The American Turkish Society is the oldest non-for-profit, apolitical organization based in America dedicated to building bridges between the United States and Turkey. The Society hosts a broad spectrum of programming, including lectures, workshops, symposia, conferences, festivals, performances, and exhibitions that highlight topics of relevance to the Turkish-American community and help to promote Turkish arts and culture in the United States.
History
The American Turkish Society was founded on June 29, 1949 when eight men gathered in New York City to announce its establishment. Its founding members were Selim Sarper, Ernest Jackh, Asa Jennings, Lewis Owen, Charles Wylie and three Turkish representatives, ex oficio. The organization was formed in order to further cross-cultural understanding between the United States and Turkey. In 1979, the organization restructured and Atlantic Records founder, Ahmet Ertegun, became chairman of the board of directors. He served as chairman until his death in 2006. The current chairman is Murat Köprülü, Head of Emerging Markets and Global Investment Strategy for a major hedge fund group based in New York.
Programs & Activities
Scholarships & Grants
The American Turkish Society provides several scholarships, grants, and awards to students, educators, and artists, in the United States and Turkey. Scholarships include The Ahmet Ertegun Memorial Scholarship at The Juilliard School, The Arif Mardin Music Fellowship at Berklee College of Music, Summer Residency at the School of Visual Arts, and the Young Photographers Award. The Society also offers grants in education and the arts. Curriculum Development Grants facilitate discussion on Turkey in K-12 classrooms across the United States. American educators across America are encouraged to develop curricula incorporating Turkey in order to promote and broaden interest in Turkish culture and give American students an opportunity to increase their knowledge of Turkey. The Society's Moon and Stars Project grants are offered to rising and established artists across the globe who are working on projects that relate to Turkey or Turkish art. The MASP grants were established by the Moon and Stars Project, which was a New York-based Turkish arts organization that merged with the Society in 2012.
Speaker Series
Throughout the year ATS presents various lectures, exhibitions, and workshops on a variety of cultural, historical, economic, and educational topics. Past speakers include: Nouriel Roubini, Kemal Kirisci, Tarkan Maner, Cherie Rusnak, Nurhan Atasoy, and Ayhan Kose. The Society presents a special program, "Meet the Ambassador" which invites members of the community to interface and connect with current and former ambassadors of Turkey and the United States. Previous participants include: Ambassador Namik Tan, Ambassador James Jeffrey, Ambassador Halit Cevik, H.R.H. Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, and Ambassador Levent Bilgen.
New York Turkish Film Festival
The American Turkish Society hosts the annual New York Turkish Film Festival, which highlights the best ofTurkish film to the New York metropolitan area. Over the years, The New York Turkish Film Festival has become one of the preeminent international film festivals in New York, screening more than 300 films and welcoming an audience of over 25,000 viewers.
Young Society Leaders
In 2011, The American Turkish Society launched a new initiative to bring together rising stars in the American-Turkish community. The Young Society Leaders is a group of individuals who excel in their chosen field and contribute to the community at large. The accomplished few are selected through a rigorous process and come together throughout the year for networking events, special receptions, and a private "one-on-one" with The Society's annual Gala honorees. In 2014, the Young Society Leaders presented its inaugural YSL Summit in Istanbul at the Sabancı Center. The day-long event focused on the work of Young Society Leaders from both the United States and Turkey, the impact they are making in the world, and their views on the future of their chosen fields.
Gala
The American Turkish Society has hosted a series of Galas beginning in 2006 under the leadership of former ATS Chairman Ahmet Ertegun. As The Society's major fundraiser, the Gala brings together distinguished guests from the public and privates sectors to celebrate the best of Turkish and American society. In the past the Gala has highlighted successful joint business ventures between American and Turkish corporations, the first of which was the 50-year partnership of Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding in Turkey. Other celebrated partnerships include: Citi-Sabancı Holding; GE and Doğuş Group; The Coca-Cola Company and Anadolu Group; Turkcell's ten years on the New York Stock Exchange; Turner Broadcasting Systems and Doğan Media Group. In 2013, The American Turkish Society celebrated 65 years on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with special remarks made by the CEO of Turkcell, Sureyya Ciliv, U.S. Secretary of CommercePenny Pritzker, and Finance Minister of Turkey, Mehmet Simsek. In 2015 the American Turkish Society expanded the conversation by honoring Husnu Ozyegin, Founder and Chairman of Fiba Holding, and Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani for their philanthropic and humanitarian contributions.
