The Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA) is a non-profit organization founded and managed by contemporary Turkish women who are dedicated volunteers, committed to Atatürk’s principles and the values of the Republic, and who embrace the national, moral, humanitarian, spiritual, and cultural values of the Turkish Nation, with the mission to sustain and promote the Turkish language and culture in America.
Founded on September 17, 1958, in New York City as a tax-exempt public organization, the Turkish Women’s League of America was established to sustain and promote the Turkish language and culture in America. As one of the oldest active Turkish-American organizations in the USA, the association also houses the New York Atatürk School, which has been our pride since 1971.
Having started its educational journey with great efforts in 1971, the TWLA New York Atatürk School continues its education and instruction today with over 100 students at kindergarten and elementary school levels, located at 411 East 76th Street (Eleanor Roosevelt High School) and online.
Another important mission of the League is to engage in activities that facilitate the development of friendship and understanding between American and Turkish women and to support the work of other similarly focused public organizations.
Since December 2021, it has been serving at a global level as an organization accredited to and a member of the United Nations Department of Global Communications.
By participating in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (via UNDGC) since 2021, we have focused on fundamental principles such as quality education, climate action, and gender equality. Accordingly, we continue our efforts to raise awareness in our community about how we can contribute to a sustainable and equal world.
Emphasizing the honorable place of Turkish women on the stage of history, the great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk addressed our women who showed heroism in the War of Independence, saying, “O heroic Turkish woman! You are worthy not of crawling on the ground, but of rising to the skies on shoulders!” thereby expressing his confidence in and value for Turkish women at the highest level.
Acting with this awareness, the TWLA fulfills its responsibilities with great dedication by cooperating with all authorized institutions and non-governmental organizations to elevate women’s place in society to the respected position they deserve.
People
Board of Directors and Members
TWLA Bylaws
You can access our association’s bylaws via this link.