Florida Senate - 2013 (NP) SR 838 By Senator Garcia 38-01475-13 2013838__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing the Turkish American 3 Federation of the Southeast and applauding its efforts 4 to bridge cultural divides and celebrate diversity. 5 6 WHEREAS, South Florida is home to the third-largest Turkish 7 population in the nation and, each spring, tens of thousands of 8 Floridians attend the Turkish Festival organized by the Anatolia 9 Cultural Center which features contemporary and traditional 10 varieties of Turkish music, performing arts, and historic 11 Ottoman marchers, and 12 WHEREAS, the Turkish American Federation of the Southeast 13 is comprised of 22 Turkish and Turkic nonprofit and 14 nongovernmental organizations in this and four other southern 15 states and was established to improve the relationship between 16 Turkic and American communities through educational, cultural, 17 business, and other community endeavors, and 18 WHEREAS, the Turkish American Federation of the Southeast 19 is hosting an annual art and essay contest for middle school and 20 high school students in which they are encouraged to explore 21 cultural differences through creative works of art or the 22 written word, and 23 WHEREAS, in February 2010, the Turkish American Chamber of 24 Commerce of the Southeast launched an annual business 25 “matchmaking program” in which business owners and chief 26 executive officers from Turkish companies visited Atlanta, 27 Georgia, to explore import-export opportunities with local 28 companies, and 29 WHEREAS, the Turkish American Federation of the Southeast 30 supports this and other efforts to boost the economy of this 31 state, NOW, THEREFORE, 32 33 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 34 35 That we do hereby recognize the Turkish American Federation 36 of the Southeast and applaud its efforts to bridge cultural 37 divides and celebrate diversity.