Chicago

Chicago

 

Attending the NATO Summit in Chicago, President Gül explored the Silicon Valley, the heart of the information technologies in San Francisco. The President, declaring Turkey to be one of the organization’s most important members, delivered an address on leadership at Stanford University as part of his program in the States and explored such corporations as Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter in San Francisco.

President Abdullah Gül along with First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül paid a visit to the States on the occasion of the NATO Summit in Chicago.

President Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül were welcomed by Turkish Ambassador Namık Tan; Head of the Turkish National Military Representatives Delegation, General Tahir Bekiroğlu; Turkish Consul General to Chicago Fatih Yıldız and US Department of State officials.

GÜL’S SCHEDULE PRIOR TO NATO SUMMIT

Meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan, President Ivanov of Macedonia and Azeri President Aliyev in Chicago prior to the NATO Summit, President Gül afterwards separately received the representatives of the Ahiska Turkish Associations in the Midwest, those of the Turkish community residing in the States and Mehmet Okur and Ömer Aşık, two of the Turkish athletes playing in the NBA.

MAY 19TH RECEPTION IN US

President Gül participated in the reception hosted by Turkish Ambassador to Washington,Namik Tan, on the occasion of the May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day during which he met with Turkish and Turkish-American citizens as well as Turkish relative communities.

President Gül, revealing his happiness to be with Turkish and Turkish-American citizens as well as Turkish relative communities during the reception held to mark the May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day in Chicago, reiterated the importance of the festival in that 100 years ago, august Atatürk initiated the Independence War in the northern province of Samsun and he also remembered him, his comrades in arms and all martyrs with gratitude and respect.

President Gül, calling on the Turkish-American citizens, referred to the saying, ‘United we stand divided we fall’ and said they represent Turkey in the country. “You must realize how much Turkey has progressed and changed for the better in recent years. As you represent our country here with your successes in the business world, sports or the cultural life, you serve your homeland as well indeed.”

FIRST LADY’S PROGRAM IN CHICAGO

Accompanying President Gül on his visit to the States on the occasion of the NATO Summit in Chicago, First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül participated in the program hosted by US First Lady Michelle Obama at the Gary Comer Youth Center.

Welcomed by her US counterpart upon her arrival at the center, Mrs. Gül, after having a memoir photo taken with the other First Ladies, explored Gary Comer Youth Center and they were informed about the facility and its cultural, art and sports activities offered for children in the region.

FIRST LADIES HAVE A GOOD TIME IN THE GARDEN

Chatting with the students and their teachers in the Garden Hall, the First Ladies later tasted the fruits the children grew there. Mrs. Gül, in mentioning the great importance of organic agriculture, congratulated the children and teachers on their success. Proceeding to the Kitchen Hall along with Mrs. Obama and the other First Ladies, Mrs. Gül enjoyed the foods made from the crops grown through organic farming.

MINI CONCERT BY CHILDREN

Exploring as part of their program at the youth center the art, sports and dancing halls, they listened to a mini concert performed by children in the recording studio and a dance performance as well.

At the end of the program, First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül and her counterparts had a luncheon hosted by Mrs. Obama.

DINNER HOSTED BY MRS. OBAMA

Exploring along with the other First Ladies Gary Comer Youth Center as part of the programs for the spouses of the Heads of State and Government attending the NATO Summit in Chicago, First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül participated in the dinner hosted by Mrs. Obama.

Mrs. Gül, after visiting the art galleries of the institute with her other counterparts, proceeded to the dinner hall.

In response to a query as to the dinner afterwards, the First Lady averred that she was impressed by the youth center which was established in an area in which most of the inhabitants are Afro-American citizens and which aims to help them attend university education.

Mrs. Gül further informed the press members that they had enjoyed the organic fruits and vegetables the children produced in the garden of the youth center and that they had also watched the dance and musical performance. She also stated that she had invited First Lady Michelle Obama to Turkey.

NATO SUMMIT KICED OFF ON SUNDAY

The NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government where President Abdullah Gül and his delegation represented Turkey was launched in Chicago with the plenary session of the North Atlantic Council, the most senior political governing body of the organization.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and US President Barack Obama welcomed the heads of state and government including President Abdullah Gül.

Afterwards, a ceremony was held to honor the NATO military personnel serving during the NATO operations and missions and the leaders stood in silence in honor of those losing their lives during these missions. Secretary General Rasmussen and President Obama later delivered the inauguration speeches and the plenary session was initiated.

GÜL’S TETE-A-TETES AS PART OF THE SUMMIT

President Abdullah Gül further met with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, at lunch during which Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu were also present.

GÜL MEETS WITH UN SECRETARY GENERAL

Offering his thanks to President Gül for the generosity and corroboration the Turkish government displayed toward the Syrian refugees, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also shared his concern about the fact that there has been no progress regarding the Cyprus issue in recent months.

HOPE FOR NEW CHAPTER IN TURKISH-FRENCH RELATIONS

President Gül and his French counterpart, President Hollande, during their meeting, averred their wish to open a new chapter in Turkish-French bilateral relations in the new term, underscoring that they not waste time dealing with the misunderstandings of the past.

MEETING WITH RUTTE OF THE NETHERLANDS

President Gül further had a tete-a-tete with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, at the McCormick Congress Hall, where FM Davutoğlu and Defense Minister Yılmaz were also present.

NATO MEETING ON AFGHANISTAN

President Abdullah Gül attended the NATO meeting on Afghanistan as part of the NATO Summit in Chicago.

Among the Turkish delegation at the meeting , which the NATO members, the countries lending their support for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and some international organizations attended as well, were FM Ahmet Davutoğlu and Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz

MRS. GÜL’S OTHER PROGRAMS IN CHICAGO

The First Lady, after visiting Gary Comer Youth Center and attending dinner hosted by Mrs. Obama, explored the Museum of Science and Industry and the Chicago Botanic Garden as part of her program in Chicago.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

The First Lady, examining the simulations of such natural phenomena as twisters, avalanches, lightning and rainbows, visited the hall that exhibited the human anatomy, evincing her excitement to observe both the fetus grow in the womb and the movement of a ball by two players with the brain power.

CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN

Mrs. Gül, as part of her schedule in Chicago, explored the Chicago Botanic Garden with some 2.5 million plant species and was informed about some of them by the officials.

GÜL’S OTHER TALKS AT NATO SUMMIT

President Abdullah Gül, on the second day of the NATO Summit in Chicago, separately met with Pakistani President Asıf Ali Zardari, President Rosen Plevneliev of Bulgaria, President Traian Basescu of Romania and US President Barack Obama. President Gül, after separately receiving a delegation of the Arab-US organizations and the representatives of the Somalian community in the States, attended the dinner during which he met with US CEOs.

GÜL’S TALK WITH OBAMA ON TERROR

President Gül, during his tete-a-tete with his US counterpart at McCormick Congress Center, reiterated Turkey’s expectation from the States as to the sale of the drones which will be used in fighting against terrorism. As for President Obama, he said he is not the only one to decide on this issue, referring to the role of the Congress.

President Gül afterwards separately received a delegation of the Arab-US Organizations in the States and another delegation of the Somalian community as well.

MEETING WITH CEOs

The President later had dinner with US CEOs which was held by Turkey’s Consulate General in Chicago and the Investment Support and Promotion Agency for Turkey.

FAMILY PHOTO

NATO leaders including President Gül gathered for a family photo after the meeting on Afghanistan.

GÜL ADDRESSES CHICAGO COUNCIL ON GLOBAL AFFAIRS

Delivering an address at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs entitled ‘Turkey’s Economic and Political Priorities’, President Gül said despite the economic crisis engulfing entire Europe, Turkey has been able to stand out as the second fastest growing economy in the world right after China and pointed to the fact that Turkey provides an added value to the international community, reiterating: “We viewed our unique ties with a vast number of peoples as a strategic asset providing us with historical, cultural and conceptual depth in all directions.”

TURKEY’S ADDED VALUE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

President Gül, stating that Turkey has recently been in the forefront of international debate both in economic and political terms, said on the foreign policy front, too, there is now almost no hot issue on the global agenda which Turkey is not playing a visible role. From Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to Somalia, Iran to the Arab Spring, and sustainable development to dialogue among civilizations, Turkey provides an added value to the international community!, he exclaimed. For many years, he noted, Turkey has been seen merely as a staunch ally at the flank of the NATO Alliance, evincing his sadness by saying: “But no more than that. Yes, many recognized Turkey’s potential, but questioned her ability to realize it due to its domestic and regional problems.”

GREAT CHANGE TURKEY HAS ACHIEVED IN A DECADE

So what changed since then to make Turkey the regional powerhouse of today in such a short period of time, asked the President, saying that Turkey’s journey to the center stage of international politics has begun within the country. In 2002, he noted, it made a giant leap forward towards political stability and has continued to enjoy it since then. But with political stability, he continued, also came a vision for a stronger Turkey and a firm commitment to make this vision a reality and noted that indeed, they first believed in themselves and their potential to be a force of good in a wide geography, adding that to this end, they put into effect bold reforms with a view to lifting the obstacles on the way of Turkey’s democratic and economic progress.