The Director of Religious Affairs, Dr. Ali Bardakoglu visited United States as part of the activities that have been organized on a variety of themes for the "Week of the Holy Birth".

Dr. Ali Bardakoglu, who gave conferences at Columbia and Harvard universities from 21 to 27 April, also visited the dean of the Divinity School, Professor Graham William and met with the members of the International Religious Freedoms Committee.

In addition, Professor Bardakoglu met with the Republican Edward Whitfield, co-president of the Turk friendship group in the United States' Congress; in a conference given at the American Catholic University he examined the subject of "The Experience of Living with Other Religious Groups in the Muslim Turkish Cultural Tradition."