Turkish medical professionals and scientists living in the U.S. gathered at an event hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Washington, showing efforts to strengthen professional and cultural ties within the diaspora.
The meeting, held at the embassy on Friday, brought together Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Sedat Önal, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Mehmet Öz, and U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Seval Öz, along with physicians, researchers and academics of Turkish origin working across the country.
Speaking at the event, Önal said Turkish scientists and professionals serve as a "catalyst” in strengthening bilateral relations between Türkiye and the U.S. He emphasized the importance of more frequent communication among Turkish-origin professionals in academia and high-level institutions, calling for individuals who can comfortably operate across both cultures and languages to take a more visible role in public and professional spaces.
The ambassador also said the embassy would continue efforts to facilitate such gatherings, but stressed that the broader Turkish community in the U.S. must also take ownership of maintaining professional and cultural networks. He encouraged participants to actively promote Turkish identity and contribute to its visibility within their fields.
Mehmet Öz, who heads Medicare and Medicaid services, reflected on the historical ties between Turkish and global medical communities. He noted that during World War II, refugee doctors from Germany and Russia who settled in Türkiye contributed significantly to the development of Turkish medical education and literature, which later influenced generations of physicians, including his own father.
He added that his father maintained close ties with Turkish doctors after moving to the U.S., stressing that such relationships provided both professional and emotional continuity. "We share common values such as hard work and freedom,” he said, adding that these principles have enabled success for Turkish professionals regardless of where they built their careers.
Seval Öz also highlighted the importance of maintaining strong professional networks among Turkish doctors in the U.S., encouraging participants to deepen connections within the community. She urged attendees to introduce themselves to colleagues they had not met before and to strengthen communication across the network.
The Turkish diaspora in the U.S. includes a growing number of professionals in medicine, engineering, academia and public service, many of whom maintain active links with institutions in Türkiye.
In recent years, Turkish diplomatic missions have increasingly organized networking events aimed at connecting highly skilled expatriates, reflecting a broader strategy of "brain circulation” rather than brain drain. These initiatives seek to leverage diaspora expertise for scientific collaboration, economic partnerships and cultural diplomacy.
Historical ties between Turkish and American medical communities date back decades, with significant influence from European-trained physicians who contributed to the modernization of medical education in Türkiye during the early 20th century. Many of these academic traditions later shaped the training of doctors who went on to work in the United States, reinforcing long-standing professional links between the two countries.
Today, such networks are seen by officials as an important channel for strengthening bilateral engagement beyond traditional diplomacy, particularly in fields such as healthcare innovation, public policy and research.