New Era at TADF: Cevdet Özdemir Elected President

In the United States, a new term has begun at the Turkish American Associations Federation (TADF), one of the Turkish community's longstanding umbrella organizations. At the regular General Assembly, Cevdet Özdemir was elected president for the 2026–2028 term, and the federation's new Executive Board was also announced.

Cevdet Özdemir Assumes the Post

At the TADF regular General Assembly held in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, businessman Cevdet Özdemir, who ran as the sole candidate on a single list, was elected the federation's new president. It was noted that 22 associations supported Özdemir's candidacy, and 17 associations attended the general assembly.

Özdemir succeeded Gülay Aydemir, who had served two terms as president. Thus, the new management process covering the 2026–2028 term officially began at TADF.

TADF's New Executive Board Announced

Following the General Assembly, the new Executive Board for the term under President Cevdet Özdemir was also announced.

The Board of Directors included Cevdet Özdemir, Hüseyin Bayram, Berat Şahin, Ali Rıza Doğan, Rahmi Yazar, Tiyenshan Muradoğli Ahıskalı, Figen Derinsu, Abdi Akgün, Mustafa Seven, Muammer Özdemir, Kemal İbaş, Hacibey Çatalbaş, Halil Bayram and Erol Akyürek.

Atilla Pak, İlhan Kodalak and Zuhal Özgül were elected to the Federation's Audit Committee; Ibrahim Şentürk, Serdar Şalcıroğlu and Ünal Kayha were chosen for the Disciplinary Committee.

Priorities for the New Era Announced

Cevdet Özdemir, who assumed the presidency, delivered key messages about the roadmap TADF will follow in the new era. Among the points Özdemir highlighted were strengthening unity and solidarity in the Turkish‑American community, enhancing communication among member associations, encouraging greater participation of youth and women in federation activities, and bolstering financial transparency.

Özdemir drew attention to the historic legacy of TADF, founded in 1956, and said that the presidency is viewed more as a duty to serve the Turkish‑American community than a mere office. He emphasized that the new leadership will adopt an approach that brings together diverse perspectives and establishes stronger communication with member associations.

More Responsibility Will Be Given to Youth

One of the most attention‑grabbing goals of the new era will be to increase the role of young people within TADF. Özdemir said that young people should not be seen merely as participants in events, but should be regarded as the managers and leaders of the future Turkish‑American institutions.

In this context, more inclusion of young people in decision‑making mechanisms is planned; leadership, education and professional development programs will be supported. It is aimed for women, businesspeople, academics, artists, athletes and Turkish‑Americans from various professional groups to take a more active part in the federation’s activities.

A roadmap will be prepared for the Turkish Cultural Center.

One of the most eye‑catching projects of TADF’s new term will be the Turkish Cultural Center, which has been on the agenda for a long time. Özdemir’s administration plans to turn this goal, which also appears in the federation’s bylaws, into a concrete work program.

The aim is to research financial resources for the project, evaluate and implement donation and sponsorship models, and develop an implementable roadmap. The federation also plans to work on new business partnerships and corporate sponsorship models with the Turkish‑American business community in order to strengthen its financial structure.

"Our Way Is the Way of Unity"

Cevdet Özdemir placed an emphasis on unity at the core of his message about the new era. Stating that the Turkish‑American community should focus on its shared values rather than its differences, Özdemir said that they aim to make the federation a more inclusive and stronger umbrella.

Özdemir summed up the new administration's approach with the words, ‘We are not about division but unity; not about merely criticizing but about producing solutions.’

The new administration that will serve from 2026 to 2028 is expected to conduct work aimed at strengthening TADF's effectiveness within the Turkish‑American community as well as boosting its visibility in American public opinion.