Retired Maj. Gen. Elmer Pendleton, a former U.S. official who devoted his life to the development of Turkish-American relations, died Thursday at his home in Virginia, the American-Turkish Council, or ATC, announced late Thursday. "General Pendleton died suddenly and peacefully at home this morning," the ATC said in a statement. Pendleton, who retired in 1986, was 83 years old and is survived by his wife, Anne, and three children.

The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) has awarded a multi-year major grant to American Friends of Turkey (AFOT) to support the institutional development of AFOT and advance the organization's programs. AFOT was founded in 1982 by Americans who had lived in Turkey on professional assignments, and had come to admire and respect Turkey's history, culture and people.  They wished to share accurate information about Turkey with their fellow Americans. Since then, AFOT has sought through various means to build bridges between the U.S. and Turkish peoples. AFOT’s programs and activities promote greater public awareness and understanding of Turkey’s history, culture and modern day society.

The premier gathering of leaders from Turkey and the United States, which is jointly organised by American-Turkish Council, Turkish American Business Council and Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Committee, will last until October 20. Throughout the two-day Conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, Turkey-U.S. relations will be discussed in-depth and participants will hear from such government and business leaders as Turkey's State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan; U.S. National Security Advisor General James Jones; the President and Chairman of the U.S. Export-Import Bank Fred Hochberg; the Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman; Turkey's Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Feridun Sinirlioglu, Undersecretary for National Defense Murad Bayar; TOBB President Rifat Hisarciklioglu; and the Chairman of Koc Holding Mustafa Koc.

Turkey may obtain a seat on the International Monetary Fund’s board of directors as a result of talks to give emerging economies more say at the institution, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said. “There is an effort to win representative status for Turkey on the board,” Babacan said in a telephone interview today. “But there is no final decision.”