ATAA UN Related Announcement #48
In Support of “June 18 Sustainable Gastronomy Day”
Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) ,
Turkish Women League of America (TWLA) , and
Empowering the Turkish American Community (ETAC-USA)
Presented a Webinar on
From Turkic Roots to Global Tables: The Journey of Yogurt
**Sunday, June 14, 2026
**12:00 pm ET, 11:00 am CT, 9:00 am PT, 19:00 TR
About
In support of the United Nations’ observance of Sustainable Gastronomy Day on June 18, **Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) , Turkish Women League of America (TWLA) , and Empowering the Turkish American Community (ETAC-USA) **proudly present the webinar “From Turkic Roots to Global Tables: The Journey of Yoğurt. ”
Celebrating gastronomy as both a cultural heritage and a pathway to sustainable living, the program will explore the historical, nutritional, and global significance of yoğurt—a timeless food deeply rooted in Turkic traditions and embraced worldwide. Reflecting the spirit of sustainable gastronomy, the webinar will highlight how traditional food knowledge, mindful cultivation, and healthy culinary practices can connect communities, preserve cultural identity, and promote a more sustainable future for generations to come.
Introduction
Following the extraordinary interest generated by our first session, the ATAA proudly presents the second installment of its yogurt webinar series—an intellectual and cultural journey centered on one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring foods. From the steppes of Central Asia to modern scientific laboratories and global culinary traditions, yogurt has maintained its unique role as both nourishment and cultural heritage throughout centuries of migration and civilization.
This webinar will explore yogurt not merely as a food item, but as a living narrative shaped by migration, fermentation science, tradition, health, and identity. Bringing together researchers, scholars, historians, gastronomy experts, and enthusiasts, this special gathering seeks to foster a deeper understanding of yogurt’s remarkable global journey and its enduring place within both Turkic heritage and world culture.
Join us for an inspiring conversation woven through the timeless legacy of yogurt—where archaeology meets microbiology, tradition meets innovation, and culture meets science.
Program
Opening Remarks & Introductions by
**Alev Wieland
**President, ATAA
Moderator
**Selim Erhan, Ph.D.
**Co-Chair, ATAA UN Relations Committee
Subject Matter Experts
Ahmet Erman Aral, Ph.D.
UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Formal and Informal Education _
Story of Yogurt as Intangible Cultural Heritage_
Kürşat Yıldırım, Ph.D.
Faculty of Literature, Department of History, Istanbul University
_Yoghurt in early Turks according to primary sources_
Deniz Orhun
Agricultural Engineer & Master Chef _
From Nomads to NASA: Yogurt’s Regulation,_
Economics, and Health Impact Journey
Moldir Oskenbay, Ph.D.
International Student Advisor, CREECA Associate, UW-Madison
Fermented Heritage of the Turkic World:
Kazakh Qurt and the Continuity of Its Tradition Across Generations
Zafer Gönülalan, Ph.D.
Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Erciyes University _
Nomadic Miracle Foods — The Untold Story of Yogurt
_
Servet Kazım Güney, Ph.D.
Instructor, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Program, Başkent University _
History of Yogurt Culture Among the Turks_
Next Program Announcement
**Yücel Burdurlu
ATAA Secretary & Membership / UN Committee Co-Chair
**
Closing Remarks by
Ebru Çetin Milci, Ph.D.
Scholar and Library Specialist __
__
Biographies
Ahmet Erman Aral, Ph.D.
_UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Formal and Informal Education
_
Ahmet Erman Aral graduated from TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Department of Turkish Language and Literature in 2010. Aral got his master’s degree in Turkish Folklore at Hacettepe University in 2014 with a dissertation on cultural diplomacy.
He got his PhD degree from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, where he currently works, in 2020 with his thesis titled ” Intangible Cultural Heritage and Education: Cultural Transmission and the Case of Türkiye”. With a scholarship from The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, Aral conducted postdoctoral research as a visiting researcher in the Cultural Heritage Research Sciences (ARCHES) research group at the University of Antwerp in Belgium in 2021-2022.
In 2022, Dr. Aral assumed the role of Chairholder for the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Formal and Informal Education, further strengthening his engagement with heritage-based educational practices. He has been the member of the UNESCO Global Network of Facilitators and the member of Intangible Cultural Heritage Experts Committee at the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO since 2022. He has recently been the Vice President of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO.
Kürşat Yıldırım. Ph.D.
Faculty of Literature, Department of History, Istanbul University
Prof. Dr. Kürşat Yıldırım is a faculty member in the Department of General Turkic History at the Faculty of Literature, Istanbul University. Born in Istanbul in 1982, he graduated from Dokuz Eylül University in 2004 and completed both his M.A. (2011) and Ph.D. (2015) at Istanbul University, where he has served since 2009. He became associate professor in 2017 and full professor in 2023.
Prof. Yıldırım specializes in Turkic and Mongolian history. He has studied Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Mongolian, and Arabic in countries where these languages are spoken and has conducted extensive fieldwork across the Turkic world. He has also carried out research projects and archival studies at major academic centers in both Eastern and Western countries. In addition, he has participated in numerous national and international symposia and served as a visiting scholar at various institutions.
He founded the institutionalized “Turkic-Mongolian History Workshop” series and organized its first four meetings in Mongolia and Türkiye. He has also coordinated several international symposia and served as head of archaeological excavations related to Turkic history in Mongolia. In 2016, he was selected as an Honorary Member of Shanghai International Studies University. Among his awards are the “Historian of the Year” Award and the “Service to the Turkic World Award” (2018), as well as the “Ziya Gökalp Science and Encouragement Award” (2022). In 2025, Urgench State University awarded him the title of “Honorary Professor.”
To date, Prof. Yıldırım has published 15 books, translated 2 books, authored more than 160 scholarly articles, and edited 9 books in the field of Turkic history. He is also among the editors of major historical atlases on Turkic states published in Türkiye, including The Historical Atlas of Turkic States (2025). In 2025, he was appointed Director of the Mongolian Studies Center at Istanbul University.
Deniz Orhun
Agricultural Engineer & Master Chef
Deniz Orhun is an agricultural engineer, master chef, entrepreneur, media producer, and US-certified multidisciplinary food journalist whose work bridges gastronomy with multidisciplinary science and art.
As the founder of Klemantin Bakery, Deniz successfully managed and operated her business for 15 years, serving diverse clients, including Turkish and international dignitaries and celebrities, including former and current presidents, and she also had the honor of preparing wedding offerings in Türkiye for Prince William and Princess Catherine.
With more than 1,300 solo television programs, published books, scientific articles, and culinary science columns in both Türkiye and the United States, she brings a unique perspective to the future of food. Her famous book, “What You Eat Affects How You Behave” (Yedikleriniz Davranışlarınız Olur) was adapted into a TV program.
Her research spans healthy cooking techniques, recipes developed for extreme conditions, flavor combinations, underutilized natural food systems, and the multidisciplinary interplay among food, agriculture, health, astronomy, and economy.
Her professional commitments include serving as a board member of the American Culinary Federation – Nation’s Capital Chef Association (ACF-NCCA), and an advisory board member of the Turkish Culinary Research and Application Center (TUMAR). She is also an active member of the Maryland Montgomery County Community Emergency Response Team (MoCo-CERT), reflecting her commitment to community resilience and public service.
Through her work, Deniz illuminates the stories behind food and inspires audiences to see how science and culture shape our everyday choices.
Moldir Oskenbay, Ph.D.
International Student Advisor, CREECA Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Moldir Oskenbay was born in Zaysan, East Kazakhstan, and earned a PhD in history from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. She has an academic background in Central Eurasian studies and food history, with teaching and research experience in programs such as the Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI) and the Russian Flagship Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as well as at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
She is co-author of Crossroads of Cuisine: The Eurasian Heartland, the Silk Roads and Food (Brill, 2020), a comprehensive study of food exchanges across Central Asia and the Silk Roads over 5,000 years. Her scholarly research also includes studies on fermented dairy traditions in Kazakhstan, particularly the production of Kazakh qurt and its health benefits, published in Crossroads: Recovery of Traditional Technologies: A Comparative Study of Past and Present Fermentation and Associated Distillation Technologies in Eurasia and Their Roots , Studies on the History of Exchange Relations in the East Asian World.
As an International Student Advisor, Moldir supports UW-Madison’s international student community, guiding students through academic, cultural, and immigration-related matters. Her cross-cultural experience and multilingual background contribute to fostering intercultural understanding within the university.
Zafer Gönülalan, Ph.D.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Erciyes University
Prof. Dr. Zafer Gönülalan was born in 1969 in the Eyüp district of Istanbul, Türkiye. Due to his father’s civil service assignments, he completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in various cities across the country. He graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ankara University in 1992. After completing his military service, he began his PhD studies in 1993 in the Department of Food Hygiene and Technology at the Institute of Health Sciences, Fırat University.
In 1994, he was appointed as a research assistant in the same department. In 1995, he became a research assistant in the Department of Food Hygiene and Technology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University. He completed his doctoral studies in 1998 and began working as an Assistant Professor in 2000. In 2005, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor by the Interuniversity Board.
In 2011, he was appointed as a Full Professor at Erciyes University, where he continues his academic work. He has carried out teaching activities at both undergraduate and graduate levels, primarily in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, as well as in the departments of Food Engineering, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Tourism and Hospitality Management. He has held administrative and faculty positions at various institutions both in Türkiye and abroad. He has conducted 150 national and international scientific studies, and his work has received 1,581 citations. He is married and has one child named Emir Çaka.
Servet Kazım Güney, Ph.D.
Instructor, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Program, Başkent University
Prof. Dr. Servet Kazım Güney was born in Ankara in 1976. He graduated from the Department of International Relations at Atılım University in 2005 and completed his culinary training at Culinary Arts Academy (MSA) in 2008. He later graduated from the Culinary Arts Program at Anadolu University in 2022.
Güney has worked extensively in gastronomy education, media, and publishing. He hosted a television program for 60 episodes and presented a live radio program for one year. He is the author of seven books, including Yemeğin Sırrı , Türk Mutfağını Anlamak , Türkiye’nin Mutluluk Dolu Çörekleri , Amasra Yemekleri , Temel Pastacılık , and Yöresel Mutfak Uygulamaları.
Between 2010 and 2016, he taught culinary arts within Lifelong Learning Programs organized by the Turkish Employment Organization while also working in various areas of the food industry. Since 2019, he has been serving as a lecturer in the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Başkent University.
His academic work focuses on gastronomy, Turkish culinary culture, and the historical and cultural dimensions of food studies. He has contributed to scholarly publications and academic activities related to Turkish cultural history and gastronomy, with a particular interest in the interpretation and dissemination of Turkish cuisine in contemporary contexts.
Project Team
Alev Wieland
President, Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)
Alev Wieland has Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Cincinnati, OH. Worked for Balcan Engineering at Proctor of Gamble as Project Engineer for 7 years. She retired from PepsiCo, Inc-AMEA Capability Director in 2012.
Alev has extensive experience in Lean Manufacturing, Lean Product Life Cycle Management, Equipment and Processes Development. Project Management, Construction Management, Food Manufacturing, Paper Converting, Cosmetics and Laundry Soap Industries. She has solid understanding of Engineering, Manufacturing and Operations Processes. She is an expert in ISO 9001 and GMP Certifications and Standards. Alev is the CEO of Manufacturing Excellence Technical Services and Alev Cosmetics.
Alev has been serving as the President-Elect of ATAA since May 2024. She served on the ATAA Board of Directors as the Southwest Region Vice President from 2020 to 2024 and as First Vice President from October 2023 to May 2024. Alev also serves as the co-Chair of the ATAA UN Relations Committee and Chair of the ATAA Newsletter Committee.
She is the Secretary General and NGO Relations Director Contemporary Education Foundation (COEDFO) since 2013, has been responsible for organizational communication, meetings management, documentation, website management. As the Trustee and active member of the Turkish American Association of Northern Texas (TURANT), she has been providing organizational operations support to its elected board members and helping with executions of projects since 2000.
Since 2008, Alev takes active role at her local Main Street Organization and International Community, helps with organizations of the major festivals that is proven to become the key events that provides income to the city. She served as President of Cincinnati Turkish American Association (CTAA) from 1994 to 1996.
Since March 2024, Alev is serving Dallas Turkish Businesswomen’s Network as the Advisor.
Association of Northern Texas (TURANT), she has been providing organizational operations support to its elected board members and helping with executions of projects since 2000.
Since 2008, Alev takes active role at her local Main Street Organization and International Community, helps with organizations of the major festivals that is proven to become the key events that provides income to the city. She served as President of Cincinnati Turkish American Association (CTAA) from 1994 to 1996.
Since 2023 Alev serves as the Trustee of the Turkish American Visual and Performing Arts (TAVPA).
Since March 2024, Alev is serving Dallas Turkish Businesswomen’s Network as the Advisor.
Selim Erhan, Ph.D.
Co-Chair, ATAA UN Relations Committee
Dr. Selim Erhan was born in Istanbul Türkiye. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Istanbul, and a Ph.D. in Polymer-Organic Chemistry from Western Michigan University.
After teaching at, Kalamazoo College and Lake Michigan College, he started a research career first at the USDA’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL. He continued his career in the private industry, working on application of bio-based products to industrial applications.
Dr. Erhan started actively working on introducing Türkiye and the Turkish Culture in USA while studying at Western Michigan University in 1980. He joined the Turkish American Cultural Alliance in 2000 and became active in educational activities and in 2009. He was the co-founder of the highly successful TACA – Public Outreach Program, aiming at educating middle school, high school and university students on important issues. In 2013 he joined TACA’s Board of Directors and became the Director of the Ataturk School and the Adult Turkish School.
Dr. Erhan was elected as ATAA’s Midwest Region VP 2015 to 2019. He has continued working at ATAA, helped to form the UN Committee and was instrumental to form the highly successful Turkish American Presidents Group under ATAA, improving communications with the Component Associations in USA and pulling in similar Turkish organizations from Canada. In 2022, he was elected to ATAA’s Board of Trustees.
Ebru Cetin Milci, Ph.D.
Scholar and Library Specialist
Dr. Milci is a scholar and library specialist with deep expertise in Turkish and Turkic languages. Originally from Istanbul, Turkiye, she has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2014 with her husband and son.
She earned her BA in Turkish Language and Literature from Mimar Sinan University and completed both her MA and PhD in Turkish Philology at Marmara University. With over 15 years of experience as a Turkish language and literature teacher, she has taught in public and private high schools and served as a lecturer at Galatasaray University in Istanbul. Passionate about Islamic manuscripts, bookbindings, and linguistics, Dr. Çetin Milci transitioned to a career as a Middle Eastern library specialist after moving to the U.S. She currently works at Stanford University Libraries as a Metadata Specialist for Turkish Resources & Complex Copy, where she catalogs a wide range of materials, from modern and historical Turkish texts to Ottoman world holdings.
Her expertise extends across several languages, including Arabic, Persian, Armenian, and Turkic languages, with a research focus on 17th- and 18th-century Gregorian Zone Kipchak Turkish law texts written in Armenian script. She has also applied her linguistic skills at companies such as Facebook, sharing her knowledge across industries.
Dr. Çetin Milci has full proficiency in Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Turkic languages and English, as well as professional working proficiency in Armenian, Arabic, and Persian.
Yücel Burdurlu
ATAA Secretary & Membership / UN Committee Co-Chair
Yücel Burdurlu was born and raised in Istanbul Türkiye. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hacettepe University Ankara Türkiye, she continued her graduate studies at California State University Long Beach.
After graduating, she started a career in private industry working on applied and theoretical research on coatings and coating raw materials. Yucel worked for Imperial Chemical Industries formerly known as ICI Paints North America in their Strongsville Research Center most of her career in the international innovation team where she was involved variety of interesting projects in collaboration with their Slough Laboratory in Slough, England, ICI France in Rouge, France and ICI South America Research Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Next, Yucel worked for BUNGE Oils North America where, she worked with inorganic synthesis of anticorrosive pigments and tested them in collaboration with Batelle Laboratories in Columbus Ohio, University of Southern Mississippi and Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
Presently, Yucel is with True Value Manufacturing in Cary Illinois as a Research Chemist. Yucel lives in the suburbs of Chicago. She joined TACA’s Board of Directors in 2013-2015 and she was the Director of the Ataturk School and the Adult Turkish School 2014-2015.
Yucel also has been a member of the Chicago Turkish Festival Planning Committee and a volunteer in the festival since 2013 and has served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Chicago Turkish festivals in 2016 and 2018. Yucel is planning to continue working on bringing Turkish and American groups together using her organization skills, people skills, education skills and her passion for harmony and peace.
Turkish Women’s League of America
Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA) organization, which represents Turkish women who adhere to the principles of Atatürk and the values of the Republic of Turkey, aims to create a strong, united community among Turkish women living in America.
Preserve and promote Turkish language and culture: This includes educating Turkish American kids about Turkish languge, history, traditions, and folk arts while raising awareness to the global issues, such as climate change, education equality and peace.
Promote gender equality : The TWLA seeks to advocate for women’s rights and combat gender-based discrimination within the Turkish-American community and beyond.
Create a supportive network for Turkish women : This involves providing a platform for women to connect, share experiences, and offer mutual support.
Support the Turkish-American community by providing assistance to members and engaging in community outreach programs. TWLA mission is to provide solidarity and empowerment, building a network of support to strengthen our cultural identity and to represent our shared values in the broader society.
Since joining UNDGC in 2021, we have embraced key UN SDGs, focusing on quality education, climate action, and gender equality. Our activities reflect these goals as we actively educate our community, celebrate global milestones, and encourage informed discussions on how we can contribute to a more sustainable and equal world. We aim to raise awareness of these issues and engage with our local and global communities to foster positive change.
Empowering the Turkish American Community (ETAC-USA)
Empowering the Turkish American Community (ETAC-USA) was founded by Hulya & Aydin Koc, Ulku Nisanoglu, Sibel Nisanoglu Giftgi, Nihan Kara, Arzu Brown, Firuze Gokce and Fethi Gokce of San Francisco, California, to fill the need of a “One-Stop” and a “Uniting” non-profit organization which would accommodate and support the Turkish-American Community through different means such as orientation and guidance to both newcomers and the existing members, empowerment of women and children with the necessary tools and skills, etc.
ETAC-USA aims at empowering and enriching the lives of the Turkish-American Community and the Community at large. This will be realized by: Collaborating with public and private partners, Engaging in innovative solutions to issues, Sharing the best practices of educational, recreational, cultural, occupational & social experiences, Creating opportunities for Turkish-Americans to reach their fullest potential in a sustainable, nurturing, healthy & safe environment, Establishing a Turkish-American Community Center (office & activity center) open to the general public in the Bay Area that they can call a home – TURK EVI.
________________________________________
For further inquiries, please e-mail uncommittee@ataa.org, president@ataa.org (Alev Wieland, ATAA President) or selim.erhan251@gmail.com (Selim Erhan, ATAA UN Committee Co-Chair)
Websites: www.ataa.org | www.ataa.org/u-n
References:
#yogurt, #culturalheritage, #unesco, #unescotürkiye, #ataaunrelation, @ataa, @atkb, @etacusa