Turkish groups tied to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been expanding their influence in New York, with one of their latest targets being Jamaal Bowman, a two-term House incumbent facing a tough reelection campaign north of New York City. The Turkish American Steering Committee (TASC) — an organization representing Turkish government interests and parts of its American diaspora — has been active in engaging with Bowman. They have visited him in Washington, hosted a food distribution event attended by the lawmaker, and organized a fundraiser for him.
TASC’s involvement with Bowman appears to stem from their strong opposition to his predecessor, former Rep. Eliot Engel, who had taken several stances against the Turkish government as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Despite Bowman’s progressive politics, which differ significantly from the Erdoğan regime’s authoritarian bent, he pursued legislation three years ago to withdraw U.S. troops from northeast Syria — a policy desired by Erdoğan’s government. This measure gained bipartisan support in Congress.
Although contributions to Bowman from TASC-affiliated individuals total nearly $40,000 from 16 donors — a small fraction of his overall campaign funds — they reflect Turkey’s broader efforts to extend its reach in U.S. politics. Similarly, Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign is under federal investigation over potential collusion with the Turkish government. A grand jury is considering the case, and at least one person close to Adams has been subpoenaed.
TASC has donated to elected officials across the political spectrum, including Brooklyn Democrat Yvette Clarke and Republican Lee Zeldin. They have also sought alliances with politicians nationwide and have targeted other members of the Squad. Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute noted that individuals like Bowman could be appealing targets for TASC due to overlapping policy positions on the progressive left and the isolationist right.
During Bowman’s first term, TASC’s New York representative, Erol Akyurek, posted campaign contribution links for Bowman on Facebook. Subsequently, TASC figures hosted a fundraiser for Bowman at a Turkish restaurant in Clifton, New Jersey. Donations from individuals tied to TASC on the day of the fundraiser totaled nearly $10,000.
A month after this event, Bowman sponsored an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to withdraw U.S. forces from northeast Syria. Bowman explained that this measure aimed to reduce U.S. military deployment abroad and bring war authorization back to Congress, aligning with his campaign pledge to curtail long-term military engagements.
The U.S. military presence in Syria, although small, is strongly opposed by Turkey, which disapproves of U.S. partnerships with Kurdish militants assisting in the fight against ISIS but also involved in a conflict with Turkey. Bowman’s amendment also found support among stateside Republicans seeking to reduce the U.S. footprint in Syria.
Bowman’s campaign spokesperson, Gabe Tobias, emphasized that Bowman has taken positions contrary to TASC’s goals, such as recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Bowman is a member of the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus and has sponsored legislation for Armenian Genocide education. Tobias also noted that Bowman returned donations in April from Halil Mutlu, a cousin of Erdogan and former TASC board member, after learning of his registration as a Turkish citizen engaged in political activity.
