JWF Holds Introductory Dinner for Turkish Press Members in NYC

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JWF Holds Introductory Dinner for Turkish Press Members in NYC

JWF officials met with members of the Turkish press for an introductory dinner in New York on April 27, 2013. Huseyin Hurmali, Secretary-General of JWF’s Abant Platform, discussed JWF’s milestones, including gaining general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in the United Nations (UN).

The Journalists and Writers Foundation is sharing their experience with other NGOs. More NGOs from Turkey should be active in the United Nations; this will benefit the development of Turkey as well as civil society.

Huseyin H. Hurmali

Mehmet Kilic, JWF’s representative to the UN, thanked the members of the Turkish press for attending the dinner. Kilic said, “Gaining general consultative status with ECOSOC is a great achievement for JWF and Turkey. The important thing is to honor our commitment to this status, and we are aware of this responsibility.”

After Kilic’s speech, Hurmali explained that only eight Turkish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are in consultative status with the UN, and JWF is the only one with general consultative status.

“The Journalists and Writers Foundation is sharing their experience with other NGOs. More NGOs from Turkey should be active in the United Nations; this will benefit the development of Turkey as well as civil society,” Hurmali said. He then showed press members a slide presentation of JWF’s project plans for the coming months.

After the presentation, Cahit Oktay, Director of the Anadolu News Agency in North America, offered his opinion on Turks’ participation in the UN. “The number of [Turkish] students engaged in internships at the United Nations is almost nonexistent. As a matter of fact, Turks working in the United Nations are almost nonexistent. In this regard, a large responsibility falls on the Turkish Embassy and JWF. We need to address this issue and encourage our people,” Oktay said.

The program was attended by Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), Anadolu News Agency, Turkish NY, Zaman America, ANKA News Agency, and the press attaché of the Republic of Turkey’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

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