In closing, I would like to thank: Dr. Gul Isin. Associate Professor of Archeology at Akdeniz 

Antalya in Turkey, who has been diligently working with Dr. Fahri Isik and Dr. Havva Iskan 

Isik to Uncover the mysteries of the Patara site; Professor James W Muller of the University of 

Alaska. Anchorage. who dissected how the Lydan League affected the founding fathers; and the 

American Friends of Turkey, the Friends of Patara, and former Representatives Stephen Solarz 

and Robert Livingston, who graciously introduced mC to the archeological findings at Patara, 

and the important work of Professors Isin and Muller. 

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SPLENDrD RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" 

Written by Christopher Walker for Saudi Aramco World 

000185 

r0M~lnnIT' ~ , 

In the shadow of the herb-scented Taurus Mountains, with their picturesque covering of pine 

and juniper forest, and overlooking Turkey's "Turquoise Coast; a long-silent bouleuterion, or 

council chamber, once held the proceedings of the Lydan League, considered to be history's 

earliest example of the republican form of government. With its rows of stone seats set out in a 

semicircle around a raised dais, it looks uncannily like the chambers of modern legislatures and 

parliaments. 

1he historical significance of the Lydan League was its uniquely federal character. Whereas 

other "leagues" and alliances in the Hellenistic world were often simpler hands of dty-states 

united against common foes, the Lydans of southwestern Anatolia shared a racial and cultural 

lineage that helped set them apart from other proto-nations of the Mediterranean world. 

Until the American model was forged half a world away and nearly 2000 years later, no other 

legislative body had apparently considered the Lydan example. The senate of Rome was a unicameral oligarchy, made up of those who were rich, noble and old enough to qualify. Britain's 

parliament, although bicameral and representative in many ways, was not developed according 

to a federal model. 

At one time, the Lycian bouleuterion housed the elected representatives of the 23 city-states 

that first came together in approximately 205 BC and formally confederated in 168 Be. The 

resulting League not only kept its often squabbling members united, but also managed to exert 

authority over individual citizens of its constituent states. 

The world's first recorded example of representative democracy had its capital in the port city 

ofPalara, first mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus, who described it as the cult center 

of the god Apollo. Both Horace and Virgil gave the city greater importance, referring to Patara 

(rather than Delos) as Apollo's birthplace. 

The Lydans, according to their most respected modern chronicler, the British archeologist 

Geoffrey Bean, "among the various races of Anatolia, always held a distinctive place. Locked 

away in their mountainous country. they had a fierce love of freedom and independence, and 

resisted strongly all attempts at outside domination; they were the last in Asia Minor to be 

incorporated as a province in the Roman Empire." 

11,e Lydans had their own language and alphabet, although follOWing the conquests of Alexander in the fourth century BC, those gradually gave way to Greek. Historians have likened them 

to the Swiss today: • hard-working and prosperous people, neutral in international affairs but 

fierce in their defense of freedom and conservative in their attachment to ancestral tradition. 

"lhe Lydan League Ilourished both in the Hellenistic period, when the harbor was used as a 

naval base by Alexander's successors, and during the Roman Empire, when, against the odds, 

Lycia continued to function as a largely autonomous province. 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" ctd. 

In that turbulent period, the parliament building was joined by such impressive monuments 

as the amphitheater. the ornate city gate, baths. temples, a lighthouse-now claimed as the 

world's oldest-and a huge granary dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian, who in the year 131 

visited with his wife Sabina. Before that, Lycia had been a stopping-off point for St. Paul during 

his missionary journey from Rhodes to the phoenician port ofTyre. Patara's influence began 

to wane in the seventh century, after the Arab conquest. by which time its harbor had become 

almost totally silted up. By the 15th century it was entirely abandoned. 

The city remains in that condition today. although the swarms of mosquitoes that molest archeologists and tourists alike on its spectacular 18-kilometer {II-mil sandy beach are no longer 

malarial. The remote spot provides nesting places for the endangered hammerhead turtle and 

is home to legions of snakes and scorpions. It features swampy terrain and rampant vegetation, 

which strict Turkish conservation laws will not permit the use of pesticides to combat. partly 

explaining why the tOO-hectare (250-acre) archeological site remained largely neglected until 

the late 1980'5. 

"When we first started digging. our tents were burned down by angry local people. who were 

convinced that we were responsible for the government restrictions that prevented them from 

building any type of tourist infrastructure:' says Giill~in. an archeologist with Akdeniz University and a leading member of the joint Turkish-German excavating team. 

Although the Patara ruins were buried under thousands of tons of windblown sand at the time 

that the u.s. Congress came into being in the late 18th century, the once unique elected-representative system practiced by the Lycian League for at least 300 years was a formative influence 

on the framing of the U.S. Constitution. 

It was the structure of the central Lydan authority and the responsibilities it was given that 

made it attractive to the framers of the u.s. Constitution. The Lycian model provided a 

formula that permitted the framers to compromise the interstate rivalries that endure to this 

day: Whereas the "upper house" would be made up of an equal number of senators from each 

state, the "lower house" would be made up of representatives elected in proportion to each 

state's popUlation. In addition, the Lydan executive was not hereditary: The Lydan League was 

headed by an annually elected preSident known as the Iydarch-and. intriguingly. possibly also 

the Iyciarchissa. 

Sitting in the Iyeiarch's throne-like seat today. it is possible to imagine the representatives of the 

League sitting in the 13 semicircular rows of seats, holding debates on military and political 

affairs. making and breaking legislative alliances. in much the modern way. 

"Among classical federations, its structure was unique;' says I~in. "Of course, there are design 

differences between this building and the American House of Representatives. which was 

discussed and founded when this was hidden under the sand:' But the federation is mentioned 

three times in the Federalist Papers, the series of 85 seminal essays written by Alexander 

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Hamilton. John Jay and James Madison in [787 and 1788. the years when ratification of the 

u.s. Constitution was being debated. 

What particularly caught the eye of political commentators, stretching back to the Roman geographer and man of letters Strabo, was the way the League devised its system of proportional 

representation to distribute power among its differently sized members. According to Strabo. 

the member cities sent one, two or three representatives to the assembly, with the six largest 

members (including the capital, Patara), having the right to the maximum three votes. 

000187 

According to James W. Muller. a constitutional scholar and professor of political science at the 

University of Alaska, the Lycian confederacy made three contributions to the u.s. Constitution. 

First, he says, "it was a model of a federal union the strength of whose parts in the national 

councils was proportionate to their size. Second. it showed the possibility of popular government that was representative. Thirdly. it offered the example of a strong national government 

with its own strong officers and the power to make laws that applied directly to individual 

citiz.ens." 

Explaining the glohal influence of the League. he adds that, since 1787. "the American Constitution has drawn the attention of constitution-makers, not the Lycian League. Befnre that. 

I am not aware of other governments that hearkened to the example of Lycia in drawing up 

constitutions." 

Muller. who first visited Patara three years before the excavations began to reveal what lay 

under the thousands of truckloads of sand that have since been removed. is also an admirer of 

the 18th-century French political philosopher Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu. Montesquieu's lhe Spirit of the Laws was the most popular political hook in America in 

the 1780·s. 

Observing that in Federalist No. 45, James Madison qualified his reference to the Lydan confederacy by explaining that it prOVided an example "as far as its principles and form are transmilted," Muller added. "There were limits to the knowledge of Madison. Hamilton, Montesquieu and Strabo about how the Lydan confederacy actually worked. But those limits are being 

rectified by the current excavation in Patara. We are much indebted to the painstaking work 

there. which is deepening our understanding of the antecedents of the American Constitution." 

"lbe celebrated Montesquieu:' as Madison described him in 1787, was a French philosopher 

admired by people on all political sides of the Constitutional Convention. ("S'il falloit donner 

un modele d'une belle republique federative;' he said. "je prendrois la repubJique de Lycie." "If 

one had to propose a model of an excellent federal republic. I would choose the republic of 

Lycia:') It was this remark that directed so much attention to the political arrangements of the 

people who had lived in 23 city-states along the southern coast ofTurkey during the last two 

centuries Be. 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" ctd. 

At the foot of the evocatively preserved bouleuterion, where visitors can wander and climb to 

their hearts' content during opening hours, there is a room archeologists believe once housed 

the archives of the League. In keeping with the theme of Apollo that dominates the Patara ru· 

ins, on the room's entrance stone are carved the three symbols of the god: a baby turtle, a lizard 

and a grasshopper. 

On the other side of the outer wall lie hundreds of large, recently numbered stones among a 

whispering carpet of daisy-like yellow and white camomile flowers. When more funds have 

been raised for the excavation work, the stones will be put into their original positions as part 

of an ambitious historical reconstruction. 

"The different political weights of cities in the common assembly of the Lydan confederacy 

showed the possibility of a federation in which members of different sizes came together in a 

way which reflected their real strength;' Muller explains. 

"This was the idea for Congress in James Madison's Virginia Plan. which proposed a bicameral 

legislature-two houses-both of which gave the states representation in proportion to their 

population. as in Lyela. Madison then had to compromise with his opponents and accept the 

equality of states in the Senate, but the American House of Representatives, where states have 

representation in proportion to their population, is founded, as Madison urged. on the principle of the Lydan confederation:' 

The framers had more to say than this, too. In Federalist No.9, Hamilton explained that in 

Lyeia. the common council had the power to appoint all judges and magistrates for the confederated cities. In Federalist No. 16. he pointed out that in Lycia, federal laws applied not only to 

cities. hut also directly to individuals. In Federalist No. 45, Madison referred specifically 10 Ihe 

"degree and species of power" of the national guvernment in Lycia. which he welcomed as the 

model for the stronger national government established in the Constitution. 

Although the largely unspoiled site of present·day Patara provides insight into the setting 

where Lycians lived and governed. there are as yet few clues about much else-for example, 

how they lived, and how they looked -beyond the hints on some reliefs and coins that they 

WOfe their hair long. 

Herodotus claimed that the Lycians had a different appearance from other troops in Asia Mi· 

nor, who commonly wore Greek armor. As the earliest author to ever mention Patara. he wrote 

this description of a Lycian naval crew in 480 BC. as they joined Persian King Xerxes' invasion 

of Greece with 50 ships: "They wore greaves (shin protectors) and corselets (body armor); they 

carried bows of cornel wood. cane arrows without feathers, and javelins. They had goatskin 

slung around their shoulders. and hats stuck round with feathers. They also carried daggers and 

rip-hooks:' 

One of lhe most fascinating finds al the site is the "Stadiasmns Patarensi,;' a monument that 

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SPLENDID RUINS OF AN "EXCELLENT REPUBLIC" ctd. 

shows firsthand and in detail how the Lycian League grew, giving the names and distances of 

member cities-just as a sign in Los Angeles today might read "Las Vegas: 237 miles, Boise: 

682 miles, Spokane: 944 miles; San Francisco: 354 miles:' One of the inscriptions states that 

the Lycians were "the friends of the Romans" and another that "a consultative parliament was 

established by the best men of Lycia:' '[he monument consisted of 53 large inscribed stones, of 

which 41 have been found; finding the rest and rebuilding the structure will have to wait for 

more funding. 

In the ruins of Patara, archeologists have also found hints of the power and influence of at least 

certain Lycian women. Inscriptions found in the remains of the bouleuterion show that at least 

two women, named Marcia Aurelia and Crision Nemeso, were using the title Iyciarchissa. But 

there is as yet no proof whether they were actually elected in their own right to run the assembly or whether they were using the feminine of Iyciarch because that was their husbands' title. 

"Nothing uncovered so far can yet solve this faScinating mystery one way or the other; says 

I~in. "We are hoping that something not as yet unearthed will one day be able to provide an 

answer:' 

However. on the entrance wall to the impressive 10,OOO-seat amphitheater, whose ruins tower 

next door to the much smaller bouleuterion, the female name Velia Prolda is clearly carved into 

the stone, recording that she was the benefactor who put up the money to construct the building. "Either she was extremely rich in her own right, or it was family money:' I~in explains. 

Herodotus had already noted that Lycians have "customs that resemble no one else's. They use 

their mother's name instead of their father's:' As excavations continue, more than just a prototype for American democracy may yet emerge from the sands of Patara. 

7his article tippet/red on pages 14-23 of the September/October 2007 print edition of Saudi 

Aramco World. 

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000' ~.' 

I:IO~~'~' CO I "J,; 

p. 2/3-bpccially in rccl!nt years. rurkcy's approach to defense indu~try c(loperatilln has 

hcen driven by two complementary aspirations, the need for the most modem and ........ . 

p. 3--Trading with the US, the world's leading exporter of defense technology, is in snme 

respects, more appealing to Turkey than dealing with Russia or South Korea. 

Conclusion 

Although it i~ impossihle to predict how rurkcy's dnnwstic pnlilical silUati,ln will 

play out oYer the nexI fCIY months. it is likely that Turkel's secular dem"eratie 

gOI'ernmcnt and its dose tics with the Wcst 'particularly including the \Jnited Stales 

will remain in place. fhe one prcdktahk cxccptinfl to this scenario is if the US ('<ll1grcss 

passes an "Armenian (iennciJe Resolution". As has already heen mentioncJ, this acti,ln 

would certainly hayc an immediate and extremely Jelrimcntal cffcct on IIS- I'urk\!! 

rclatillns in CIW! arena. partkularly including wmmcrcialtics and sccurily cooperation. 

Regardless Ilflyhat cis\! happens. I urkcy will remain impPrtant glnhall! ami regionally. [[ 

will also remain an impot1:mt marketl"f dcl(:nsc technology acquisitionidclc!opmcnt, 

el'cn us it continues to place increased emphasis nn a mmc hal anced m"del of defense 

indt1"tr~ C~)\)pcraLion. 

For these rcasons, a stfllUg I JS-J urkcy rclalinnship. hased on mutual respect of cach 

other's Slll'<.'fcignty ami dose cooperation in aillidds. should h.:: a I'ital component ,,!'lIS 

foreign polk)'. as designed thmugh careful coop"ralioll hC\I\'CCl1 the l'xccutil'c anJ the 

Lcgislatile nrunch", of nur gOI ernmcnt. 
287 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 293 HR176.280

CON~~~?90 

< z: ~ '" " ," ~ " ." '" 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
288 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 294 HR176.281

" .~ 

, , 

£ i '"' or < 

" 

~ ~, 

~:> '" 

'}" 

',- <~ 

000191 

'~!DENT1A! 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
289 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 295 HR176.282

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

," _, ... " -;- -.t- ': 

., .~" " , .. ~ . •• • < ••• -

~ s .. "" '"'~. '" ., ' ... r ' .. - ~ ..... -. 1, -I ." I' 

000192 

67, 
290 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 296 HR176.283

000193 

CONFIDENTIAL 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
291 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 297 HR176.284

000194 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
292 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 298 HR176.285

000195 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
293 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 299 HR176.286

000196 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 
294 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 300 HR176.287

000197 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
295 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 301 HR176.288

000198 

Thank You 

We Would Like To Thank The Following Individuals, 

Government Officials and Organizations For Their Support 

And Dedication In Helping Us Make This Trip Possible. 

CORPORATE SPONSOR 

Turkish Coalition of America 

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS 

Bank Pozitif 

NTF 

EVENT HOSTS 

BankPozitif 

Confederation of Turkish Businessmen & Industrialists (TUSKON) 

Embassy of the United States, Ankara 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ankara 

Turkish·American Business Association (TABA) 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

Turkish Cultural Foundation (TeFl 

u.s. Consulate General, Istanbul 

PROGRAM SUPPORT 

American-Turkish Council Members 

Embassy of Turkey, Washington, DC 

Hyatt Hotel Staff 

Karizma Tourism 

Mega Residence Hotel Ankara Staff 

Patara Prince Hotel Staff 

& 

All of Our Supporters 
296 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 302 HR176.289

000199 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

ATC_0290 

13-6123_0109 
297 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 303 HR176.290

-v j 

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

OQ0200 

ATC_0291 

13-6123_0110 
298 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 304 HR176.291

00020~ 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
299 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 305 HR176.292

STAFf TRIP TO TURKEY 

ATC_0293 

13-6123_0112 
300 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 306 HR176.293

00020:1 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 

ATC_0294 

13-6123_0113 
301 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 307 HR176.294

STAFF TRIP TO TURKEY 

000204 

ATC_0295 

13-6123_0114 
302 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 308 HR176.295

Index 

ACEV (1he Mother Child Education Foundation) 

Anttkabir (At.turk's Mausoleum) 

Ankara 

ASAM (Eurasian Strategic Research Center) 

Asitane Restaurant 

Basilica Cistern 

Blue Mosque 

BSTC (Bosphorus Straits Traffic Control) 

Grand Bazaar 

Hagia Sophia 

ILKYAR (Educational Funds for Elementary Schools) 

Istanbul 

KA-DER (Assoc. For Supporting and Training Women Candidates) 

KAGIDER (Women Entrepreneurs Assoc. ofTurkey) 

Kariye Museum 

Ka~-Kekova 

Loggerhead Turtles 

MFA 

Minority Communities 

PATARA 

SSM (Undersecretariat for Defense Industries) 

Sultan Ahmet Mosque 

TABA (Turkish-American Business Assoc.) 

TEMA 

Topkapl Palace 

Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum 

TUSKON (Confederation of Businessmen & Indus. of Turkey) 

pl2 

pl9 

piB 

p20 

pl4 

pl6 

piS 

pl7 

pl6 

piS 

pll 

plO 

pll 

p12 

piS 

p21-p22 

p21 

p19-p20 

p13 

p20, p57 

p19 

piS 

pl8 

pl2 

pl6 

pl6 

pl7 

U0020;') 

2008 CONGRESSIONAL 
303 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 309 HR176.296

TURKISH 
304 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 310 HR176.297

EXHIBIT 6 
305 


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TEMPLATE INVITE tETTER SENT TO STAFFERS 

May 27, 200B 

Dear: 

On behalf of the American-Turkish Council, I would like to invite you to 

participate in the Z008 Congressional Staff trip to Turkey, including cities of 

Ankara, Istanbul and the Blacksea coastal city of Trabzon. This August 2-9 trip 

will be a unique opportunity for select Congressional Staff to gain personal 

insights about Turkey. 

The U.S.-Turkish relationship is as important as ever. It has 10l1g been one of 

mutual respect and support. Turkey's economic picture is better than it has 

been in a generation, and its regional role for economic development and the 

restoration of peace is critical. Participation in this delegation will provide you 

with valuable insights into these and other issues, including several that will 

face Congress this year> 

In addition to the matters of foreign policy and military cooperation that are in 

the forefront, U.s, corporations from almost every sector have Significant 

business interests in Turkey. American companies in IT and 

telecommunications, energy, defense, health and pharmaceuticals, 

agribusiness, banking and finance stand to benefit from a strong, stable 

partner in Turkey. Turkey's continuing efforts to join the European Union 

(negotiations began in 20(5) wil! have an impact on global trade and 

investment in years to come. On the trip, you wiH have the opportunity to learn 

in depth about various political, economic and trade issues that may be of 

considerable importance to your constituents. 

The delegation will depart: from Washington, DC on Saturday, August 2, and 

return on Sunday, August 9, 2008. The itinerary includes time in Ankara, 

Istanbu!, and Trabzon. There wi!! be meetings with Government offICials and 

the representatives of the media in Ankara, local municipal leaders and the 

business comm1.mitles in r~'tilnbul and Trabzon. You will be exposed to 

important cultural sites in ali three cities, including the Hagia Sophia and the 

Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the Sumela ~1onastery built on the cliffs of Trabzon, 

and Ataturk's Mausoleum in Ankara. 

Participants wil! meet With key Tuil<.ish officials at the highest levels to discuss 

matters of strategiC, economic and political importance. You wfl! meet with 

senior officials of tile U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Consulate General in 

Istanbul, as well as with representatiVes from the Turkish business sector and 

IIrc corporate members. Briefings provided before and during the trip wit! 

ensure that you are wel! informed and ready to investigate areas of 

professional and persona! interest. 
306 


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The trip will focus on a number of issues vital to U.S. foreign policy and 

economic interests. Meetings are expected to address U.S.·Turkish security and 

defense issues including NATO, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and the 

IsraeliiPalestinian crisis. Turkey's regional role in Central Asia and the M~jd!e 

East in the areas of sc-(:urity, energy and trade are some of the other 

anticipated topics of discussion. Turkey's role as a regional commercial and 

financial hub, and as a key link between energy producing and energy 

consuming nations will also be explored. Other issues, SUdl as problems with 

defense contracting and intellectual property rights wit! be discussed. Of 

particular interest wi!l be Turkey's regional leadership as a secular, democratic 

and Muslim state. 

This trip is sponsored by ATe with the support of the American Friends of 

Turkey (AFOT). ATe is the leading business association in the United states 

devoted to the promotion of U.s. commerda!. defense and cultural relations 

with Turkey. Beginning in 1997, ATC expanded its educational awareness 

program to indude congressional delegations. ATC is a tax-exempt, not-forprofit trade association organized and operated pursuant to Section SOl(C} (6) 

of the Internal Revenue Code, This is the ninth year we have made this 

valuable trip available to Congressional Staffers. It is annually approved by the 

Congressional Ethics Committees with whom ".'e are working ali detaiis of the 

2008 trip. 

We hope that you will be able to join us for this tlme~f trip to Turkey. ATe wi!! 

make every effort to ensure that it is a memorable experience, As there are a 

limited number of spaces on this delegation, we urge YOIl to complete 

the attached COnfirmation Form and fax it to the ATC office at (202) 

183-0511 as soon all possible. If you have any questions, please contact 

Ms. Ayse Sumer at (2:02:) 783_ We look forward to having you on the 

delegation. 

SincerelY, 

James H. Holmes 

PreSident & CEO 

2 
307 


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EXHIBIT 7 
308 


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LOBBYING REGISTRATION 

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 4) 

~ 0 Ntw Registrllnl 2] New Client for Existing RegIstrant [l Amendment 

1. Effective Date of Registration 03/0112008 

2. House Identification 32294 Senate Identification 18375 

REGISTRANT 0 Organll.&tionlLobbymg FIrm 0 ScifEmpl(lyed Individulil 

3. Registrant Organization George J. Hochbrucckner & Associates, Inc. 

Address Private Road. Edgemere Park Address2 P,O. Box 637 

City Laurel State NY 

----------------------- 4. Principal place of business (if different than line 3) 

City ________________ State 

5. Contact name and telephone number 

Contact M(, George H<x:hbrueckner 

o InternanOMI Number 

Telepbone (631) 298-1298 

6. General description of registrant's business or activities 

Consulting Finn. 

Zip 11948 Country USA 

Zip ______ Country 

E~maH 

----------------

CLIENT A Lt>bbying Firm is Nquirld tof/lt a .n:parate ngitlraf/OtJ for MCh die/II. Orgcmi::otlOlU employing ill-holUe lobbyists should check rhe b@ 

labeled "Self' and procl:ed 10 litl? 10. o Self 

7. Client name Turkish Coalition of America 

Address 1025 Connecticut Avenue, N,W .• Suite 1000 

City _W_as_h_in..;g:..'o_n ___________ State 

8. Principal place of business (if different than line 1) 

City 

9. General description of client's business or activities 

Promotes Turkish-American interests. 

LOBBYISTS 

DC Zip 20036 Country USA 

Zip ______ Country 

10. Name of each individual who has acted or is expected to act as a lobbyist for the client identified on line 7.lfany person listed in 

this section has served as a "covered executive branch official" or "covered legislative branch official" within twenty years of first 

acting as a lobbyist for the client. stale the executive and/or legislaJiw position(.s) in which Ihe person served. 

N"'~ onfiffir,o,'ti""','o.,if.pv""bI" 

ilL." 

George [U.s, 1987-1994 

Pagr 10(2 
309 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with REPORTSInsert graphic folio 315 HR176.302

!<egiurant GeorgeJ. Hl)chbrutelner& AS$()Cill.!tS,lllc. ----~-'~:;:~~oalilionOfAnhniell 

I

I LOBBYING ISSUES 

11. General lobbying issue areas (Select all applicable codes). 

EDU 

12. Specific lobbying issues (current and anticipated) 

Turkish~American issues. 

AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS 

13. Is there an entity other than the client that contributes more than $5,000 to the lobbying activities of the registrant in 

a quarterly period and either actively participates in andlor in whole or in major part plans, supervises or controls the registrant's 

lobbying activities? 

2J No ~~> Go to line 14. DYes --> Complete the rest of this section for each entity matching the 

criteria above. then proceed to line 14. 

Internet Address 

Name 

St,eet 

City 

Addres.s 

___________ • _________________ City 

State 

Cit)' 

------------------------------------------ State 

___________ . ________________ c!~ 

Slale 

FOREIGN ENTITIES 

14. Is there any foreign entity 

Prmclpal Place of Busines.s 

COlUltry 

C(luntry 

Country 

n) holds at least 20% equitable ownership in the client or any organization identified On line 13: or 

b) directly or indirectly, in whole or in major part. plans, supervises, controls. directs, finances or subsidizes activities of 

the client or any organization identified on line 13; or 

c) is an affiliate of the client or any organization identified on line 13 and has a direct Interest in the outcome of the 

lobbying activity? 

I?J No -> Sign and date the registration. [] Yes .-> Complete the rest of this section for each entity matching 

the criteria above, then sign the registration. 

Name 

AddreslI 

SlattIPnl\'ill~!: ('oun!t:l' 

___________ Clty 

Principn!placeot'busineu 

(city and stale Of (:o.,mtry) 

State Country 

Amount of contribution OwnershIp: 

for lobbying activities 

% 

__________ O"y ______ _ 

% State Country 

Date 04/08/2008 

Page 2 of 1 
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LOBBYING REPORT 

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page 

1. Registrant Name !?l Or8anhalio~llobbYl1l8 firm 0 Se!rEmplgy~d !lld'~ld",ul 

George 1. Hochbrueckner & Auoeiales, Inc. 

LJ Check if different than previously reported 

.:..P::.riv::a::.:'e::.:R::o::ad::.,::Ed::;g~em=er.:..e:..Pa::.:rk=-______ Address2 P.O. Box 637 

Laurel State NY Zip Code 11948 

3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2) 

Slate Zip Code 

b, Telephone Number c. E~mail 

o IntuDlI1/unlllNumbcr 

(631)298-1298 

Check if client is II stole (}r local governmelU or /I,strumenlalily 

Turkish Coalition of America 

Country USA 

Country 

5. Senate ID# 

18375-1003542 

6. House 10# 

322940037 

TYPE OF REPORT 8. Year 2008 Ql (Ill ~3131) 0 Q2 (4/1 ·6/30) Q3 (7/1·9f30) 0 Q4 (10/1·12131) R'i 

9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report 0 

10. Check if this is a Termination Report III Tennination Date 12/3112008 11. No Lobbying Issue Activity 

INCOME OR EXPENSES • YOU MUST <omplete either Line 12 or Line 13 

12. Lobbying 13. Organizations 

INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period 

was: were: 

Len Ihllo 55 000 Len than $5 000 

l?: $ 10,000.00 

Provide a good faith estimate. rounded to the nearest $10,000, 

ofalJlobbying related income from the client (including all 

payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying 

activities on behatf of the client). 

~ 

14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense 

accounting method. See instructions for description of options. 

i D Method ~ Reponing amounts ~mg LOA defin11l!ms only 

I~ Method B. ~~~~~~~::~:I~~~CrS~lJOn6033(b)(8)Ofthe 

o Method C. Reportmg amounts under $ec:tlon 162(eJ of Inc Intemlll 

Revenue Code 

Signature i I Date 0111512009 

~----------------------------~ 

Printed Name and Title George J. Hochbrueckner. President 

v6.U.11e Pllge 1 of2 
311 


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_0_"..:":...' '_' _H~_'_"_"_"_"_' &_"_'"_"_"'..:',_"_', _____ Clien.t Name Turkish Co:tli!ioll of Amc{j~a 

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant 

engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide 

information as requested, Add additional page(s) as needed. 

15. General issue area code I_-=..::. ..... JI.::::::.== ___ . ____ . __ --" (one per page) 

Check if None 

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area 

Last Name Covered omdal P{)$lti(ln (iiapplillable) 

.5. Congressman 1987-1994 

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above ~J Check if None 

Printed Name and Title George J. lIotbbrueckner, Prtsident 

,-6.0.1e 

Now 

Pagc2of2 
312 


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EXHIBIT 8 
313 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

FOlmer TCA Lobbyist 

13-2411; 13-5845; 13-6123 

March 13,2013 

425 Third Street, SW, Suite 1110 

Washington, DC 20024 

2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. (approximate) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is currently paid a monthly retainer from Wilt Interactive Services and that twenty 

percent of that retainer is paid to the law firm Nossaman, LLP for introducing the witness to the 

company. Because of this relationship, the witness is listed as a Senior Policy Advisor for 

Nossaman. 

3. He is a former Member of Congress and founded George Hochbrueckner & Associates after 

leaving Congress. He described the company as a "mom and pop shop," which generally 

employed no staff. He noted it currently employs an associate, but did not have staff in 2008. 

4. He was introduced to the Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") when he was invited as a 

former member by TCA to visit Turkey in the fall of 2007. The purpose of the trip was to 

improve relationships with Turkey and maintain its status as an ally. The relationship was 

important as Turkey was a supply line into Iraq. 

5. The witness traveled with his wife and another former Member. He represented the Democrats 

and the other former Member represented the Republicans. During the trip, the witness was 

introduced to Lincoln McCurdy, the President of TCA. The witness discussed with Mr. 

McCurdy whether or not TCA could use lobbying services to improve its relationship with the 

government. 

6. Following the trip to Turkey, the witness submitted a proposal to TCA to be placed on retainer 

for $2,500 a month for twelve months. Prior to TCA accepting his proposal, the witness met 

with TCA's financier, Dr. Yalcin Ayasli in Boston. In January 2008, the witness was put on 

retainer for TCA. 

MOl - Page 1 of3 OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 
314 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR. Res. 895 as Amended 

7. The witness had a general rule that ifhis retainer exceeded $5,000, he-would register as a 

lobbyist on behalf of the organization. He infonned McCurdy that he was registering as a 

lobbyist. The witness left the review of the lobbying reports to Nossaman. 

8. The witness has not talked to Mr. McCurdy in years, but in 2008 would have been updating Mr. 

McCurdy on a monthly basis unless additional action was needed. He described his activity for 

TCA as mostly in reserve. 

9. His main goal was to increase the number of Members of Congress who joined the 

Congressional caucus on Turkey, then led by Chainnan Robert 1. Wexler. The witness would 

suggest to Representative Wexler's staff who to invite to join the caucus. He did not recall 

taking Mr. McCurdy to meet with Members. 

10. The witness was also involved in a few odd things that came up as opportunities for Turkey to 

look good. He remembered an event where TCA was donating an ambulance to the Mexican 

Red Cross and wanted to invite a Texas Congressman to the ribbon cutting event. He said such 

events were cleared through the House Committee on Ethics. He also remembered 

communicating with staff from Representative Eliot Engel and Representative Ed Markey to 

invite the Members to attend an event. He did not remember other instances of communicating 

with Members or staff on behalf of TCA. 

11. The witness was never employed or retained by ATC and his only deals were with McCurdy and 

his staff. The witness had no memory offormer Ambassador James Holmes, Ayse Sumer, or 

Canan Buyukusal. 

12. The witness was shown a letter from him to Representative Wexler, dated August 21, 2008 

(PVH _004 - 006). The witness recognized the document and wrote the first part and sent it to 

Wexler's office. The included list of "Targets for Turkey Caucus- 2008" was created by Mr. 

McCurdy. The notes in the four columns came from Mr. McCurdy, who discussed these notes 

with the witness before sending. The witness pointed to a line regarding Representative Heath 

Shuler and said that because his Legislative Director was interested in Turkey it was a higher 

possibility Representative Shuler would join the caucus. The witness stated that he does not 

know Sean O'Brien. 

13. The witness was asked about Rep. Zach Wamp's name appearing under "Members with Turkish 

Investments in the district." He recalled a meeting with Representative Wamp not related to 

TCA when he represented a national lab in Tennessee. The witness believed the meeting must 

have been before this document was created because he remembered thinking of that meeting 

while reviewing the list. 

14. The witness did not remember ever meeting Helen Hardin. He also did not remember any 

meetings with Representative Dutch Ruppersberger or William Gonzales. 

15. In December 2008, TCA called the witness to say they were planning to bring Members and 

could not have a federal lobbyist. TCA raised the issue and Nossaman checked it out and all 

parties agreed to tenninate the relationship. 

MOl - Page 2 of3 OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 
315 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to tbe Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 as Amended 

16. The witness said he had incurred legal fees while they detennined whether he would need to 

tenninate his relationship witb TCA and in March 2009, TCA agreed to pay those fees. 

17. The witness was shown an invoice from Nossaman LLP, dated March 5, 2009 (TCA_0051) and 

asked about a line item entry that read "internet research regarding previous TCA sponsored 

Congressional travel." He said he did not recall being aware of a problem with the August 2008 

staff trip at tbis time. He did not remember talking with McCurdy about prior trips being a 

problem. 

18. The witness stated tbat the Committee on Ethics Was contacted for the Red Cross event witb tbe 

Texas congressman, but tbat he did not personally contact the Committee. He had no contact 

with the Committee regarding TCA. 

19. The witness said he was not directed by TCA to register as a lobbyist, but felt his retainer would 

include lobbying so he registered. He said that McCurdy had to know he Was registered as a 

lobbyist. The witness was not aware ofTCA having any relationships witb otber lobbyists. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 19,2013 after the interview was conducted on March 13, 

2013. I certify that tbis memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

13,2013. 

Nate Wright 

Analyst 

MOI-Page30f3 OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 
316 


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EXHIBIT 9 
317 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

TCA President 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

March 7,2013 

1510 15th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20005 

10:02 a.m. to 10:46 a.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Paul J. Solis 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is the President of Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") and been with the 

organization since its inception in 2007. He co-founded the organization with Dr. Y alcin Ayasli. 

3. He told the OCE that the general purpose ofTCA is to educate the general public in Turkey, to 

promote Turkish and United States relations, and to assist Turkish American communities. 

4. TCA has various activities to promote its purpose, including community and political 

involvement workshops, college scholarship programs, college faculty trips to Turkey, and 

congressional trips to Turkey. 

5. In 2008, TCA had the following staff, in addition to the witness: Semi Muslu (Administrative 

Assistant); Carol Ann Jackson (Assistant Chairman, Boston Office); and GuIer Koknar (Vice 

Pres ident). 

6. Currently, TCA has the following staff: GuIer Kocknar; Carol Ann Jackson; Louette Ragusa 

(Executive Assistant); Sevinm Elekdag (Research Fellow); Zeynep Guven (responsible for 

scholarship program); 10Ellen Byrnes (Congressional Liaison); and Basak Kizildemir 

(Outreach). 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH Res. 895 of the I lOth Congress as Amended 

7. 'The witness told the OCE that he first met George Hochbrueckncr during the fall of 2007 at a 

Turkish Cultural Foundation trip in Turkey. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbrueckner 

approached Dr. Ayalsi about providing his services in Washington. 

8. Mr. Hochbrueckner was retained and his duties were to educate TCA about how Congress 

functions and to provide opinions on legislation. For example, Mr. Hochbrueckner explained to 

the witness how TCA sbould approach Members of Congress to have them join the Turkish 

Caucus. Mr. Hochbrueckner also advised TCA on ethics issues such as the need to avoid making 

campaign contributions that may appear to be linked with anything. Mr. Hochbrueckner 

reported to the witness. 

9. The witness said that Mr. Hochbrueckner was not hired to lobby, but that he knew that Mr. 

Hochbrueckner registered as a lobbyist for TCA. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbrueckner 

met with Members of Congress for his other clients, but seldom had such meetings for TCA. 

The witness recalled that Mr. Hochbruekner called a few Members of Congress to have them 

speak at a TCA event. 

10. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbrueckner was seldom on the Hill for TCA because TCA was 

not his main client. 

II. The witness stated that he never discussed with Mr. Hochbrueckner registering as a lobbyist. 

12. Prior to joining TCA, the witness was the President of the American Turkish Council ("A TC"). 

He was employed with ATC from the late 1980s to 2004. 

13. When he was employed with ATC, he hired Ayse Snmer and Canan Buyukunsal. He also 

worked with James H. Holmes, who ultimately succeeded the witness as President of A TC. 

14. The witness began ATC's organized congressional trips to Turkey during the 1990s. When the 

witness joined TCA, he wanted to have similar congressional trips to Turkey but did not have the 

resources to organize such trips, so TCA gave funds to ATC and other organizations. 

15. As a result, TCA decided to partoer with ATC to have congressional trips. In 2008, TCA 

decided to provide ATC with money for a trip to Turkey. A TC did all the work and TCA 

provided advice and used the same planning fonnat he used when he was at ATC. TCA was not 

involved in the recruitment of members to go on trips. 

16. The witness was the only TCA employee who attended the 2008 trip to Turkey. 

17. The witness stated that TCA was not involved in planning the agenda or itinerary for the August 

2008 congressional trip to Turkey. He also stated that TCA was not involved in planning the 

travel arrangements or deciding which people were invited to the trips. The witness recalled that 

he had conversations with ATC about his desire that Patara be a destination included in the trip. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 1l0th Congress as Amended 

18. TCA was responsible for sponsoring the trip, which the witness described as giving money to 

A TC to finance the trip. 

19. The witness stated that at the time of the trip in 2008 he never saw the pre-trip and post-trip 

disclosure forms that were signed by James Holmes and filed with the House of Representatives. 

He stated that he understood that ATC would be responsible for handling the disclosure forms. 

Although he did not see the fonns, he kuew that TCA would be listed as a sponsor because they 

provided money for the trip to ATC. 

20. The witness stated that at the time ofthe August 2008 trip he was ignorant of the law concerning 

a lobbyist employers paying for congressional travel. He did not know that the law had changed 

concerning trip sponsors. 

2 L The witness stated that he is not aware of Mr. Hochbmekner having any contact with ATC and 

did not discuss him with ATC. He also stated that Mr. Hochbruekner did not attend the August 

2008 trip to Turkey. He told the OCE that he did not discuss the 2008 trip to Turkey with Mr. 

Hochbmekner prior to the trip. 

22. The witness stated that Mr. Hochbmekner's services provided to TCA were the same in the fall 

of 2008 as they had been previously. 

23. He believes that around November 2008 it came to his attention that TCA could not provide the 

congressional staff trips because it retained a lobbyist. The witness stated that they did not know 

the law changed. This came to his attention during a reception where other organizations were 

casually discussing ethics rules and told him that "if you have a lobbyist, you can't sponsor trips." 

24. After he heard about the ethics rules, the witness stated that he immediately saw a red flag and 

contacted TCA's attorney, David Saltzman and asked him to research the issue of travel 

provided by lobbyist employers. The witness also notified Mr. Hochbrueckner of the ethics 

mles. The witness told the OCE that Mr. Hochbrueckner notified his attorneys of the issue. 

25. The witness stated that Mr. Saltzman contacted the House Ethics Committee to get advice about 

how to handle the fact that the August 2008 trip had been sponsored by TCA during the time that 

TCA retained a lobbyist. The witness stated that he felt like they took the right steps to remedy 

the situation. 

26. The witness met with Mr. Hochbrueckner's lawyers and it was decided that TCA would end its 

retainer with Mr. Hochbmeckner because TCA planned to sponsor future congressional trips to 

Turkey and understood that it could not do so while retaining a lobbyist. This was the sole 

reason the retainer was ended. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 1l0th Congress as Amended 

27. The witness told the OCE that TeA did not notify any of the attendees of the August 2008 

Tutkey trip of the ethics issue. 'The witness felt like this was ATe's job. He decided to have 

TeA's counsel speak with ATe directly. 

28. The witness heard nothing back from either the House Ethics Committee or ATC on this issue. 

29. The witness stated that since 2008, TCA has conducted its congressional trips to Turkey without 

any involvement of ATC. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 8, 2013 after the interview with the witness on March 7, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

7,2013. 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 10 
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INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to tbe Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

A TC Government Affairs Director 

13-2411; 13-5845; 13-6123 

March 14,2013 

1111 14th Street, NW, Suite 1050 

Washington, DC 20005 

3:20 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (approximate) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and she consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is currently the Director for Government Affairs and Commercial Programs for the 

American Turkish Council ("ATC"). She has been employed with ATC since 2000 when she 

was contracted to be the Communications Director. In February 2001, she began as a full-time 

employee and in 2005 she changed to her current position. 

3. In general, the witness assists with organizing the industry sector meetings other than with the 

defense industry for the ATC annual conference; recruiting and supervising interns; and plarming 

the Chairman's trip in Turkey including making appointments in Turkey, arranging travel, and 

scheduling the program. 

4. She began arranging congressional staff trips in 2003. Aside from the congressional staff trip 

and interacting with the Turkish caucus, she does not do much additional government outreach. 

5. The witness told the OCE that she does not have much interaction with the Turkish Coalition of 

America ("TCA") and did not continue to work on trips with TCA after 2008 when TCA decided 

to plan its own trips. She said that ATC had previously worked with TCA on congressional trips 

to plan meetings in Turkey. Generally, she does not work closely with TCA. 

6. The witness stated that she knows Lincoln McCurdy. Mr. McCurdy hired her and was her boss 

in 2000 until he left ATC. Her last communication with McCurdy was passing along a contact 

unrelated to the congressional trips. The witness has known Serna Muslu for a couple years. 

She does not know George Hockbruekner. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

7. The witness is involved in planning, organizing, and fundraising for ATC's annual congressional 

trip. She also recruits the staffers for the congressional trip. A TC did not have a congressional 

trip in 2010 and 2012. 

8. The witness believed that TCA approached her in 2008 to work on the congressional trip. The 

trips generally visit three locations. The locations are usually Ankara, Istanbul, and a third 

location such as Capre. She said TCA had an interest in Patara being the third location for the 

2008 trip. TCA assisted in putting together the logistics for the Patara leg of the trip, such as the 

arranging the meeting with an archeologist. Her communications in arranging this were mostly 

with Mr. McCurdy and Guier Koknar, the executive director of TCA. The communications were 

conducted mostly over email and by telephone. 

9. The witness was shown an email from her to Mr. McCurdy, dated June 16,2008 (ATC_0634). 

The witness said that the staffers on the previous trip would identify future staffers to recruit. 

The witness said that TCA probably also sent a list of names of staffers to recruit. The witness 

said it could be difficult to find enough staffers and that one year she sent out 85 invites and only 

7 accepted. She said that some staffers cancelled last minute. 

10. The witness said TCA is not involved in preparing travel disclosure forms for the House 

Committee on Ethics, that it was wholly ATC. The witness said that Mr. McCurdy requested 

that the delegation have more time in Patara, but that they had to limit that portion to comply 

with the limited leisure time requests from the Committee on Ethics. 

II. The witness was shown a document entitled Congressional Staff Trip 2008 Budget for Staffers 

(ATC _0082). She said that the document probably listed the Turkish Coalition Foundation as a 

sponsor ("TCF") because the payments came from the Foundation but said that Canan 

Buyukunsal does the budgeting. She said TCF bought portion of airline tickets and ATC bought 

a portion. She was not sure how the budget broke down. 

12. The witness was shown another page of the document titled Congressional Staff Trip 2008 

(ATC _0084). When asked about the statement on the document concerning "other individual 

events that ATC will seek sponsorships," she said that part of the purpose for the trip was to 

outline events available for sponsorship to ATC's members to give them an opportunity to meet 

and mingle with the staffers. She said in this document they were outlining those opportunities 

available to TCA. 

13. The witness was shown a document titled "2008 Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey" that 

includes the Trip Program Summary (ATC_0215 0295). She stated that the lunch in Asitane 

on August 4, 2008 was hosted by BankPozitif and that most lunches were hosted. She said it 

was the custom for hosts to announce at the event that they were hosting. 

14. The witness told the OCE that the document (ATC _0215 0295) was a booklet that was usually 

presented at the pre-trip briefing a week before departure along with the passports and visas. She 

said that the program is shared with the staffers along the way but not with this level of detail. 

She said she would not have sent this booklet to the Committee on Ethics. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 as Amended 

15. The witness was shown a Private Travel Certification Form filed with the House Committee on 

Ethics for the 2008 trip (ATC _0033 - 0062) and asked about question 9b concerning the 

sponsor's employment of a federally registered lobbyist (ATC _0034). She said that she would 

have checked with TCA before checking that box and likely spoke to Ms. Koknar to check 

TCA's status to see if they could sponsor these trips. She thinks she must have asked along the 

way if TCA had a lobbyist because a sponsor must not have a lobbyist. She believed that she 

talked to Ms. Koknar about whether or not TCA had a lobbyist. 

16. The witness stated that during certain years of the congressional trips the House Ethics 

Committee was more inquisitive than the Senate Ethics Committee regarding approval of the 

trips. She said she did not recall any discussion with the House Ethics Committee about who 

was sponsoring meals. The focus ofthe discussion was on portions of the trip that were 

business, historic, and leisure. The Senate Ethics Committee wanted to know more about the 

events for this trip. The witness had no contact with House Ethics Committee after the trip. 

17. The witness knows Nancy Ziuzin-ScWeigel because she is a member of TCA, but said Ms. 

Schleigel did not attend the 2008 congressional staff trip but had attended events in Istanbul for 

previous trips. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 20, 2013 after the interview was conducted on March 14, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

14,2013. 

Nate Wright 

Analyst 

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EXHIBIT 11 
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CONFIDEr..'TIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

TCA Vice President 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

April 16, 2013 

Via Telephone 

11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and she consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The witness 

agreed to sign a written acknowledgement of the warning and send it to the OCE. The 

acknowledgment will be placed in the case file in this review. 

2. The witness is the Vice President of TCA. She is a consultant for the organization and has 

served in this capacity since the inception of TCA in F ebrnary 2007. 

3. Prior to working with TCA, the witness was the Executive Director of the Turkish Cultnral 

Foundation ("TCF"), which is a sister organization ofTCA. The two organizations receive the 

majority of their funding from the same benefactors. The witness continues to serve as the TCF 

Executive Director. 

4. The witness told the OCE that she has worked TCA's office in Turkey since July 2011. Prior to 

that time, the witness worked in TCA's Washington, DC office. 

5. According to the witness, in 2008, her duties as TCA Vice President included drafting 

documents providing background on Turkish issues and documents related to TCA's vision. She 

was responsible for researching such issues. She also was involved in TCA's programs, 

including minority scholarship program and Turkish-American scholarship program. 

6. In 2008, she reported to Lincoln McCurdy and Dr. Yalcin Ayasli. TCA only had one employee 

who reported to the witness at that time, Sema Muslu. 

7. The witness stated that she first interacted with ATC prior to her affiliation with TCA. She 

recalled that in 2006, when she was Executive Director of TCF, ATC requested that TCF 

sponsor a cultural project in Turkey in cOllllection with an ATC congressional trip. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

8. She believes that Canan Buyukunsal or Ayse Sumer were her contacts at ATC at the time in 2006. 

9. In 2006, TCF provided a grant to A TC for the cultural project. TCF organized the portion of the 

cultural program that involved the delegation visiting Istanbul, Turkey. 

10. The witness stated that she had no role in the 2008 congressional trip to Turkey sponsored by 

ATC and TCA ("2008 Trip"). She did not contact any of the attendees, plan the itinerary, or 

assist with airline travel. She believes that it is possible that she reviewed a draft the itinerary, 

but she did not have any input. 

11. She described TCA's role with the 2008 trip as sponsor where she defines sponsor as meaning 

TCA provided a monetary grant to ATC. She told the OCE that TCA was not in the "driving 

seat" for the trip. 

12. TCA did not have a congressional trip portfolio at the time of the trip in 2008. As a result, TCA 

played a supporting role in the trip and was not a primary partner in organizing the trip or 

inviting attendees. She stated that TCA took cues from A TC and had nothing to do with making 

contacts on the Hill related to the trip. 

13. She stated that Mr. McCurdy was the person from TCA who had interaction with A TC. 

14. The witness told the OCE that she was not involved in the filing or preparation of the travel 

disclosure fonns filed with tile House Ethics Conunittee. When sllown the private sponsor travel 

disclosure fonn (ATC _0034-0047), slle stated tllat slle is ninety percent sure that slle did not see this 

document or any document like it. Sile believes that slle would remember seeing sucll a document. 

15. The witness stated that she did not discuss the travel disclosure fonns witll anyone. Sile also 

stated that no one ever asked her whether TCA retained a lobbyist and slle never told anyone 

wllether TCA retained a lobbyist. She told tile OCE tllat she does recall Ms. Buyukunsal or Ms. 

Sumer asking her wllether TCA retained a lobbyist. 

16. The witness first met George Hocllbruekner in 2008 when he began to work as a "consultant" for 

TCA. Sile stated that Mr. Hocllbruekner's role was to provide TCA with insight on how 

Congress worked. Mr. McCurdy managed Mr. Hochbruekner. 

17. Sile recalled tllat there were discussions concerning wlletller Mr. Hochbruekner could lobby 

because he may Ilave been in tile time period wilen fonner congressman could not lobby. 

18. She does not recall wlletller Mr. Hochbruekner was registered lobbyist at the time and she does 

not recall wilen she learned that Mr. Hocllbruekner was TCA's lobbyist. However, slle recalls 

tllat there came a point where TCA decided to discontinue its relationship with Mr. 

Hochbruekner because TCA wanted to conduct congressional trips. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject (0 the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

19. The witness told the OCE that she has never connnunicated with the House Committee on Ethics. 

20. The witness stated that she does not know Walter Gonzales. When shown an email from the 

witness to Walter Gonzales, dated August 15,2007 (WG _ 0117), she did not recall the email. She 

also did not recall working on any project related to the Representative Dutch Ruppersberger's 

official connnents on the Turkish election. She believes that ba~ed on the nature of the email that 

she must have met Mr. Gonzales. She believed that any interaction with Mr. Gonzales would have 

been related to research she was conducting as part of her TCA responsibilities. 

This memorandum was prepared on April 18, 2013 after the interview with the witness on April 17, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on April 

17,2013. 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 12 
330 


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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure rnJVIIHOIlS Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

Helen Hardin 

13·6123 

April 22, 2013 

425 Third Street, SW, Suite 1110 

Washington, DC 20024 

1:50 p,m, to 2:20 p.m. (approximately) 

Paul J. Solis 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and she consented to an interview, The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2, The witness is currently a senior policy advisor for Representative Chuck Fleishmann. She has been 

employed with Rep, Fleishmann since he was elected when her fonner boss left tlnee years ago, 

3. For sixteen years prior to her current position, the witness was Chief of statfto Representative 

Zach Wamp. In that capacity she managed the office and oversaw its operations. 

4, While she did not specifically handle legislation, she was active on issues regarding human 

rights and religious freedom, The witness also spent time being partially paid by the Committee 

on Appropriations. 

5, The witness became involved in U.S. - Turkish relations because Rep, Wamp's district had a 

significant group of Armenians who were interested in U.S. military bases in Turkey and 

legislation relating to whether or not to label it an Armenian genocide. 

6. The witness had not taken another trip to Turkey prior to or after 2008. She did not take any 

trips with the American·Turkish Council (ATC) or the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) 

other than the 2008 trip. 

7. The witness stated that she had very few contacts with Lincoln McCurdy. She stated that she 

appreciated the time A yse took in planning and organizing the trip so she took her to lunch to say 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 1 10th Congress as Amended 

thank you. The witness did not remember any other people with whom she had contact at ATC 

and TCA. 

8. The witness stated that prior to the 2008 trip the State Department contacted Rep. \Vamp's office 

to discuss the Armenian genocide resolution. She remembered a breakfast where various 

Turkish business interests were discussing the resolution's impact on u.S. - Turkish relations, 

but could not remember if Lincoln approached her at this breakfast or prior to it in her office. 

9. The witness stated that Lincoln suggested she go on the 2008 trip. The witness immediately 

expressed interest given her interest in human rights and religious freedom and her focus on 

North Africa and the Middle East. Ayse became her main point of contact and the witness 

thought she worked for Lincoln. 

10. The witness did not remember any mention ofTCA having a lobbyist by either Lincoln or Ayse 

and had never heard of George Hockbruekner until the OCE's review. 

11. She stated this was her fIrst trip under the new ethics rules. She believed the Ethics Committee 

was slammed because there was a lot of back and forth on the approval process and she feared it 

would not be approved in time. 

12. She believed that Ayse mentioned who was the person doing the trip on the Committee, but 

remembered Todd Ungerecht contacted her to say that he believed the Committee would have an 

answer to her the following day . 

. 13. The witness was shown document HH .. 0257. The witness was asked about her response to 

question 9(b). She stated the sponsor had to fIll out the paperwork and give it to the traveler and 

send it separately to the Committee. The traveler then gets her boss's approval. She stated this 

fonn was not something she fIlled out as it was not in her font. She believed the sponsor filled 

out this fonn. 

14. The witness stated she remembered reading each question, but did not remember anything 

specifIc to question 9(b). She said her discussions with the Committee on Ethics during the 

delay were about the paperwork and there was no discussion of a lobbyist. 

15. The witness said it never occurred to her that someone would have a problem with question 9(b). 

She said that she went through a checklist that was provided of what boxes to examine and 

followed that list. The witness had no conversations with TCA or ATC about the box. 

16. The witness stated that the fonn she filled out indicating that the sponsors did not employ a 

lobbyist was based on the sponsor's answer to question 9(b). 

17. The witness said that she did not attend the pre-trip briefing with A TC because she lives in 

Tennessee. She said that someone picked up the briefing book for her. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 of the 110th Congress as Amended 

18. The witness was shown document HH_0278 through HH_0354. The witness stated the notes in 

the margins of the booklet were her notes. 

19. The witness was asked about document HH _0279 and said she did not recall the names of the 

sponsors. She remembered a business dinner, but no one stuck out in her mind. 

20. The witness was shown document HH _0282 and an entry for a "Meeting with Leaders ofthe 

Jewish, Greek & Armenian Communities & Lunch at Asitane by BankPozitif." The witness had 

no memory of anyone taJking about banking. The dinner on the page must have been the 

business dinner she recaJled. 

21. The witness said that despite many in Turkey having a negative view of the U.S. that it can 

enhance one's social status in Turkey to be seen with Americans, especially U.S. officials. She 

believed that this was why corporations sponsored the dirmers. She said that the corporations 

don't try to sell you. 

22. The witness said that she took a couple of personaJ days on the trip to visit Ephesus. 

23. 111e witness never heard of an issue about this trip arising until the present investigation. She 

said she was never contacted by ATC or TCA other than some blast emails. She stated that her 

boss was also invited to speak at something, but neither she nor her boss attended. 

This memorandum was prepared on April 23, 2013 after the interview with the witness on April 22, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on April 

22,2013. 

MOI-Page30f3 

Nate Wright 

AnaJyst 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 
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EXHIBIT 13 
334 


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CONFIDENTIAl, 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofR. Res. 895 ofthe 110th Congress as Amended 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETIfICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

TCAAttorney 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

March 8, 2013 

1510 15th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20005 

10:50 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Paul J. Solis 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness, and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the following statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. The 

wituess signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The wituess is a principle at the law firm of Saltzman and Evinch, P.C. and been with the firm 

since its inception in 1993. 

3. He has provided "relatively minor consultative" legal services to the Turkish Coalition of 

America ("TCA") since it was founded in 2007. TCA pays him an hourly rate for his services. 

The Turkish American Legal Defense Fund ("T ALDF") is a litigation project of TCA so the 

witness does not represent TALDF. The wituess and Bruce Fein started T ALDF. 

4. The wituess first became acquainted with George Hochbruekner in December 2008 near the time 

that TCA decided to no longer have Mr. Hochbruekner provide lobbying services. The witness 

has not seen Mr. Rochbruekner since 2008. 

5. The witness did not know Mr. Hochbruekner was a lobbyist when her first met him but later 

knew he was after he saw a few emails with his name on them. The wituess was not involved in 

any contracts with lobbyists or lobbyist registration. The witness also stated that he thought 

TCA hired Mr. Hochbruekner more as a consultant. 

6. The wituess never worked for American Turkish Coalition ("A TC") but knows people who work 

there. The witness knows James Holmes. The wituess has never attended an ATC trip to Turkey 

but traveled to Turkey in 2011 with Native American leaders. 

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7. The witness told the OCE that around December 2008, he was asked to prepare a legal 

memorandum for TCA on "HLOGA" because Lincoln McCurdy wanted to have the organization 

plan its own congressional trips to Turkey. 

8. He prepared the memorandum and concluded that TCA could not retain lobbyists if it planned to 

conduct such congressional trips. The memorandum did not address any issues with prior trips. 

9. With respect to the ethics issue of the August 2008 trip to Turkey, the witness prepared a plan of 

action for Mr. McCurdy around January 2009 after he became aware in December 2008. He ftrst 

contacted the attorney for ATC, Doreen Edelman, and told her about the problem that TCA 

retained a lobbyist at the time that it sponsored the 2008 trip. The witness stated that they 

decided that they had "to make this right." 

1 O. The witness then called House Ethics Committee and left a voicemail message for the staff 

person who was handling trips, Susan Olson. He told the OCE that he left a detailed voicemail 

message, explaining that TCA had a lobbyist at the time it sponsored the 2008 trip and seeking 

advice on how to disclose and repair the problem. 

11. When the witness's message was not returned, he called Ms. Olson again and spoke with her 

January 27, 2009. He explained the issue to her and he stated that she told him that she would 

look into it and call him back. 

12. The witness did not receive a call back from the House Ethics Committee. He assumed that the 

Committee had contacted ATC to resolve the issue. The witness also stated that TCA expected 

renumeration to come from the ATC side, so when they didn't hear anything, TCA thought 

Ethics took it up with ATC. 

This memorandum was prepared on March 8, 2013 after the interview with the witness on March 7, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

7,2013. 

Kedric L. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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EXHIBIT 14 
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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH. Res. 895 

INRE: 

REVIEW No(s): 

DATE: 

LOCATION: 

TIME: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW 

A TC President 

13-2411, 13-5845, 13-6123 

March 14, 2013 

1111 14th Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20005 

2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. (approximately) 

Kedric L. Payne 

Nate Wright 

SUMMARY: The OCE requested an interview with the witness and he consented to an interview. The 

witness made the foHowing statements in response to our questioning: 

1. The witness was given an 18 U.S.C. § 1001 warning and consented to an interview. lbe 

witness signed a written acknowledgement of the warning, which will be placed in the case file 

in this review. 

2. The witness is the President and CEO of A TC and has been with the organization since April 2005. 

3. As President and CEO of ATC he is responsible for supervising of ATC staff and promoting the 

business interests of the organization's corporate members. The staff consists of approximately 

five full-time employees and two part-time employees. 

4. The witness told the OCE that the interests of the organization include "business-to-business" 

concerns between the United States and Turkey. 

5. The interests also include "business-to-government" concerns. For example, ATC hosts an 

annual conference attended by senior executive branch officials (e.g., Leon Panetta) and ATC 

members. ATC recently hosted an event with Turkish officials to discuss opportunities and 

incentives for U.S. companies to invest in Turkey. Another example is the annual congressional 

staff trip to Turkey that ATC hosts. 

6. Much of ATC's activities operate on a committee basis organized by interest (e.g. defense 

supplies, pharmaceuticals, banking, energy, etc.). 

7. The witness stated that ATC has hosted congressional staff trips for fifteen to sixteen years, 

which includes years before he joined ATC. He said that last year there was no staff trip due to 

lack of funding, but he anticipated there would be another trip this year for seven to eight days. 

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Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions ofH Res. 895 of the 1 lOth Congress as Amended 

8. The witness framed these staff trips within ATC's interest to protect and promote a positive 

political climate between the United States and Turkey. He stated that given Turkey's political 

baggage there was never a year when it Was not necessary to make some advocacy effort to 

highlight the impact of a certain action on the broader view ofthe U. S. and Turkish business 

relationship. 

9. According to the witness, ATC does not work with the Turkish Coalition of America ("TCA") 

on a recurring basis. 

1 O. He recalled that on one occasion ATC worked with TCA to have a congressional staff trip in 

2008. This 2008 trip is the only occasion where ATC received any support from TCA. A TC and 

TCA occasionally run into each other at the same events, but generally there is no convergence 

of interests and efforts. 

11. ATC had brought a Turkish archeologist from Patara, Turkey to the United States in 2006 and 

subsequently, TCA expressed and interest in organizing a trip to Patara with Congressional staff 

because of the location's connection with the Federalist Papers. 

12. He has known Lincoln McCurdy, the President ofTCA, since 1995 or 1996. Mr. McCurdy was 

the witnesses' predecessor as President of A TC. 

13. The witness told the OCE that he does not know George Hochbruekner. 

14. When asked about his role in planning and organizing the congressional staff trips, the witness 

stated that Ayse Sumer is the ATC staff person responsible for the trips. She organizes the trips, 

recruits congressional staff to attend, and makes sure that it is approved by the ethics 

committees. The witness reviews her work, goes over the minutia of the trip, and signs anything 

that is necessary, such as the travel disclosure fonns. 

15. He stated that Canan BuyunkusaJ is the other ATC staff person who assists Ms. Sumer with the 

congressional staff trips. 

16. The witness was shown the trip itinerary, titled "2008 Congressional Staff Trip to Turkey" 

(ATC_0215-0222). When asked about the difference between the "corporate sponsor" and the 

"associate sponsors" listed in the itinerary, the witness stated that he believes the difference is the 

volume of the sponsorship. However, he said that he did not this for certain. 

17. He stated that in general the funding for the trip comes from the general fund. He said that most 

ofthe money from dues is for administrative support, rent, and insurance. A small portion goes 

to ensure ATC the full fmancing ofthe congressional staff trip. 

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CONFIDENTIAL 

Subject to the Nondisclosure Provisions of H. Res. 895 of the 11 Oth Congress as Amended 

18. He said that some companies may provide in-kind services to the trip. He mentioned that an 

ATC counterpart organization in Turkey provides hotel rooms and bus services for the 

congressional staff trip instead of cash for their membership dues. 

19. The witness was shown a page from the trip itinerary (ATC_0219) and asked about an entry 

reading "Lunch at Asitane hosted by BankPozitif" He said the sponsorship was separate from 

the general fund and the type of thing the company liked to do for the congressional staff trip. 

20. The witness did not attend the 2008 trip to Turkey and has never attended a congressional staff 

trip to Turkey. However, he did attend the pre-trip briefing with the congressional staffers. 

21. He told the OCE that he reviewed the travel disclosure fonn that was filed with the House Ethics 

Committee for the 2008 Turkey trip and he thought that it was accurate. 

22. The witness recalled a problem with corporate members having lobbyists and seeking advice 

from legal counsel. 

This memorandwn was prepared on March 8, 2013 after the interview with the witness on March 7, 

2013. I certify that this memorandum contains all pertinent matter discussed with the witness on March 

7,2013. 

Kedric 1. Payne 

Deputy Chief Counsel 

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APPENDIX C 
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The Honorable K. Michael Conaway 

1015 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

The Honorable Linda T. Sanchez 

1015 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

June 29,2013 

Dear Chairman Conaway and Ranking Member Sanchez: 

This letter is in response to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) Report and Findings and 

relates to an officially approved trip five years ago co-sponsored by the American Turkish 

Coalition (ATC) and the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA). Eight senior c{)ngressional 

staffers, six from the U.S. House and two from the U.S. Senate participated in the trip. 

In 2008, I complied with all Committee on Ethics (Committee) official travel requirements, 

received Committee approval before the trip and filed the post travel disclosure report upon my 

return as required by House rules. I also personally communicated with the Committee staff to 

make sure my paperwork was in order before receiving notification the trip was approved. The 

OCE conclusions on page 12 state that I acted in good faith: 

50. ATC and TCA submitted a pre-Travel disclosure form for the 2008 Turkey Trip to Ms. 

Hardin, which did not disclose that TCA retained a lobbyist. 

51. The Board finds that Ms. Hardin did not knowingly accept travel expenses from an entity 

that retained a lobbyist because: 

a. Ms. Hardin submitted the co-sponsors' pre-travel disclosure form to the 

Committee on Ethics for pre-approval; 

b. Ms. Hardin submitted her personal pre-travel disclosure form, which was based 

on information that he received from the co-sponsors, to the C{)mmittee on Ethics 

for pre-approval; 

c. Ms. Hardin provided a complete and accurate statement of all material facts 

related to the co-sponsors' employment of a lobbyist to the extent that it was 

known to her at the time; and 

d. The Committee on Ethics provided written approval of her acceptance of the 

travel expenses. 

52. Based on the above findings, Ms. Hardin acted in good faith reliance and did not know 

that TCA retained a lobbyist at the time of the trip. However, the Board recommends that 

On January 28,2013, four and a half years after the trip to Turkey, I learned from OCE staff for 

the first time of allegations that TCA had employed a lobbyist. A few days later I learned the 
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registered lobbyist's name for the first time, again, from OCE staff. The lobbyist, George 

Hochbrueckner has never contacted me, met or talked with me. He did not participate in the trip. 

The two sponsoring organizations did not follow up after the trip nor did anyone connected with 

the sponsoring organizations make any attempt to lobby me or our office. There was never any 

lobbying attempt made after the trip concluded. I only had incidental contact with the 

organizations since the trip. 

During the OCE review, I fully complied with all requests for documents, answered all questions 

and cooperated fully with OCE staff. During the review, I learned for the first time that TCA 

self-reported its relationship with a lobbyist to the House Committee on Ethics in 2008 after it 

learned of the change in the House rules. TCA did not contact me and nor did the Committee on 

Ethics. 

After receiving the information, the Committee made no determination related to me during the 

relevant time frame of the trip when the context and the facts were clearer. The issues have not 

changed in the ensuing four years and there is no new relevant information provided in the OCE 

referral. If the Committee didn't take action when it was timely, there seems to be no reason for 

the Committee to act at this time. 

The one thing that has changed since 2008 is the House rule relating to privately sponsored 

Congressional travel. The rules were not adequate at the time of the trip and have since been 

updated. 

The OCE's referral states that a violation of House Rules may have occurred. But the OCE 

review indicates that I made every effort to follow House rules. House rules are provided to 

prevent unethical behavior or wrong doing, not to highlight unintentional infractions. 

The 2008 trip related directly to the official congressional business of our office and I received 

no personal benefit from this trip. A group of Tennessee citizens from our district contacted the 

office in strong support of the House Resolution on Armenian Genocide. I discussed the issue 

personally with these constituents. The office was also contacted by the U.S. State Department in 

equally strong opposition to the resolution based on the strategic importance ofIncirlik Air Force 

Base in Turkey to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, a Turkish owned company is 

located in our congressional district and while in Turkey, I visited the headquarters of Kordsa 

Inc. which operates a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, TN. 

In closing, I emphasize that I did everything in compliance with both the letter and spirit of 

House rules. I ask that the Committee take that into consideration as you evaluate this referral. 

Thank you for allowing me to respond to the OCE findings. I am ready and willing to work with 

the Committee at your request. 

Helen Hardin 

o