*  Presidents who served more than one term.

In this picture from March 2000, former  Presidents of TAACO were recognized for their positive contribution to the The Turkish American Community in Columbus Ohio. A plaque of appreciation was presented to each President by Sevim French President of  TAACO( 1995-2000).The three ladies in the picturen from left are Mrs. Mübeccel Caner (Spouse of the late rahmetli Acar Caner), Mrs. Necla Doğangün(wife of Burhan Doğangün) and Mrs. Sevim French. Standing from left  are : Mehmet Sözmen, Tayfur Durupınar, Hayrani Öz, Ali Aslanbayrak, Erdoğan Güngör, Cahit Palantekin and Hasip Temizer.

Turkish-American Association of Central Ohio (TAACO)

Who We Are By Eren Giray October, 2001

The Turkish American Association in Columbus, Ohio was founded in January 1969 with the primary aim of representing the best of Turkish culture and history to Americans in whose land many Turks had come to make their living. The community of Turks in Columbus is nearly fifty years old, the first members of professionals arriving in the mid 1950s to receive specialized training and to stay at most a couple of years to work after that. By the late 1960s it became clear that they had a new home in the United States, but ever-committed to carrying on the traditions of their native land, the Turkish American Association was formed.

Faced with the prospect of becoming naturalized citizens, the idea of a formal association developed when in April of 1968 two Turkish doctors traveled to Chicago to meet with the Consulate General of Turkey. Their concern was to learn the official position of Turkey with regards to their becoming American citizens without severing their ties to their motherland. Greeted with the highest support, the Turkish Consulate suggested that they form an association as had been recently done in Chicago and Washington D.C., to help promote Turkish culture and heritage in their newfound country. Thus the Turkish American Association was founded in 1969 with a steady membership, and a Turkish Student Association formed shortly thereafter. The celebration of the founding of the Turkish Republic on October 29 marks an annual event which is the highlight of the year’s activities. The first October 29 celebration ball included 129 participants, 26 of whom were non- Turkish Americans.

In the course of the last 33 years, the association formed an executive committee, drafted a constitution and by-laws in keeping with non-profit organizational status, and has had 14 presidents overseeing its various events and activities. In the late 1980s and early 1990s a quarterly newsletter, “The Turkish Letter,” was produced for several years, highlighting achievements and announcing events. In February of 1993, a Ladies Auxiliary was formed with the intention of reinforcing the association by organizing additional fund- raising events and holding social gatherings to support Turkish women’s participation and sodality. They held garage sales, organized pot luck dinners and traditional Turkish “beans and rice” dinners to promote social exchange and fund raising. In the 1998, they organized a bus trip to the riverboat casino as a recreational activity. The “Friends of Turkey” was formed as a subsidiary of TAACO by a group of non- Turkish members in 1993 for the purpose of educating local community members about the culture and history of Turkey. Their activities included lecture series and slide presentations organized largely by American spouses of Turkish community members. Also in the early 1990s a Turkish Education Program was developed and had as its purpose to introduce reading, writing, and Turkish culture to the many first generation Turkish-American children and grandchildren born in the United States. They learned the Turkish National Anthem, folk songs and folktales such as stories of Nasreddin Hoca. This program lasted several years but disbanded due to lack of interest and support.

The Turkish American community of Columbus Ohio strives to become an ethnic presence in the city. The original members now in their 70s and 80s are passing the torch of continuing the cultural preservation and representation which this community has been so devoted to maintaining. This mission has now been bequeathed to the younger generation. The group has achieved a certain measure of success in this venture, developing many ways in which to sustain its cultural heritage and sustain its ties with Turkey while adapting to their new homeland as well. A recent example is the relief efforts for the August 1999 earthquake which claimed thousands of lives in Turkey. A car wash was held with the help of numerous children of Turkish origin at the Golden Corral Restaurant along with a benefit dinner at the same place organized by the Turkish American owner operator and the proceeds were donated to the earthquake relief. This exemplifies the best of Turkish-American culture.

Through the years, holidays have been observed, participation assured in various ethnic and international festivals, and gatherings of an informal nature occur on a routine basis. A Turkish folk dancing group formed in the early 1970s, reached its peak as the group traveled to other cities and universities in the midwest giving performances. This too exemplifies the best of what this association set out to do at its inception. The folk dance group and the Turkish Students’ Association which fortifies it, still exists today. The mission of these two organizations, TAACO and TSA, is the representation and celebration of Turkish people and culture within the city of Columbus, with a second unstated goal of preserving social ties within the community itself. The ebbs and flows of interest and participation as evidenced from the first female president of TAACO elected in 1995 having to serve two consecutive 3 year terms, does not discourage the most loyal of the community’s and the association’s adherents. The passing in the last few years of several pillars of the community, three of them past association presidents, has had a compelling effect on the group’s solidarity. The persistence of the association in the face of social change both within and outside their own enclaves is testament to its vitality and adaptability to further the cause of the Turkish people and culture in a new land.

Ayaktakiler soldan Ali Aslanbayrak, Şevket Kurtiş, Ali Talibi
oturanlar soldan Sare Kavak, Aysun Sualp , Haldun Öktener,Naci Aklar, Erdoğan Güngör ve Tayfur Durupınar.

TAACO

Mezun Life’daki Tanıtım Yazısı

Cem Özmeral,  Ekim 2003

Turkish American Association of Central Ohio, kısa adıyla TAACO, 1969 yılından beri Columbus Ohio'da faaliyet göstermekte olup, Amerika'da en eski üç Türk-Amerikan derneğinden biridir. 1950li yılların ortalarında Columbus ve civarına gelip yerleşen doktor, mühendis v.b. genç profesyoneller tarafından kurulan derneğin başlıca iki amacı vardı. Bunlardan birincisi, memleket hasreti çeken üyelerinin uyum sorunları, gelenek göreneklerini sürdürme ihtiyacı, kısacası bir dayanışma ve sosyal gereksinmelere cevap verme idi. İkincisi ve belki de daha önemlisi Türkiye'yi, Türk kültür ve folklorunu Amerikan toplumuna

tanıtmak idi.

Bu amaçlardan yola çıkan dernek, 1970li yıllarda ilk defa bir Türk folklor ekibini,Türkiye den getirmiş ve FOTEM adli bu grubu sponsor edip Türk folklorunun  Amerika'datanıtımına büyük katkıda bulunmuştur. Bu tarihten sonra dernek yöneticilerinin kurdukları folklor grupları halen bu bayrağı taşımakta ve etkinliklerine devam etmektedir. Derneğin bugünkü kayıtlı üye sayısı yüzün üzerinde olup, Ohio State Üniversitesi’ ndeki öğrencilerin kurmuş olduğu kardeş kuruluş TSA ile birlikte her yıl çeşitli etkinliklere öncülük etmektedir.

Bunlar arasında, bayram yemekleri, Cumhuriyet Bayramı Balosu, ilk ve sonbaharda yapılan piknikler, 23 Nisan ve 10 Kasım toplantıları, hayır islerine gelir sağlayan çay ve kuru fasulye pilav günleri, yılbaşı baloları ilk akla gelenlerdir. TAACO yönetim kurulunun önümüzdeki yıllarda civar eyaletlerdeki kardeş kuruluşlarla ortak etkinlikler düzenlemek ve üyelerini ortak duyguları paylaşan Türk-Amerikan toplumunu bir araya getirmek gibi hedefleribulunmaktadır.

Soldan sağa  Neslihan Kavak, Sevim French (Başkan),  ...?..., Sitare Özmeral, Fatih Başel 

Soldan  sağa : Cem Özmeral  Vice President, Sitare Özmeral Director of Public Relatons, Çiğdem Gürhan Director of Cultural Affairs and Secretary, Erdal Özkan Treasurer, Tunç Aldemir President

Article in Lantern for the 1999 Eartquake ın Turkey

Community encourages relief effort

It was standing room only at the Buckeye Village Recreation Center on Sunday night as the Ohio State Turkish StudentsÕ Association addressed how the OSU and Columbus communities could help people recover from the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey last week.The goal of the meeting was for community members to introduce any ideas that could aid in the relief effort, said Kim Diehl of the Office of International Education.It was announced that the Turkish StudentsÕ Association had established an account through Bank One for students and community members alike to contribute funds. “Bank One allowed us to open the account free of charge,” said Meral Kaya, president of the organization. “The money will be used to buy medical supplies and food.”The organization also will host a benefit dinner on Friday, Aug. 27 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Royer Activities Center. During the meeting, many agreed to help by writing to Ohio congressmen and senators in a plea for more U.S. funds and troops to be sent to Turkey.”Time is crucial and we must move fast,” said Jim Ozmeral, manager of the Golden Corral restaurant on the corner of State Route 161 and Sawmill Road. Ozmeral hopes to host a dinner at his restaurant and donate $4 out of a $10-per-person cover charge to the relief effort.The Turkish StudentsÕ Association aims to collect $100-$200 from each individual department at OSU, Diehl said.The association can be reached at 228-7657.

.

Dear Friend:

.
 I just want to make all of our friends aware of "Our Children in Kayseri
Campaign."Even if you cannot help, please let your friends know about our
campaign. For more information. Our letter to TAACO members is shown below. We alredy have thirteen sponsors.
Selamlar, Saygilar.
Cem Ozmeral


Sayin TAACO Uyeleri:

Gecen sene buyuk bir basariya ulastirdiginz; "Kayserideki Cocuklarimiz"
Yardim Kampanyasini, bir kere daha acmaktan buyuk bir sevinc duyuyoruz.

Gecen sene oldugu gibi Altin Sponsorluk $120.00, Gumus Sponsorluk $60.00
olacaktir. Bir Altin Sponsor'un, ya da iki gumus sponsorun verdigi burs, yardima
ihtiyaci olan bir ogrencinin kitap, giyecek, ayakkabi gibi okula baslarken
gereksinim duydugu ihtiyaclarin kullanilmasinda kullanilacaktir.Bu
ogrencilerin saptanmasinda ve burs paralarinin dagitiminda, gecen yil oldugu gibi
Kayseri Il Ogretim Mudur Muavini, Sayin Erol Ozkan?in degerli yardimlarindan
faydalanacagiz.

Gecen sizlerin verdigi $1680.00 ile ondort ogrencimizi sevindirmistik. Bu
yilki hedefimiz 25 OGRENCI ya da $3000.00 olacaktir.

Kampanyaya son katilim tarihi : 30 HAZIRAN 2004

Gecen yil oldugu gibi TAACO'nun yardim sever sevgili uyeleri sayesinde bu
hedefimize kolaylikla ulasacagimizi umit ediyoruz. Yardim ceklerinizi :
TAACO
P.O.Box 3566
Dublin, Ohio 43017

adresine yollayabilirsiniz. Ceklerinizin uzerine "Kayseri Kids" yazmayi
unutmayin. Iptal edilmis cekleri vergi makbuzu olarak kullanabilirsiniz. ?u
andaki sponsorlar a?a??da gösterilmi?tir.
Dear TAACO Members :
Once again, we are pleased to announce the kickoff of our campaign to help
the needy "Children in Kayseri."
Just like last year, the Gold Sponsorship will be $120.00 and the Silver
Sponsorship will be $60.00. A Gold Sponsor or two Silver Sponsors will be able
to accommodate the needs of a student. As the school year begins, these needs
can be typically summarized as shoes, coats, books etc. Again, just like in
2003, Mr. Erol Ozkan, Superintendent of the School Systems in Kayseri, will
assist us in determining the needy students and the allocation of such
funds.
Last year, with your help, $1680.00 was collected and used in making a
difference in the lives of 14 Students. This year our goal is 25 Students or
$3000.00.
The deadline for this campaign is: JUNE 30, 2004
We feel very optimistic that with the help of our dear TAACO members, these
goals will be easily attained. Please send your checks to
TAACO
P.O.Box 3596
Dublin, Ohio 43017
Also, please don't forget to write "Kayseri Kids" on your checks. Your
canceled checks can be used for tax purposes. Current sponsors are shown below

Soldan : Firuzan Sharp Secretary, Muharrem Güder Director of Cultural Affairs,Cem Özmeral President, Sitare Özmeral Treasurer,Oktay Çini Director of Cultural Affairs, not in picture Altuğ  Bilgiç Vice President

Soldan Öner Kirk, Arif Çetintaş,Firuzan Sharp,Sitare Özmeral, Sema Muharrem, Cem Özmeral

With former Governor of Ohio Bob Taft and Mrs.Taft

In the summer of 2003 we were invited to the Governor's Mansion in Columbus for a BBQ outing in recognition of local community leaders as the President of TAACO.(Turkish American Association of Central Ohio)

During 2003 and 2004 TAACO had invited the famous documentary filmmaker Robin L. Williams to Columbus for the showing of his two part series: Biblical Treasures of Turkey, featuring all of the Biblical sites of Turkey to the American public.