Turkish Consulate General
1990 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1300
Houston, Texas 77056-3831
August 9, 2000
Karen Wright Arbaugh
Committee Chairperson
Ankara Reunion 2000
14140 Manion Canyon Road
Grass Valley, CA 95945Dear Ms. Arbaugh,
It is with sincere admiration and, I must admit, a little bit of surprise that I listened to the success of Ankara Reunion 2000 in Dallas from my deputy, Mr. Babali. I regret I was not able to attend this reunion myself.
I would like to congratulate and thank the leadership of the Ankara Reunion Organization for the 2000 meeting and for allowing us the opportunity to be a part o fit. On this occasion, I also want to share my conviction that, no matter how hard we, the official representatives of Turkey, try to promote Turkish-US relations, we cannot be as successful as we would like to be without the support of our American friends.
I behold the members of the Ankara Reunion, who have lived in Turkey and have had the opportunity to know the county and its people, as our honorary ambassadors in the United States. It is always reassuring to know we have friends in the U.S. who can understand the challenges Turkey faces in a turbulent corner of the world. We must work together to guard the crucial partnership between our nations against any and all attempts to weaken it. Our two countries need to assist each other in our efforts to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. Turkey and the U.S. are natural allies in fighting terrorism, defending our democratic way of life and protecting our common values. As two friendly nations, only by pooling our resources and capabilities, can we hope to contain conflicts, ensure security, and tap into the new economic and commercial possibilities unveiled by the end of the Cold War. The Ankara Reunion serves as yet another bridge of friendship between our two countries, from people to people, from heart to heart.
With these thoughts in mind, I would like to thank the leading members of your organization, as well as all of your members gathered in Dallas last month. All of you are ambassadors of good will in the name of Turkey, most specifically in the name of promoting closer ties of friendship between Turkey and the United States.
It is my hope that we can keep the contact between us open, and I look forward to making your acquaintance in the near future. If I can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Vakur Gökdenizler
Consul General
