GUNAY EVINCH

Günay Evinch (Övünç) is a lawyer at Saltzman & Evinch, PC (www.Turklaw.Net), which has been providing public and private international legal services since 1994.

Gunay is the President-Elect of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), where he has volunteered since 1989.  He is the co-chair of the Armenian Research Committee, Anti-Terrorism Research and Education Committee, and the ATAA representative to the U.S. National Director of Intelligence Heritage Community Program.  He has served as the ATAA Capitol Region VP (2004-06), Secretary General (1998-2000), and General Counsel (1996-98).  To learn more about Gunay’s thoughts and goals with respect to the Turkish American community, please view Episode 17 at, www.turkishamericanhour.org/video.

Günay is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in International Law and a Japan Sasakawa Scholar in International Relations, on issues that effect U.S.-Turkish relations, such as PKK Kurdish nationalist terrorism, Armenian terrorism and claim of genocide, Greece and the Aegean Sea, and the island of Cyprus.  He has been published and quoted in The Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, World Politics Review, Barrister Bar Magazine, and Al Jazeera USA and Voice of America.

Gunay received his Juris Doctor from Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Virginia in 1991.  He is certified from the University of Madrid School of Law in European Union commercial and human rights law, 1989.  He received his B.A. with double majors in Economics and Public Service from the University of California, Davis, in 1986, where he received the UC Regents Outstanding Seniors Award.

Among Saltzman & Evinch’ clientele is the Turkish Republic, which the firm ahs successfully represented in critical cases defending Turkish Cypriots in Crist v. Turkey, and the independence of the Turkish judicial system in PCI v. Turkey.

Gunay Evinch is a second-generation Turkish American of Ottoman Macedonian heritage.  He is married to Senem and has a two-and-half year old daughter, Lara.

Tradition of Community Service:  Volunteer, Oz Bengur For Congress; Founder, Anatolia FC Soccer Club (1998-2000); President, Washington & Lee University, School of Law (1990-91); Judge Advocate, W&L Student Conduct Committee (1990-91); W&L International Law Society (1989-90); Intern, San Francisco District Attorney (1986); Intern, Sacramento Federal Public Defender (1985); Advisor, University of California, Davis, Upper Division Students (1985-86); Advisor, University of California, Davis, International Relations Students (1984-85); Vice President, College of San Mateo (1982-83); Intern, Congressman Tom Lantos Local Office (1982-83); College of San Mateo, Men’s Track Team; Men’s Athletics Commissioner, Hayward High School; Alameda County & U.S. U-14 Soccer Squad; American Legion Leadership Award.

Letters to the Editor in Major Media:

1. Walls Street Journal, “A Distorted View of Turkey, America’s Friend,” February 22, 2005.  Explains that the unpopularity of the United States in Turkey and in most of the global community is due to the policies and actions of the Bush Administration in Iraq.

2. The Barrister Lawyers’ Magazine, “Lawyering with Their Lives on the Line,” Spring 1995, Vol. 22, No. 1. Explains that PKK terrorists harm human rights by committing violence against lawyers who oppose their views.

3. The Washington Post, “Turkey’s Response to Terror,” July 16, 1994:  Discusses how Turkish Kurds enjoy equal protection under the law as well as the challenges Turkey faces in combating terrorism without infringing upon the human rights of civilians.

4. The Christian Science Monitor, “Quest for Citizenship,” July 2, 1993.  Discusses the circumstances surrounding the influx of Turkish workers into Germany.

5. The Herald-Tribune International, “The Ottoman Jews,” April 17, 1992.  Discusses a point ignored by the main article, that the overwhelming number of Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492 found sanctuary in Ottoman lands.

6. The New York Times, “Don’t Blame the Turks,” July 31, 1991.  Rebuts the assertion that the Ottoman Empire and residual Turkish culture were responsible for the Serb-engineered massacres of Bosniaks.

7. The Christian Science Monitor, “Turkey’s Difficult Position,” February 5, 1991.  Explains how media information management in southeastern Turkey facilitated coalition efforts during the Gulf War.

Public Speaking:

1. Turkish American Integration, Panel on Turkish Immigration to the United States,
A Historical Perspective, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, October 11, 2006,

2. Turkish American Integration, Panel on Turkish Immigration to the United States,
A Historical Perspective Panel, Turkish Embassy, Washington, DC, October 12, 2006,

3. Turkey’s Fight Against PKK Kurdish Nationalist Terror, Comparative Politics Lecture Series, George Washington University, Washington, DC, October 9, 2006.

4. The Armenian Cause Today; Censorship in Massachusetts, Turkish Armenian Relations Conference, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey, November 23-25, 2006.

5. The Annan Cyprus Initiative; Problems Under International Law, Turkish EU Accession and Cyprus Conference, Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), March 3-4, 2004.

6. The Annan Cyprus Initiative; Problems Under International Law, International Cyprus Conference, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), March 1-2, 2003.

Evinch Efforts Covered in The Media:

1. ATAA joins lawsuit against Massachusetts to stop censorship of contra-genocide point of view on Armenian allegation of genocide: The Wall Street Journal, “Turk-Armenian Fight Over WWI History Goes to a U.S. Court; Massachusetts Law Sparks A Free-Speech Debate About Teaching ‘Genocide' ”, October 27, 2005 (Kara Scannell);
Boston Globe / Associated Press, “Genocide, or not? Lawsuit addresses topic of Armenian killings”, October 27, 2005 (Denise Lavoie)

2. Armenian Allegation of Genocide AlJazeera, “Film Tackles ‘Genocide’                     January 20, 2007 (Kris Evans) 
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/28300D6E-AEF1-409A-9F16-6CD3F237E40C.htm

3. AT&T Wireless Retracts Advertisement Defaming Turkish Americans,          Hurriyet, “Dünya Devine Özürdiletiler”, (“Goliath Defeated”) April 19, 2002 (Kas≤m Çindemir) http://webarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/2002/08/19/168674.asp.

4. NBC “West Wing” Lies about AKP and Turkish Secular Democracy
Vatan, “Kara Cahillik Degil, Kas≤t Var; AKP Dava Açmal≤,” (“NBC’ Malicious Speech”)
January 31, 2005 (Rusen Çakir)

5. Fox’ “24” Engages in Anti-Turkish, Anti-Muslim Racism
Hurriyet, “Fox 24’e Tepki Büyüyor”, (“Fox Under Fire”)
January 12, 2005 (Kas≤m Çindemir)

6. ATAA Victims Impact Statement in Former ANCA Chairman’s Criminal Sentencing
Radikal, “ABD’de Kritik Dava,” (Critical Case for Anti-Terror)
January 25, 2001 (Tülin Daloglu)

7. Greek Cypriot Land Claims Dismissed
Milliyet, “Turkiye’nin Hukuk Zaferi”, May 20, 1995 (Yasemin Çongar)
Sabah, “Rumlar Yine Kaybetti”, May 20, 1995 (Savas Süzal)
Turkish Daily News, “Greek Cypriots Lose in Court, May 21, 1995 (Ugur Akinci)

8. British Intelligence Disinformation on Armenian Massacres
MezunUSA.com, ‘Ingiliz Propagandas≤ Art≤k Omrünü Doldurdu”, (Nur Özkan Erbay)

Published Policy Papers:

1. "Iraq Report”, The Turkish American, Vol. 3, No. 10 (Winter 2006), pp.24-29;

2.  “The Armenian Cause in America Today, 2nd Edition,” The Turkish Policy Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Winter 2005), pp.35-50;

3.  “The Armenian Cause in American Today,” The Turkish American, Vol. 2, No. 8 (Sum 2005), p.22-29;

4.  “The Annan Cyprus Initiative Fails Under International Law,” International Cyprus Conference, pp.18-26, Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), March 1-2, 2003

5.  The Quincentennial of Ottoman and Turkish Jewry:  A Lesson in Religious Tolerance and Political Coexistence within the Turkish Societal Context, Ankara University Human Rights Review, V.1 N.2, pp, 55-78, Spring 1992.

6.  An Introduction to the Turkish Human Rights System, Ankara University Human Rights Review, V.1 N.1 pp. 43-52, Winter 1991.

Published Work in which Evinch was Research Assistant:

1. Kaplan, Robert, The Ends of the Earth, (Random House, 1996).

2. Kaplan, Robert, The Atlantic Monthly, “The Coming Anarchy,” February 1994.

3. Kaplan, Robert, The New York Times Magazine, “There is no `Middle East’,” February 20, 1994.