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Turkish American National Steering Committee

Website:

ourtasc.org/
Location:

Washington, DC
Type:

Advocacy group
Founded:

2016
Co-Chairs:

Gunay Evinch, Halil Mutlu

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The Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) is an advocacy organization that supports United States policies aligned with the goals of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 1

TASC has been criticized for its close alignment with President Erdogan, who has faced criticism for his record on human rights and respect for political liberties. 2 Erdogan has also been criticized for authoritarianism and was previously banned from holding office in Turkey for inciting religious hatred while Mayor of Istanbul. 3 4 Erdogan has publicly supported TASC for promoting his policy. 5

Background

The Turkish American National Steering Committee is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 that campaigns in the United States to promote the relationship between Turkey and the United States. TASC has been accused of being an influence group for Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan within the United States, and TASC cofounders include members of President Erdogan’s family. 1

TASC works with legislators and government agencies from the United States to gain political influence, including to improve the strength of its military. It also campaigns to promote its objectives with American citizens, targeting American citizens who are eligible to vote for candidates who can shift policy with Turkey in a pro-Erdogan direction. 5

Alignment with Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has served as the president of Turkey since 2014 and from 2003 to 2014, he served as Turkey’s prime minister. 6 In 1994, Erdogan was elected as mayor of Istanbul, Turkey, but later was stripped of his position, banned from holding a political position in Turkey, and imprisoned for four months for inciting religious hatred. 3 After his ban, Erdogan helped create the Justice and Development Party, helping Abdullah Gul become elected prime minister and subsequently lifting Erdogan’s ban from holding office. 7

Erdogan has been described as an authoritarian leader, creating laws to censor journalists, designating opposing political groups as terrorist organizations, and eliminating Turkish citizens’ right to due process. 4 Erdogan has been critical of the United States’ foreign policy related to Israel, calling Israel an illegal, terrorist state and stating Zionism is a crime against humanity. 8 9

TASC is closely aligned with Erdogan’s government and political interests and was cofounded by a member of Erdogan’s family. 10 In 2017, President Erdogan delivered a speech to TASC at which critics alleged Erdogan’s security detail beat anti-Erdogan protesters. 11

TASC is part of a network of Turkish government-aligned nonprofits that those close to the Erdogan government, including his son-in-law, planned to use to skirt U.S. laws and to hire freelance journalists to collect “political intelligence.” 12

Activities

The Turkish American National Steering Committee has programs that work with local, state, and federal government agencies in the United States to collaborate on projects that promote the Turkish government’s agenda in the US. This includes programs at colleges and universities that advocate for policy on behalf of the Turkish government. 13

TASC co-chair Gunay Evinch criticized President Joe Biden for officially recognizing the systemic murdering of ethnic Armenians as a genocide. Evinch claimed Biden unjustly sided with Armenians and neglected the Turkish-American community with the decision. 14

In 2019, celebrity doctor and future U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Mehmet Oz (R) was a special guest at a TASC fundraiser. 15

In May 2020, TASC applauded the decision of California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to deny parole to Hampig Sassounian, an Armenian who murdered a Turkish diplomat in 1982. TASC said in a statement that it was going to lead a coalition to make sure Sassounian served his life sentence. 16

In August 2020, then-U.S. Representative David Trone (D-MD) paid tribute to TASC from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives praising the group for delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) to the state of Maryland during the COVID-19 pandemic. 17

In 2021, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) spoke at a TASC event at which he said, “I am a friend of the Turkish people here and abroad.” Federal prosecutors indicted Mayor Adams in September 2024 for allegedly receiving illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel benefits from Turkish nationals stretching back to 2014. 18

In January 2021, TASC led a protest at the offices of the Wall Street Journal to protest the publication of an op-ed by professional basketball player Enes Kanter, who is a staunch critic of Turkish President Erdogan. Halil Mutlu, a co-chair of TASC and a cousin of Erdogan, led ten Turkish-American demonstrators in denouncing both the paper for publishing the op-ed and Kanter. 19

In February 2021, TASC released a statement saying it was appalled that half the U.S. Senate signed a letter urging then-President Joe Biden to admonish Turkey on its human rights record. TASC instead urged U.S. Senators to “reassess their position and call out those who wish to destroy the democratic institutions upholding Turkey’s Government,” which may be a reference to Fethullah Gulen, whom TASC and the Turkish government allege funded and led an attempted coup on July 15, 2016. 20

In March 2021, TASC drove a truck around New York City that said “Love Erdogan” to counterprotest a truck driving around the city which said, “Stop Erdogan.” Turkey’s ruling AKP party ran a similar “Love Erdogan” campaign in Turkey. 21

In August 2021, then-U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) was criticized for attending a TASC fundraiser. Bowman, a supporter of defunding the police and other far-left economic and social policies, was called a hypocrite for attending the event for its ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as Erdogan has been criticized for militarizing Turkey’s police force and far-right authoritarianism. Critics of Bowman’s attendance at the event also include how TASC has held protests in support of Erdogan’s authoritarian policies, including in its relationship with the United States. 22

In September 2021, TASC hosted Turkish President Erdogan at an event where he lashed out at unnamed American politicians whom he claimed were hostile to Islam and urged American Muslims to take a bigger role in politics and elect more representatives. 23

In September 2021, TASC hosted Erdogan in New York City at an event funded by the Turkish government and Turkish groups based in the U.S. Among the groups funding Erdogan’s event was an American association aligned with the Grey Wolves, a racist Turkish nationalist group affiliated with the far-right Nationalist Movement Party, which supports Erdogan’s government. Several European countries banned associations affiliated with the Grey Wolves due to their threats to Kurds, Armenians, and Greeks in those countries. In 2021, U.S. Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) proposed classifying the Grey Wolves as a terrorist group. 24

In October 2021, TASC claimed that it chatted with then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on the sidelines of a fundraising event for the Muslim American Society, a group alleged to be the U.S. chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood. 25

In April 2022, TASC held a protest at the U.S. Capitol to remember Turkish diplomats murdered by Armenian terrorist groups and to protest Armenian claims that Turkey (at the time the Ottoman Empire) committed genocide against Armenians during World War I. Armenian Americans counterprotested TASC. The protesters urged then-President Joe Biden to not use the genocide claims as a political tool to harm relations between the U.S. and Turkey. The Turkish Ambassador to the U.S., Murat Mercan, posed for a group photo with the TASC members. 26

In September 2023, Erdogan addressed a TASC event where he called on TASC members to build a bridge between the United States and Turkey. He also called on TASC to combat Islamophobia. 27

In October 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) and an aide attended a fundraiser co-hosted by TASC that Adams allegedly did not report to the New York City Campaign Finance Board as required by New York City law. 28

In April 2024, TASC counterprotested an Armenian protest outside the Turkish and Azerbaijani embassies in Washington, D.C. which demanded the two governments acknowledge genocide against Armenians during World War I. TASC denies that a genocide against Armenians took place. 29

In May 2024, the Washington Free Beacon reported on former TASC board member Murat Guzel’s prolific donations to then-U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). Guzel donated over $20,000 to Casey’s campaigns and related super PACs. Guzel also made substantial donations to numerous Democratic lawmakers and committees. 30

In July 2024, TASC sent a letter to then-President Joe Biden to protest a letter sent to Biden by U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) which criticized Turkish criminal proceedings against what it called the Fethullah Gülen Cult and the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ). The TASC letter accused Smith of gaslighting and portrayed the attempted coup on July 15, 2016, which Turkish authorities allege FETO carried out, to the January 6, riot. 31

In July 2024, TASC claimed that Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Dayton, Ohio; and Columbus, Georgia had designated July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day because of TASC lobbying. Previously, only Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland recognized the day. 32

In October 2024, the former deputy chair of TASC, Israfil Demir, was sentenced to one year in federal prison for trafficking counterfeit goods from China. Demir maintained ties to TASC and the Erdogan government as recently as September 2024. 33

In November 2024, TASC received the Governor’s Citation from the state of Maryland. 34

TASC TV is an American television station that is a project of TASC. It was created to promote the political influence of the Turkish government in the United States to help it build its military influence. Turkish President Erdogan supported the creation of the channel to help overcome what he views as lost political footing in America. 5

References

  1. Keene, Houston. “Rep. Bowman Attended Fundraiser Held by Group with Close Ties to Erdogan.” Fox News. FOX News Network, September 1, 2021. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jamaal-bowman-fundraiser-group-erdogan.
  2. Jones, Dorian. “EU Leaders Warn Erdogan on Human RIGHTS Amid Progress in Talks.” VOA. EU Leaders Warn Erdogan on Human Rights Amid Progress in Talks, September 2, 2021. https://www.voanews.com/a/europe_eu-leaders-warn-erdogan-human-rights-amid-progress-talks/6204230.html.
  3. Mayr, Walter. “Turkey’s Powerful Prime Minister: Who Can Challenge Erdogan?” DER SPIEGEL. DER SPIEGEL, July 15, 2007. https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/turkey-s-powerful-prime-minister-who-can-challenge-erdogan-a-495683.html.
  4. Laciner, Sedat. “Sedat Laciner.” The Turkish Sun, June 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160619081327/http://theturkishsun.com/opponent-or-terrorist-the-dramatically-changing-nature-of-turkish-democracy-20313/.
  5. Diamataris, Antonis H. “A Turkish-American Television Station.” The National Herald. The National Herald, February 22, 2021. https://www.thenationalherald.com/editorial/arthro/a_turkish_american_television_station-1863645/.
  6. “Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan.
  7. “Gul Elected as Turkish President.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, August 28, 2007. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/aug/28/turkey.marktran1.
  8. Ahren, Raphael. “Erdogan Calls Zionism a ‘Crime against Humanity.’” The Times of Israel, February 28, 2013. https://www.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-calls-zionism-a-crime-against-humanity/.
  9. “Erdogan and Netanyahu Exchange Insults over Jerusalem.” Middle East News | Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera, December 11, 2017. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/11/erdogan-israel-is-a-terrorist-state/.
  10. Ross, Chuck. “Squad Member Was Guest of Honor at Fundraiser Hosted BY Pro-Erdogan Group.” Washington Free Beacon, August 31, 2021. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/squad-member-was-guest-of-honor-at-fundraiser-hosted-by-pro-erdogan-group/.
  11. Gutowski, Stephen. “Protesters Claim Erdogan’s Security Personnel Involved in Nyc Assaults.” Washington Free Beacon, September 22, 2017. https://freebeacon.com/issues/protesters-claim-erdogans-security-personnel-involved-nyc-assaults/.
  12. Mauro, Ryan. “Turkey’s NGO Network in America.” Capital Research Center, September 6, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/turkeys-ngo-network-in-america/.
  13. “Carri Connor Reports on the Turkish American National Steering Committee.” Maryland Sister States. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.marylandsisterstates.org/carri-connor-reports-on-the-turkish-american-national-steering-committee/.
  14. Anadolu. “Turks in US Protest Biden’s Decision on 1915 Events.” Daily Sabah. Daily Sabah, April 25, 2021. https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/turks-in-us-protest-bidens-decision-on-1915-events.
  15. Arkun, Aram. “Armenians Must Mobilize against Dr. Oz .” The Armenian Mirror, May 24, 2022. https://mirrorspectator.com/2022/05/24/armenians-must-mobilize-against-dr-oz/.
  16. “US Governor Denies Parole for Turkish Diplomat’s Killer .” Hürriyet Daily News, May 27, 2020. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-governor-denies-parole-for-turkish-diplomats-killer-155089.
  17. “RECOGNIZING THE TURKISH AMERICAN NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE (TASC).” Congressional record, volume 166 issue 151 (Friday, August 28, 2020). Accessed January 20, 2025. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2020-08-28/html/CREC-2020-08-28-pt1-PgE798-5.htm.
  18. “Factbox-New York Mayor Adams’ Longstanding Ties with Turkey.” US News and World Report, September 26, 2024. https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2024-09-26/factbox-new-york-mayor-adams-longstanding-ties-with-turkey.
  19. “Erdogan’s Henchman in the US Led New York Protest against Wall Street Journal.” Nordic Monitor, February 14, 2021. https://nordicmonitor.com/2021/02/erdogans-henchman-in-the-us-leads-new-york-protest/.
  20. Donmez, Beyza Binnur. “Turkish-American Group Slams US Senate Letter on Turkey.” Anadolu Ajansı, February 11, 2021. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkish-american-group-slams-us-senate-letter-on-turkey/2141886.
  21. “Truck Displaying ‘Love Erdoğan’ Message Drives around New York.” Duvar English, March 9, 2021. https://www.duvarenglish.com/truck-displaying-love-erdogan-message-drives-around-new-york-news-56559.
  22. Ross, Chuck. “Squad Member Was Guest of Honor at Fundraiser Hosted by Pro-Erdogan Group.” Washington Free Beacon, August 31, 2021. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/squad-member-was-guest-of-honor-at-fundraiser-hosted-by-pro-erdogan-group/.
  23. Bozkurt, Abdullah. “Erdoğan Says New York High Rise Built by Turkey to Function as a Hub for US Muslims.” Nordic Monitor, September 23, 2021. https://nordicmonitor.com/2021/09/turkish-president-announces-new-new-york-skyscraper-to-function-as-a-hub-for-us-muslims/
  24. Kenez, Levent. “Erdoğan’s New York Event Sponsored by Far-Right Racist Group the European Union Has Been Urged to Ban.” Nordic Monitor, September 21, 2021. https://nordicmonitor.com/2021/09/19217/.
  25. “US Senator Chuck Schumer Attends US Muslim Brotherhood Fundraiser, Chats with Turkish Influence Group.” Global Influence Operations Report, October 27, 2021. https://www.global-influence-ops.com/us-senator-chuck-schumer-attends-muslim-brotherhood-fundraiser-chats-with-turkish-influence-group/.
  26. Günerigök, Servet. “Turks in US Capital Remember Turkish Diplomats Killed by Armenian Terror Groups.” Anadolu Ajansı, April 25, 2022. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turks-in-us-capital-remember-turkish-diplomats-killed-by-armenian-terror-groups/2572059.
  27. “Turkish-American Ties Improve Day by Day, Erdoğan Says .” Hürriyet Daily News, September 18, 2023. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-american-ties-improve-day-by-day-erdogan-says-186380.
  28. Sommerfeldt, Chris. “NYC Mayor Adams Event with Local Turkish-American Groups Went Unreported to Election Regulators.” Yahoo! News, February 23, 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nyc-mayor-adams-event-local-175500027.html.
  29. “Turkish, Azerbaijani Communities Stage Protest in Washington in Response to Armenian Protests.” WE News English, April 25, 2024. https://wenewsenglish.pk/turkish-azerbaijani-communities-stage-protest-in-washington-in-response-to-armenian-protests/.
  30. Ross, Chuck. “Inside Bob Casey’s Troubling Relationship with Erdogan’s Best Friend in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Washington Free Beacon, May 16, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/inside-bob-caseys-troubling-relationship-with-erdogans-best-friend-in-the-commonwealth-of-pennsylvania/.
  31. “Turks in US Call Biden Not to Fall for Pro-FETÖ Campaign.” Daily Sabah, July 10, 2024. https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/turks-in-us-call-biden-not-to-fall-for-pro-feto-campaign/news/amp#amp_ct=1737205585708&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17372055067286&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.
  32. “More US Cities Declare July 15th as Democracy and National Unity Day.” Türkiye Today, July 14, 2024. https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/more-us-cities-declare-july-15th-as-democracy-and-national-unity-day-29264/.
  33. Bozkurt, Abdullah. “U.S. Operative of Turkish President Erdoğan Convicted of Trafficking, Sent to Federal Prison.” Middle East Forum, December 19, 2024. https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/u-s-operative-of-turkish-president-erdogan-convicted-of-trafficking-sent-to-federal-prison.
  34. “TASC.” X (formerly Twitter), November 26, 2024. https://x.com/ourtasc/status/1861516884216357371?t=c-B9IlMv0pxQ7jfGxbVD9Q&s=19.
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Turkish American National Steering Committee


Washington, DC