On April 20th, the Council for Turkic American Associations (CTAA) in collaboration with the Turkish Cultural Center-Maine hosted a group of Maine state Senators and Representatives to a festive evening aimed at promoting the Turkish culture, cuisines and folk dances. The reception was held at the Maine Hall of Flags, which has a long tradition of gathering both legislators and the general public to determine the direction of legislative affairs in the state.
Distinguished guests included the Honorable Attorney General of Maine, Janet T. Mills, Maine State House of Representatives Majority Leader Seth Berry and State Senator Roger Katz. Additionally, State Representative Dennis Keschl and other state legislators who were part of a group that visited Turkey earlier this year were honored to be a part of the festivities.
The program kicked off with a speech by Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, John Morris. The Commissioner, who spent three weeks in Turkey this past year, shared his positive experience as well as the amazing hospitality of the Turkish people. He later went on to thank the Turkish Cultural Center-Maine for extending their support to the Department of Public Safety, which seeks to serve and protect the lives, rights and property of citizens.
Later in the day, Maine State Representatives Dennis Keschl and Karen Kusiak, who are both members of the Turkish Cultural Center Advisory Board, thanked the Turkish Cultural Center-Maine for its significant roles in promoting and improving communities across Maine. The event concluded with a wide array of Turkish delicacies and an impressive Ebru art (water marbling) demonstration by Hümeyra Özcan, who distributed her artwork to Attorney General Janet T. Mills and other Maine state Senators and Representatives.
The Turkish Cultural Center-Maine is one of nine such cultural centers in the northeast region of the United States. The centers are a part of the Council of Turkic American Associations (CTAA), which aims to promote cultural awareness and engage in dialogue through annual friendship dinners, Turkey trips, and luncheon forums. CTAA is one of six member federations under the Turkic American Alliance (TAA), which is located in Washington, D.C.
