TCA Congressional Delegation receives briefing on Peacekeeping Operations in Sarajevo at Camp Butmir, from (left to right) Ambassador of Republic of Turkey to BiH, H.E. Mr. Vefahan Ocak, Major General Bernhard Bair, and G. Lincoln McCurdy, President of TCA.

TCA leads Congressional Delegation to Bosnia Herzegovina and Turkey

July 9, 2010, Washington, DC - This week, a delegation sponsored by the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) met with Haris Silajdžić, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).  The delegation included 24 senior Congressional staff members from the US House of Representatives, as well as Turkish scholars and representatives from the Bosniak American community.

“TCA would like to extend its thanks to Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for meeting with our delegation of Congressional staffers,” said G. Lincoln McCurdy, President of TCA.  “The cultural linkage between the people of Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina extends back for centuries, and we hope that this visit educated the Congressional delegation on the importance of Turkish and Turkish American support for a lasting peace in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

During the forum, members of the delegation conducted a question and answer dialogue with President Silajdžić.  A great deal of the discussion centered on the war fought between 1992 and 1995, as this year marks the 15th anniversary of the war’s end.  The President emphasized the role of Europe in ensuring the region’s stability. Silajdžić highlighted this point by describing Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as “a small country with a big echo.”  With regard to the democratic reforms being made to ensure peace between his peoples, President Silajdžić emphasized that BiH “should be a democratic, not ethno-cratic nation.” The President also emphasized that the top priorities for BiH were achieving NATO and EU membership. 

Prior to the forum with the Chairman of the Presidency, the delegation received a briefing from Ana Trišić Babić the Deputy Foreign Minister of BiH.  In briefing, the Deputy Minister explained the ongoing efforts to promote democracy and peace in BiH as well as the nation’s efforts to gain entry into NATO and eventually the European Union.  The delegation was also briefed by Jonathan Moore, the Deputy Chief of Mission from the US Embassy in BiH, regarding the activities of the US to assist the BiH government and their ongoing interest in fostering relations between the two nations.

The delegation also visited Camp Butmir, where the primary European Union peacekeeping forces (EUFOR) oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Accord.  The Ambassador of Republic of Turkey, H.E. Mr. Vefahan Ocak, accompanied TCA’s delegation, where it received a status briefing from Major General Bernhard Bair and Brigadier General David Enyeart of EUFOR.  The briefing focused on the Capacity Building and Training Division (CBTD) that was created to assist with the continued development of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the overall Turkish contribution to EUFOR. The CBTD is commanded by a Turkish officer, Colonel Osman Aytac.

“The delegation was impressed with the work that is being conducted by EUFOR on behalf of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Basak Kizildemir, TCA’s Istanbul-based Vice President.  “We are particularly pleased with the leadership of the Turkish military as a key participant in the BiH peacekeeping efforts.  The visit to Camp Butmir was an enlightening and educational experience for the delegation.”

On the final day of the trip, the delegation visited the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial for the victims of the Srebrenica Genocide and met with the staff of BosFam, an NGO that works with women who are victims of war.  On July 11th, the 15th anniversary of the mass killings of over 8000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica, 800 newly identified victims will be laid to rest in the cemetery at the Memorial. 

The planning and logistics for the delegation’s trip to BiH was assisted by Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH) and the American University in BiH.  “TCA would like to extend our warmest thanks to both BAACBH and the American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said G. Lincoln McCurdy.  “The assistance of both of these organizations was essential for such an important visit by the delegation.”

The delegation left Bosnia Herzegovina on July 6 to begin its visit to Turkey, which includes meetings in Istanbul and Ankara, as well as visits to Gallipoli and Patara.