The first official meeting for the TAAA took place on Sunday, January 10, 2009 to kick off the organization’s beginning. The informational meeting, open to everyone, was a big hit. Visitors from all over Alabama came to the meeting and often signed up to become members and even participated in events to introduce the younger generation to Turkish culture and promote Turkish culture in the US. The organization’s board members were introduced to everyone and they all gave a PowerPoint presentation on Turkey consisting of the agenda for the year and a bit of Turkish history. Of course Turkish music filled the Smolian International House at UAB, the building that housed the meeting.