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TOA Awards 2026 Finalists - Policy, Government & Public Administration

The **Policy, Government & Public Administration** category recognizes distinguished public servants, policymakers, economists, and government leaders whose work has contributed to public policy, economic development, public administration, and international cooperation. These finalists have demonstrated exceptional leadership in shaping policies, strengthening public institutions, and advancing the public interest through their service at the local, national, and international levels.

June 29, 2026
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Michael Ghassali won two times council member’s election and then ran for mayor in 2015

First Christian Syrian Born Mayor in the U.S.

Montvale, NJ — population 7,844, 36 miles from New York City’s Manhattan - was incorporated as a borough on August 31, 1894. When he was sworn-in as a mayor on January 4th, 2016, Michael Ghassali made history as the first Christian-born Syrian to become a mayor in the Eastern United States. His mother from Harput, Elazığ in Armenian descent and his father was born in Mardin, a city in southeastern Turkey. He was working as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the nonprofit Feed the Children, one of the leading anti-hunger organizations. First, he ran for the city council, later ran for mayor. In the 2016 election, he got 70 percent of the votes and for his second term no one challenged him. He ran for Congress in 2020 election but after COVID he pulled off from the race. Now his Republican party colloquies encourages him to run for as Bergen County Executive. Michael Ghassali answered our questions:

December 28, 2022
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Tayfun Selen at oath ceremony in Chatham, NJ

Growing Momentum as More Republican Mayors and Local Party Leaders Back Selen for Congress

(Chatham, NJ) – Republican County Commissioner Tayfun Selen rolled out five new endorsements from across Morris County, demonstrating continued momentum heading into the Morris County Republican Convention just over two weeks from today. The latest list includes Pequannock Mayor Melissa Florance-Lynch, Rockaway Borough Mayor Tom Mulligan, and Pequannock Councilwoman Kyle Russell as well as Republican Municipal Chairs Sydney Ugalde (Randolph) and Daniel Bevere (Chatham Township). Randolph, Pequannock and Chatham Township are all among the top 10 largest municipalities among Republican primary voters in the Morris County portion of Congressional District 11. Endorsements announced earlier this week from Parsippany, Rockaway Township, and Jefferson Township - which combined account for nearly one-third of all Republican Primary voters in the Morris portion of District 11 – show the growing unity around Selen’s candidacy.

February 17, 2022
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US Election Seen from Turkey: Turkish People Have "A Very Negative Perception of Joe Biden"

İpek Yezdani is an international freelance journalist based in Turkey. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.Carlos Santamaria: In your opinion, what are two or three issues that people in Turkey are concerned about regarding the upcoming US election?

IY: There are several very important critical issues for Turkey-US relations. One of them is, of course, Syria. During the Obama administration, there was huge support for the Kurdish YPG forces in Syria. During the Trump administration, this support has continued for a while. The Turkish government considers the YPG as a terrorist organization, but on the other hand, Turkey is an ally, a NATO ally, maybe one of the strongest US allies in the Middle East. We has been fighting against this terrorist organization for decades, so this is a very important issue for Turkey.

September 18, 2020
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Turkish Americans in the 2020 Elections!

In April, Aycha Sirvanci Sawa achieved a stunning election win to become the City Comptroller of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What's Next for Turkish Americans in the 2020 Election Year? The next-go-around for Turkish Americans at the ballot box is this July. Two Turkish American lawyers are running in elections in the states of New Jersey and Louisiana. The outcome of these polls could be historically significant for the Turkish American community.

May 17, 2020
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In Letter to Trump, Turkey's Erdogan Urges Better Understanding

Erdogan told Trump that Turkey would continue to 'demonstrate solidarity in every way possible' with the US [File: Peter Nicholls/Pool/Reuters] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to stand in solidarity with the United States in its struggle against the coronavirus pandemic as it recovers from the outbreak. In a letter sent to President Donald Trump, Erdogan also said he was following "with appreciation" the US president's efforts to control the outbreak. The letter was sent on Tuesday along with a planeload of personal protective equipment that Turkey donated to the US. It was made public on Wednesday. "I hope that this humble assistance will assist your fight against this pandemic and contribute to the speedy recuperation of your citizens who contracted this virus," Erdogan wrote.

April 29, 2020
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President Erdogan’s Four Hour Meeting with President Trump at White House

By Ali Cinar - President Trump welcomed President Erdogan at the White House over four hours for bilateral discussions on a range of important issues despite concerns from Congress over Turkey's military operation into northern Syria. Trump's face-to-face meeting with Erdogan was a very significant step in resolving disagreements. Both leaders seemed in reducing tensions and finding a way forward which benefits both sides. There are many areas of interest and benefit to both nations, from the economy to education, energy, and technology, and the previously discussed trade goal of $100 billion was part of their conversation when the two leaders met.

November 19, 2019
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State Department Opposes House's Sanctions on Turkey, Genocide Resolution

WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) — The Trump administration opposes Turkey sanctions adopted by the House last week as well as a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide, arguing that the two initiatives risk further straining relations with a key NATO ally, a senior State Department official said. The administration is concerned that the sanctions — passed 403-16 in the House last week in response to the Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria — will tie its hands and cut off options to resolve U.S. concerns about Turkey’s actions, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations. The official wouldn’t say whether President Donald Trump intends to veto the bill.

November 6, 2019
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A photo handout provided by Turkish officials, of who they say is Rasmiya Awad, the sister of slain ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Turkey Captures Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's Sister in Syria

(CNN) Turkey has captured the sister of slain ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the northern Syrian town of Azaz, according to a senior Turkish official, who shared an image of Rasmiya Awad's identity card exclusively with CNN. Not much is known about Awad, 65, but Ankara hopes her capture will lead to a wealth of intelligence about the militant group. She is currently being questioned by authorities.

November 6, 2019
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The US withdraws its forces from military observation post in south of Ayn al Arab in northern Syria, say security sources. (AA)

US Withdraws Forces from Observation Post in Syria – Peace Spring

The US withdrew its forces from military observation post in south of Ayn al Arab in northern Syria, according to security sources. The US started to withdraw from Ayn al Arab, also known as Kobani, at 15:00 pm local time 1200GMT. Earlier, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that the US is preparing to evacuate about 1,000 US troops from northern Syria. The decision came a week after US President Donald Trump announced that the US would pull back its forces from the Syrian border after a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Tal Abyad liberated by Turkish and allied forces – reports. The city centre of Syria's Tal Abyad district has been cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists.

October 13, 2019
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General Harrigan: "Turkey Remains An Incredibly Important Partner to the Alliance"

By Ali Cinar-New York - "We recognize that Turkey will be a NATO partner that we’re going to continue to work with, and particularly from a military-to-military perspective, our relationships, the cooperation, remains very strong. There will always be areas that there will be tension, areas that we have to work our way through, but I will assure you that the work that we’re accomplishing together with our Turkish partners remains very solid. That relationship is strong." said Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Commander, U.S. Air Forces Africa; Commander, Allied Air Command.

September 17, 2019
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As the Republican co-chair, Whitfield founded the Turkey Caucus in 2001 along with his Democratic counterpart, former Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida

Ed Whitfield: A Strong Voice of Turkish-Americans on Capital Hill

Wayne Edward Whitfield is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative of Kentucky's 1st congressional district from January 1995, until his resignation in September 2016. 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. As the Republican co-chair, Whitfield founded the Turkey Caucus in 2001 along with his Democratic counterpart, former Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida. Their original objective was to have 25 members in the Caucus. The growth of the Caucus, however, exceeded expectations. At the time of Whitfield’s retirement from Congress, Caucus membership was 155, with 43 of the 50 states and all six territories represented. Congressman Whitfield talked to TURKOFAMERICA.

July 1, 2019
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Businessman Guzel with Congresswoman Wild and Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of House.

Rep. Wild Invites Lehigh Valley Business Owner to State of the Union

Pennsylvania's 7th District representative invited a Lehigh Valley small-business owner to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night. Rep. Susan Wild invited Murat Guzel, who owns a health foods company, to the president's speech, Wild's communications director Zoe Wilson-Meyer said. Guzel immigrated from Turkey three decades ago and works with the state's elected, appointed and non-profit leaders on mentoring and empowerment programs for girls, Wilson-Meyer said.

February 5, 2019
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Turkish FM Says FBI Targeting FETÖ in the US

The FBI has launched nationwide operations against FETÖ, the terror group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, said Turkey’s foreign minister on Monday. Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that FBI started to see the true nature of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ). "There is a serious investigation into FETÖ launched by the FBI in 15 states," said Çavuşoğlu. "Moreover, arrests started in some states, including New Jersey."

December 18, 2018
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