Besiktas, the Turkish basketball team that hooked New Jersey's Deron Williams, is fishing in deeper waters now.
Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the team wants Kobe Bryant to come over during the NBA lockout. While landing the Lakers star is a huge longshot, Wojnarowski says the team has "a puncher's chance."

Bryant grew up in Italy and likes life overseas. In addition, he has a huge endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines.
"If Kobe doesn't want to miss a whole season if there's a lockout, and likes to live in one of Europe's greatest cities, in Istanbul, and wants to play with Deron Williams, why not?" coach Ergin Ataman said.

Monday, 29 March 2010 - Ali Cinar - New York - Türk Dostluk Grubu üyesi New York Milletvekili ve Temsilciler Meclisi Dış İlişkiler Komite Üyesi Michael McMahon, New York’ta Türk toplumu ile bir araya geldi. Ali Baba Teras restoranında yapılan programda konuşma yapan McMahon, Türk-Amerikan ilişkilerine çok önem verdiğini ve sözde Ermeni soykırımı konusunda Dış İlişkiler komisyonuna gelen tasarıya hayır oyu verdiğini hatırlattı.

Türkiye'nin ABD'nin en iyi müttefiklerinden ve dost ülkelerden biri olduğunu belirten McMahon, Türkiye’nin Kore savaşındaki desteğinin asla unutulamayacağını belirtti. "Bulunduğum bölgede sizlerin desteğine ihtiyacım var," diyen McMahon’a, program sonunda ufak bir sürpriz yapıldı. McMahon’a, Lenny Prince tarafından Staten Island’ın sembollerinden olan ufak bir metal gemi takdim edildi
 

A U.S. think tank has honored Muhtar Kent, the Turkish American chairman and chief executive of Coca Cola, with a distinguished business leadership award.

The Atlantic Council presented on Tuesday its Distinguished Business Leadership Award to Chairman of the Board and CEO of Coca-Cola Muhtar Kent for the role he has played at one of the world's most respected global and philanthropic companies and throughout a career that included crucial jobs during the transition to free markets in the former Soviet bloc.

Adm. James G. Stravridis, the NATO supreme allied commander for Europe, received the Distinguished Military Leadership Award for the role he has played in service and commitment to the security and promotion of the transatlantic alliance.

The Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award was given to leading tenor, Placido Domingo, whose music and humanitarian accomplishments have resonated around the globe.

On Tuesday, the Atlantic Council hosted its Annual Awards Dinner, which launched the council's 50th anniversary celebrations.

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive U.S. leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic community in meeting the international challenges of the 21st century. The council embodies a non-partisan network of leaders who aim to bring ideas to power and to give power to ideas by: stimulating dialogue and discussion about critical international issues with a view to enriching public debate and promoting consensus on appropriate responses in the administration, the congress, the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and the media in the United States and among leaders in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas; conducting educational and exchange programs for successor generations of U.S. leaders so that they will come to value U.S. international engagement and have the knowledge and understanding necessary to develop effective policies.