The Western Union Company, a leader in global payment services, today announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Hikmet Ersek has received the ‘Austrian of the Year’ award from leading Austrian newspaper, Die Presse. Mr. Ersek was presented the award in the ‘International Success’ category at the publication’s annual awards gala, which took place on Monday, October 24 at the Sofiensäle in Vienna. The award recognizes Mr. Ersek’s achievements in international business, his commitment to corporate responsibility and global education, as well as his role in promoting the positive economic, social and cultural benefits of international migration.
The U.S. may not have shown enough sympathy for Turkey after the defeated July 15 coup attempt, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken conceded Tuesday. "Maybe we didn't communicate that we understood the depth of feeling the emotion in Turkey for the events of July," Blinken said at the American Turkish Council and U.S.-Turkish Business Council’s 35th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkish Relations. Saying that the Turkish people fought bravely for the Turkish nation and democracy, he said that the U.S., as a NATO ally, remains steadfast in supporting the democratically elected Turkish government and its institutions. 
Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said Thursday that Turkey submitted additional files for the extradition and provisional arrest of Fetullah Terrorist Organization's (FETO) leader Fetullah Gulen. He said it was the U.S.'s turn to process the files. “During yesterday’s visit [with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch], we submitted the attorney general three folders containing the additional information and documents requested by the U.S.,” Bozdag said during a news conference at the Turkish embassy in Washington DC. He added that Turkey made the extradition request within the framework and standards of the law and expected the legal process to take place since Ankara made the first request last July.
On Friday, October 21, the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) hosted a reception for the Hon. Ed Whitfield (R-KY, 1995-2016) upon his retirement from Congress for his contributions to the Turkish American community and the U.S.-Turkey relationship. As co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, he was an ardent supporter of the U.S.-Turkey relationship and a voice on Capitol Hill for Turkish Americans.
