On Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the Turkic American Alliance (TAA) welcomed over sixty prominent guests from various Turkic American organizations and businesses in the Washington, D.C., area for a Ramadan Iftar meal. The Turkic community was well represented at this event, among them leaders from the Tajik, Azeri, Kazakh, Turkmen, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkish, Meshketian, Uygur, and Tatar communities. The Turkic community fondly described itself at this event as a singular Turkic ethnic composition enjoined on an association of brotherly tribes. Also in attendance were two distinguished representatives from the Department of State—Lynne Tracy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, and Justin Friedman, Director of the Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts.
The program opened with introductory remarks by Dr. Faruk Taban, President of TAA, in addition to a few brief presentations showcasing highlights from the Turkic American Convention, which took place in March 2013, and a brief animation highlighting the Silk Road Festival held in Fall of 2012. Dr. Taban then turned the program over to Dr. Fevzi Bilgin, the Executive Director of Rethink Institute, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution devoted to deepening our understanding of contemporary political and cultural challenges facing communities and societies around the world. Dr. Bilgin discussed collaborative partnerships and upcoming projects among the United States and Turkic nations.
Following Dr. Bilgin’s remarks, Deputy Assistant Secretary Tracy was welcomed to the podium. Ms. Tracy discussed the importance of Ramadan in increasing community solidarity and goodwill, as well as the ties between the Department of State and the Turkic community. Director Friedman also addressed the audience, sharing an anecdote of his first Ramadan Iftar experience. The take-home lessons he drew from that first Iftar share a commonality with other Iftars he has since attended: community, sharing, dialogue, and understanding.
As the time to break fast drew near, an intern at TAA, Ibrahim Tanis, graced guests with a live recitation of the Call to Prayer, or Ezan, which marks the time to break the daylong fast. A delicious home-cooked dinner was then served, which included dishes from various Turkic cuisines. Near the end of the meal, a guest from the Uyghur ethnic group provided live entertainment to guests by playing folk songs on an accordion. Turkish tea and desserts were served at the end of the night, as guests networked and made light conversation.
As the evening drew to a close, Dr. Taban thanked the distinguished guests from among the Turkic community and from the State Department and called for a continuing strengthening of ties among the Turkic community and between the Turkic community and State Department.
