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Dear Members and Friends,
Turkish-American Business Forum held the Luncheon Seminar
Rebuilding a Partnership: Turkish-American Relations for a New Era with the featured
speakers Mr. Metin Ar and Mr. Soli Ozel, at Lotos Club, on November 19, 2008.
The chosen venue is one of the oldest literary clubs in the United States,
founded on 1870 boasting Mark Twain as one of its early members. The building is a fine example of
French Renaissance Architecture, built in 1900 by Mrs. Elliott F. Shepard (daughter of William H.
Vanderbilt) as a wedding gift for her daughter.
The event began with the speech by Mr. Ar mentioning the success of the
Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. exhibition at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. He talked about the developments that took place at G20 Summit that was
held last weekend in Washington D.C. He continued his speech referring to the financial
crisis, stating that a stronger coordination of market supervision at the global level is
obligatory. He commented that, thanks to the comprehensive restructuring after 2001 crisis, Turkey
is in much better shape regarding the foreign indebtedness and it has not directly been affected by
the epidemic hitting the financial institutions throughout the world. He concluded his remarks by
congratulating the American people in their demonstration of the exemplary culture of
democracy.
Mr. Ozel followed Mr. Ar and talked about highlights of past and present
Turkish-American relationship and projected on what would be expected from Obama Administration in
this matter. He stated that he was optimistic about the future. He alluded that Turkey’s
geopolitical status and strategic location increases its importance for Turkey, its neighbors, and
for the US. He referred to a variety of subjects from building trust through multilateral
institutions to transatlantic relations, from energy politics to cooperation in regional conflicts.
Mr. Ozel concluded his speech by saying that Turkey can be of significant assistance to the United
States in dealing with the problems of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and the Caucasus, as well as in
moving the moribund Middle East peace process forward, which will be crucial for rebuilding
Turkish-American partnership in a new era.
The highlight of the events was the vibrant interaction between our members and
the speakers. Important political and economic development points were covered and the attendees
had a chance to review these points from a different angle.
We would like to thank all who came for their involvement and continuing
support of this great organization. For those who missed this event, we look forward to seeing you
at our next event. If you would like to be a part of the planning, or become a contributing
sponsor, please feel free to contact us
at
info@forum.org
or 212.599.1192.
Please
click here
if you would like to see the pictures of this event.
Turkish-American Business Forum
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