Principal Officer Green touring the exhi- bit with the journalists.

Inauguration of U.S-Turkish Diplomatic History Exhibit in Adana

July 9, 2008  -- On July 9, Principal Officer Eric Green opened the photography exhibit "Between Friends – Turkish American Diplomatic Relations 1923-2007" at Adana’s renowned cultural center, the Tarihi Kiz Lisesi.  The U.S.-Mission-created exhibit, comprised of 48 photographs, displays 84 years of bilateral partnership from Ataturk and U.S. Ambassador Grew to President George W. Bush with Prime Minister Erdogan.  Among the photos are several featuring Turkish President Demirel with Vice President Johnson and Presidents Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton.  The exhibition showcases the long friendship the United States and Turkey, and emphasizes that our bilateral ties remain deep and unbending. (Photos from the exhibit and opening can be seen at http://photos.state.gov/galleries/ankara/9104/between_friends_photo_exhibit/1.html)

• Press Release

First Photo: Color guard and national anthems follow Dep. Principal Leyla Ones' wel- come. Second Photo:Ambassador Ross Wilson and spouse Margo Squire, and Princi- pal Officer Eric Green and spouse Erica Jacobs stand for the U.S. national anthem.

U.S. Consulate Adana Celebrates American Independence Day

July 1, 2008  -- Ambassador Ross Wilson and Principal Officer Eric Green presided over the opening of Independence Day celebrations at U.S. Consulate Adana.  Addressing a crowd of over 400 Turkish and American citizens, Ambassador Wilson quoted the American Declaration of Independence, and tied the strong U.S.-Turkish friendship to common values and a commitment to defend our way of life.  Ambassador Wilson’s remarks were praised by local and national media as timely and profound. Please see the full text of Ambassador's Speech.

Deputy Principal Officer Leyla Ones and Chairperson of Handicapped Assembly of Adana City Council Ipek Kobaner introduce the Quartet to the audience.

USAFE Clarinet Quartet Enthralls Children at Adana Handicapped Center

July 1, 2008  -- The USAFE Clarinet Quartet, in town to perform at the Consulate’s Independence Day reception, gave a concert for handicapped children at the Can Kids Education Protection and Life Foundation School.  To the delight of the children, the quartet played several different kinds of music, and demonstrated how reed instruments work.  The Quartet received thunderous applause from the children.  Outreach to the special needs community by U.S. Consulate Adana is ongoing; this event follows on the heels of a two-week therapeutic program for the handicapped in southeastern Turkey.

Ambassador Ross Wilson and Kahraman- maras Governor Mehmet Niyazi Tanilir admire photographs from the Exhibit Courtesy of Hulusi Isik.

Ambassador Wilson in Kahramanmaras

June 24, 2008  -- On June 24, Ambassador Ross Wilson and Principal Officer Eric Green took part in the official opening of American Roadside Architechture, an exhibit sponsored by the U.S. Embassy with the support of the Turkish Ministry of Culture, and the Kahramanmaras Governorship, Municipality and Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The collection of 56 prints is a reflection of more than 25 years of work by architecture historian John Margolies, who traveled over 160,000 kilometers to capture a unique era in American history.   The exhibit will be on display at the Kahramanmaras Municipality’s Necip Fazil Kisakurek Hall June 24 - July 2.