Speeches
Remarks of U.S. Consul General Sharon Anderholm Wiener
Celebration of the 232nd Anniversary
of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Istanbul - July 2, 2008
Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues: Welcome to the U.S. Consulate General Istanbul’s Independence Day celebration. I am very pleased to host you all on this beautiful evening. First of all, I would like to thank the American companies who have generously sponsored this event, and similar events in Izmir, Adana and Ankara. They have kept us well-fed with delicious food and drink. I am also very grateful to the jazz group CoolBone, who are about to give us a chance to burn some of those extra calories by moving to great music from New Orleans. Thank you to Özge İşeri for her lovely harp music in the courtyard, and also to Demetra Mustafoglu for her beautiful singing of our countries’ national anthems. Finally, I would also like to thank all the staff here at the consulate for the weeks–actually months–of hard work that went into coordinating today’s party.
Some of you probably are wondering why our July 4th celebration is happening on July 2nd. The main reason is that July 4 is a national holiday and we want to give the consulate staff a day off. But, it is in fact historically accurate for us to come together today, on July 2, to recognize the birth of the independent United States of America. Our founding fathers took the bold decision to be a free, democratic nation in a resolution first passed on July 2, 1776. It is true they waited two days, until July 4, before expanding this into a formal declaration of independence -- maybe they needed that time to prepare enough food for the party!
While American Independence Day is certainly known as a carefree summer celebration, marked by joyful outdoor activities and fireworks, the event we commemorate today was the launch of a serious, concerted, and ongoing effort to forge a democracy. This process has been a challenging one, at times even painful. Americans have struggled to make their own voices heard and to listen to the voices of all their fellow citizens. The original democratic experiment begun in the United States failed to include many, including those of African descent and women. I find it truly inspiring, then, that this year’s American presidential election campaign has witnessed some of the highest voter turnout and the most diverse array of candidates in our history. American democracy is very much still a work in progress, but that work is bringing about real change.
It is for me a special pleasure to celebrate Independence Day here in Istanbul, a city that I love in a country that is a close ally and strategic partner of the United States. No two democratic experiences are exactly the same, but like the United States, Turkey has its own commendable record of building a more vibrant democracy. This has been reflected both in elections that have repeatedly allowed people to freely express their political will, as well as in the development of government institutions and a civil society that can strengthen and uphold democratic values.
I first visited Istanbul 39 years ago, and first lived in Turkey 33 years ago. Since returning last year, I’ve been struck by the dynamic progress that Turkey has made, both economically and politically. Like America’s democratic experience, this is worth celebrating. Similarly, both Turkey and the United States must continue our efforts to build stronger democracies through constructive dialogue that includes diverse voices from every corner of society. Winston Churchill wisely observed that “democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” But despite the challenges of democracy, our democratic values are the best hope for Turkey and the United States to secure peace and freedom and all the other goals we share in so many regions of the world.
For now, I encourage you all to secure a piece of cake by joining me in the courtyard for the cake-cutting ceremony. For those of you who remain outside, I would like to welcome CoolBone to entertain you with the authentic sounds of New Orleans jazz. Please relax and enjoy yourselves. Thank you again for coming to celebrate this special day with us.
