By EMMA PEREZ-TREVIÑO
On Jan. 25, 2011, state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. accompanied by other senators, passed a resolution recognizing Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen for his ongoing and inspirational contributions to the promotion of global peace and understanding.
Gülen, who has lived in the United States since the late 1990s, is said to have inspired the establishment of Turkish institutes and organizations in this country, including the Gülen Institute, Harmony schools, and the reportedly non-profit organizations the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ), and the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians (TCAE). Kemal Oksuz, based in Houston, has been at the forefront of numerous organizations.
Also in January 2011, the Valley Morning Star reported on Lucio Jr.’s campaign contributions and expenditures, finding that TCAE had paid for a $3,800 trip for Lucio Jr. to Istanbul, Turkey, from Oct. 10-18, 2010.
In his campaign statement, Lucio said that he had meetings with Turkish members of Congress during the “good will and fact finding mission.” “The Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians is an umbrella group that works to promote peace, understanding the community among people of different background,” the senator said at the time. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on International Relations and Trade, I was invited as part of a bipartisan group of senators to come to Turkey to learn about other cultures,” Lucio Jr. added.
According to TCAE’s website, its mission is, “to promote the cultural, educational, academic, business, social and arts relations and to organize events and activities to bring together the American and Turkish, Turkic and Eurasian communities within the U.S.”
Lucio Jr. is but one of the significant numbers of elected officials and staff that TCAE and affiliated organizations have taken on trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
A handful of these came to the limelight Thursday when the Associated Press reported that a bipartisan group of 10 U.S. House lawmakers said they had no idea that a May 2013 congressional trip to Azerbaijan was paid for by the country’s government. An investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics and the House Ethics Committee revealed that the travel had not been paid by TCAE or AFAZ, but that instead the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic had allegedly funneled $750,000 through the two organizations to pay for the conference. This would go awry of travel rules. Inquiries continue.
The 10 lawmakers are U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas; Yvette Clarke and Gregory Meeks of New York; Danny Davis of Illinois and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico; as well as Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J. and former Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, the AP reported.
Information that the Star reviewed reflects that a staff member of Lujan Grisham’s office went on the trip, and that Lujan Grisham approved it.
But before this group of lawmakers went, the Star found that U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife traveled from Jan. 5, 2013 through Jan. 13, 2013 on a TCAE organized U.S. congressional delegation trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Data compiled by LegiStorm, which maintains documents about the U.S. Congress reflect that the cost of the trip was $26,145. Briefings at the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic were on the trip’s agenda.
One of Cuellar’s staff members went on May 2013 trip with the lawmakers at a cost of $5,290. Another staff member went to Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey Oct. 17 through Oct. 25, 2014. This trip was sponsored by the Turkish American Federation of Midwest that also is affiliated with TCAE. This trip cost $3,307.
LegiStorm data show that TCAE has sponsored 29 trips at a cost of $202,454 for 19 republicans and 10 democrats, but Turkish groups combined have spent more than $1 million to fund trips of elected officials.
Other organizations linked to Oksuz, TCAE, and AFAZ include Niagara Foundation, IID, Target Design & Management, TDM Construction, Cosmos Foundation, and Harmony Public Schools.
Texas Ethics Commission records reflect that TCAE also has funded trips to Turkey and the area besides the trip that Lucio Jr. took. These include Judge Randy Clapp of El Campo and a family member, Justice Molly Francis of Dallas, Rep. Joseph Deshotel of Beaumont, Rep. Hubert Vo of Houston, Sen. Troy Fraser, Rep. Rafael Anchia of the Dallas area, and former Rep. Lon Burnam of the Fort Worth area.
As Lucio Jr. did, some disclose the trips on the statements of campaign contributions and expenditures. Others disclose the trips as gifts in their personal financial statements.
Lucio did not respond to requests for comment.
Source: Valley morning star
Eperez-trevino@valleystar.com