? UNHCR/Andrew McConnell
TORBALI, Turkey – One man can change lives. Just ask the Syrian refugees in Torbali, near Izmir, about the work of Levent Topçu. Levent, known to the refugees simply by his first name, is the 52-year-old general manager of Ege, a Turkish company that makes leather goods and employs 60 people. More important, he is part of a group of Facebook friends who created an association to help people in need, including some of the 2.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. Levent and his friends, with some help from UNHCR, have transformed the existence of more than 100 people here. Three months ago, his group renovated an abandoned building, making it suitable for several families to live in. Then Levent went to the miserable shelters and tents put up by refugees next to the fields where they worked.
A top Turkish official on Friday accused the United States of "standing up for savages" by not immediately handing over a U.S.-based Muslim cleric who the government claims orchestrated last week's failed coup. Speaking in Washington, President Barack Obama said there was a legal process for extradition and encouraged Turkey to present evidence. In a sign of increasing tension, Turkey said it was dispatching its justice and interior ministers to the United States next week to push for the extradition of the cleric, Fethullah Gulen. The two NATO countries are allies in the fight against the Islamic State group; American military jets have been flying missions against extremists in Iraq and Syria out of the Turkish air base at Incirlik. 
Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made their presence known Sunday on Boston Common, gathering in condemnation of the attempted July 15 coup by a faction of the Turkish military. More than 200 people marched around the park and near the State House, in a show of jubilant solidarity with citizens still protesting on the streets of Turkey, said Ömür Budak, the Turkish consul general in Boston. “The rallies against the coup are still taking place,” Budak said. “We want the message to be known by the New England public that we will never let a coup be successful.” 
ATAA has announced today that Mr. Kenan Caglar will assume the presidency of ATAA on July 12, 2016, succeeding President Mehmet Toy, Ph.D. who will have completed his two year-term, as specified by ATAA Bylaws, from July 11, 2014 to July 11, 2016. ATAA Board of Directors appointed Mid-Central Region Vice President Mr. Gokhan Ozalp as the the interim Vice President until the next elections are held. Starting on July 11th, Mr. Ozalp will assume Mr. Caglar's responsibilities in ATAA's Executive Committee. 
Following today’s terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, the third-largest airport in Europe, Hillary Clinton issued the following statement: "Terrorists have struck again in the heart of one of our NATO allies—and all Americans stand united with the people of Turkey against this campaign of hatred and violence. Already, stories of heroism on the part of Turkish police are emerging, as their quick actions to confront the suspects may have prevented an even worse tragedy. 
Chobani is a name that has become synonymous with Greek yogurt. But the New York based company is hoping to soon be known for its snack dips as well. To promote its new line of Meze dips, Chobani rented a $12 million townhouse in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan and then transformed the luxury home into a lush habitat of indoor gardens, walls and chandeliers covered in vegetation, and of course, a full stock of Chobani products. 
Though the New Orleans Pelicans finished with a mediocre 30-52 record, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow with Anthony Davis on the roster. However, chances are his job would be significantly easier were he not weighted down by several teammates. One such player standing front and center is Omer Asik. Now that the NBA season has crowned a champion, it is officially the start of the off-season for all 30 teams. All locker rooms outside of Cleveland will look to improve on their recent campaigns in hopes of challenging the Cavaliers starting next October.
Nearly $206 million poured into organizations promoting hate against Muslim in the U.S. in 2008-2013, a report released Monday revealed. Released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Center for Race and Gender at University of California Berkeley, the report lists 33 Islamophobic organizations as the inner-core groups funded with at least $205,838,077 in total revenue as they “promote prejudice against and hatred of Islam and Muslims.” 
Columbia University has created the Sakıp Sabancı Chair and Center for Turkish Studies, the first such center in the United States. Established with a $10 million gift and named for its benefactor, a Turkish businessman and philanthropist, the goal of the center and the professorship is to increase knowledge and awareness about Turkey. 
Defense lawyers say a wealthy Turkish businessman is "deeply disappointed" a judge ruled he has to remain behind bars while he awaits trial in New York on charges he helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Lawyers for businessman Reza Zarrab (ZAY'-rahb) say they'll consider an appeal of the Thursday ruling. They say he's innocent and they're "intent on continuing to vigorously defend" him. Prosecutors had argued Zarrab's wealth and overseas connections make him a flight risk. 
