(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/7/2020) – A special delegation of the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), the largest Muslim-American coalition of leading national and local community institutions, has returned from a special meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Ankara presidential complex, thanking him for the Turkish people’s rush of pandemic aid to Americans in their time of PPE shortage and stressing the need to nurture the special, historic relationship between the two nations.
“On our return from our recent solidarity visit to Beirut in the wake of the port blast, we met with President Erdogan to promote the important friendship between America and Turkey,” said Oussama Jammal, USCMO secretary general, who led the delegation. “This is a natural bridge-building role for American Muslims to offer our country.”
“We made a special point to thank him personally for the Turkish people’s dispatch of masks, gowns, and gloves for Americans in need during the early first peak of the coronavirus crisis when personal protective equipment shortages were rampant here. We also noted Turkey’s key role in helping millions of distressed throughout the region especially Syria where Turkey hosts over 3.5 million refugees, Palestine, Rohingya, Somalia, Libya, and most recently Lebanon.”
Delegates included Dr. Osama Abuirshaid, Dr. Esam Omeish, Imam Muhammad Ruhul Amin, Imam Haaziq Muhammad II, Imam Mohamed Mursal and Sheikh Hasan Jama, Dr. Bassam Obeid, Mazen Mokhtar, and Dr. Mohammed Hassan –
They expressed the general gratitude of American Muslims for the leadership Turkey has taken on behalf of so many suffering.
Emphasizing the Long-Term US-Turkey Friendship
After sharing with the president the delegation’s humanitarian trip on behalf of the American Muslim community, USCMO representatives underscored the special historical relationship of friendship between the US and Turkey, and the need to nurture the amity between the two NATO countries and freedom-loving peoples.
President Erdogan praised the American Muslim community for its resilience and growing list of achievements and thanked them for seeking to actively foster continuing positive relationships between the two nations.
“I think America’s Muslims have an important part to play in bringing understanding between Turkey and the US,” said Jammal. Its peoples really share so many commonalities and the countries have so much to gain from growing their history of mutual cooperation.”
