Thanks to the Strategic Speakers Initiative, Public Affairs Section in Istanbul was able to present Judge Charles R. Simpson III, United States District Judge, Western District of Kentucky, to diverse audiences in Istanbul on April 4-7, 2007. The judge was a featured panelist for a conference in celebration of the 129th anniversary of the Istanbul Bar Association, one of the largest Bars in the world with its 2200 members. The judge addressed the conference topic, "Freedom and Security in the Light of Recent Developments" by highlighting how the rule of law and supremacy of court decisions guarantee the protection of the fundamental liberties of Americans. Simpson was able to meet prominent legal figures in Istanbul during the conference and associated events and mixed with young lawyers at a reception in his honor hosted by the Public Affairs Officer in Istanbul. In a lecture at Bahcesehir University Law Faculty, Judge Simpson addressed a group of students, academics and young lawyers on the "U.S. Courts of Appeal."