The American Turkish Society is proud to support the 10th Annual New York Turkish Film Festival, October 3 –11, 2008.

The New York Turkish Film Festival, now celebrating its tenth year, is a prestigious film festival that fosters greater cultural exchange between Turkey and the United States through presentation of groundbreaking cinema in the heart of New York City.

The American Turkish Society congratulates renowned cardiac surgeon and member of its Board of Directors, Mehmet C. Oz, MD on his selection as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2008. In addition, Dr. Oz was the recipient of 2008 Ellis Island Medal of Honor this year.

For both awards, Dr. Oz was honored for his expertise and achievements in his profession, as well as his contributions to the society at large through his influence, philanthropic activities and community engagement. “The American Turkish Society and the Turkish-American community are proud of Dr. Oz’s achievements,” remarked Murat Koprulu, Chairman of The American Turkish Society, “his dedication to teaching all of us to live healthier lives and to promoting better healthcare globally is worthy of the highest praise and admiration.”

Dr. Oz has been serving on the Board of Directors of The American Turkish Society since 2002, and is a strong supporter of the organization which works to strengthen the bonds between the U.S. and Turkey. He has been a speaker at The Society on several occasions and contributed to the organization’s efforts and fundraising in the aftermath of the devastating 1999 earthquake near Istanbul, Turkey. In addition, The Society and Dr. Oz have collaborated on a fellowship program for young medical students from Turkey.

Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People honors the leaders, pioneers, scientists, artists, and business titans that have the power to impact society in significant ways. In the magazine, Dr. Oz is described as “a man of extraordinary compassion and strength, remarkably suited both to caring for his own patients and to carrying a message of health to a larger world.”

The Ellis Island Medals of Honor have been given each year since 1986 to American citizens of diverse origins for their outstanding contributions to their communities, their nation and the world. Past Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients include six Presidents of the United States, Nobel Prize winners, athletes, leaders of industry, artists and others whose work has made a lasting impact on humanity.

Dr. Oz is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents. He performs 250 heart operations annually. Dr. Oz was born June 11, 1960 in Cleveland, Ohio and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University (1982) and obtained a joint MD and MBA (1986) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School. Dr. Oz is the Health Expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is chief medical consultant to Discovery Communications and his “Transplant!” series won both a Freddie and a Silver Telly award. He is a frequent guest on various other TV shows, including Good Morning America, the Charlie Rose show and evening news broadcasts, and consulted on several feature films. Dr. Oz authored five NY Times Best Sellers including “You: The Owner’s Manual”, “You: The Smart Patient”, “YOU: On a Diet”, “YOU: Staying Young” as well as the award winning “Healing from the Heart”. He has a regular column in Esquire magazine.

The American Turkish Society’s second Arif Mardin Music Fellowship has been awarded to Canberk Kargi, a seventeen-year-old drummer from Canakkale, Turkey. The Fellowship, established by The Society in memory of Arif Mardin (1932-2006), a world-renowned producer/arranger and long-time Vice Chairman of the organization, provides promising musicians of Turkish descent exposure to the field in the United States. Canberk Kargi will be attending the Five-Week Summer Performance Program at Berklee College of Music on July 12 – August 15, 2008 .