On May 21, 2014, the Turkish Cultural Center in Vermont celebrated the grand opening of its new offices in Burlington. Participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony were Governor Peter Shumlin, Attorney General William Sorrell, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and FBI Special Agent Wayne E. Shuptrine. Also in attendance were representatives from U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Senator Bernie Sanders’ offices, respectively, Vermont state Representative Kesha Ram, Professor Aostre Johnson from St. Michael’s College, Vermont Commissioner of Labor Annie Noonan, a representative from the state’s Agency of Agriculture and other prominent community members and businesspersons, all of whom showed excitement for the grand opening.
“I know that [TCC Vermont] will serve us well in the future,” said Governor Shumlin. He went on to state that the establishment of the Vermont Turkish Cultural Center would help “establish friendships, promote better understanding of different cultures and improve Vermont’s job growth and exports.”
The new office is located at 125 College Street, 5th Floor, Burlington, VT 05401. It will be shared with its two sister organizations–the Peace Island Institute and the Turkic American Chamber of Commerce. At the event’s conclusion, Governor Shumlin was presented with a handwoven Turkish rug.
The Turkish Cultural Center in Vermont was established in 2011 as a member organization of the Council for 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.
For local media coverage of the event, please visit:
http://www.wcax.com/story/25581164/turkish-cultural-center-opens-its-doors-in-downtown-Burlington
