The Turkish House..the most famous foreign building in New York

Within a year of its inauguration by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the “Turkish House” in downtown New York City turned into a center for more than 50 social, cultural and official events that attracted Turkish and foreign personalities from different social strata.

The “Turkish House” was inaugurated on September 20, 2021 and also houses the headquarters of the permanent representative of Ankara to the United Nations and the Turkish Consulate General in New York, and was able to draw the attention of the city’s residents through the activities it organized.

The Turkish House in New York has gained fame thanks to its distinctive design and important activities, and has turned into a meeting place for members of the city’s diplomatic community and members of the Turkish communities in the United States.

The Consul General in New York, Reyhan Ozkur, said that the activities and diversity of the Consulate General have increased significantly since the opening of the “Turkish House”, which in a short period has turned into a meeting place for the children of Turkish and foreign communities.

He added, “Only during the past year, we organized more than 50 events, and we succeeded in introducing the Turkish House in such a short time, and we were also able to manage the resources provided by this special place.”

Ozgur pointed out that the various social, cultural and official events in the United States showed a special interest in the “Turkish House”, especially the diplomatic circles in New York.

He explained that it was built according to the latest contemporary technologies, and immediately after the opening, he was able to host a reception for the diplomatic community in New York, with the participation of diplomats from about 60 countries.

And he added, “Through the various activities he organized, he paved the way for new horizons of cooperation with more than 10 countries, especially in the cultural, tourism and other fields of common interest.”

Ozkur added that the “Turkish House” is designed to host various types of activities in a manner befitting the Turkish Republic, and that in May it hosted an important activity to highlight the importance of Turkish-African relations with the participation of the African Union Assembly, one of the largest endowment institutions in New York.

He said that the “Turkish House” also hosted activities in cooperation with Mexico, one of the leading countries in the “Mikta” platform for international partnership, which includes Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia, in addition to Mexico.

He explained that these activities witnessed the active participation of the Mexican community in the United States, and these events provided an important opportunity for Turkish citizens to communicate with members of other communities.

And he added, “After that, we organized joint events with wide participation with the Consulate General of the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, where we had the opportunity to convey Turkey’s perceptions and priorities in the context of the Asian initiative.”

The Consul General said that the local authorities in New York are in constant contact with the Consulate General and “Turkish House” in the context of organizing events and activities.

He continued, “We can say that the Turkish House is the most famous foreign building in New York, and the visit of the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, was the first of its kind for a foreign official.”

He added, “This was followed by the visit of Manhattan Mayor Mark Levine, and the place turned into a center for interaction with various social strata and local authorities, in addition to the Turkish and foreign communities in the United States.”

Ozkur stated that since the opening of the “Turkish House”, the Consulate General in New York has been able to carry out a wide range of activities that have effectively contributed to the promotion of Turkey and its potential.

He explained that the opening of the “Turkish House” increased the emergence of Turkish activities and events in New York, and turned the place into a forum for activities organized by members of Turkish communities in the United States in general and New York in particular.

He pointed out that the “Turkish House” hosted more than 300 students from Turkish schools in New York with their parents on April 23, on the occasion of National Sovereignty Day and Children’s Day.

He concluded by stressing that the “Turkish House” has turned into an edifice that reflects Turkey’s strength and position in the international community.