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1. Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the domestic level

2. Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the international level

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the domestic level

During the process of determination of the policy measures and targets in the policy field “Youth in the International Arena” of the National Youth and Sports Policy Document (Ulusal Gençlik ve Spor Politikası Belgesi), workshops, meetings and special interviews with the youth are performed. In these negotiations and consultations with the youth, global problems were tackled and the approaches of the youth that came out in these issues shaped the general framework of the policy field “Youth in the International Arena”. These workshops on forming and updating policy in which the youth are invited to discuss global problems were moderated by experts on their fields or academicians who ensured that the agenda regarding the global problems was ascertained and followed.  

Students who are continuing with their masters and doctorates on the International Relations field came together with academicians working in different fields of politics and foreign policy makers for three days in the “Foreign Policy Workshops” organised at the initiative of the Prime Ministry Public Diplomacy Coordination, Strategic Researches Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Selçuk University Rectorship. In these workshops, principles, mechanisms on which the Turkish policy is based, initiatives on regional and global scale are discussed.

The International Summer Camp themed “Youth and Politics” organised within the scope of “Inter-Parliaments Exchange and Dialogue Project (Parlamentolar Arası Değişim ve Diyalog Projesi)” which is carried out jointly by the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the European Union and aims to maximise the role of the TGNA (Turkish Grand National Assembly) in the EU membership negotiation process by enhancing the dialogue among the parliamentarians in the TGNA and European Parliament and EU member country parliaments was realised in Istanbul. Parliaments from the TGNA and EU country parliaments participated in the Summer Camp that was organised within the framework of the project aimed at creating awareness on the opportunities and challenges in the Turkey’s EU accession process through contributing in the development of knowledge and understanding between Turkey and European Union and increasing visibility activities, and consulted and negotiated with the youth on international matters. 

Youth Assembly of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has been carrying out networking activities with primarily international organisations since November 2014. Bilateral meetings with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, UN Habitat Programme, UN General Secretary Youth Delegate, UNESCO, OIC Youth Forum, Qatar Foundation, Middle East Youth Network Organisation, European Commission and Humanitarian Summit, bilateral and multilateral meetings in Istanbul and related countries were held. The Youth Assembly of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality also participated in the international conferences to form an international youth work model.

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the international level

According to the Cooperation Protocol on Youth Polices (Gençliğe Yönelik Politikalarda İşbirliği Hakkında Protokol) between the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey and Federal Ministry of Woman and Youth of the Federal Republic of Germany, every year programs are organised to deepen the mutual youth and expert exchanges and youth works cooperation as to maintain ties and friendly relations between youth of the both countries. The youth between the ages of 12-26 can participate in the youth exchange in this context. Carrying out this protocol serves to determination of the cooperation fields on the youth policies by assessing the cooperation on the youth policies, coordinating the programs and measures, encouraging new partnerships.

For the purpose of getting Turkey and EU countries closer, strengthening different understandings and exchanging information, a young group formed of parliamentarian advisers working in the European Parliament visited Turkey and came together with the youth in Turkey for certain occasions. Within the project implemented on16-20 May 2016, 19 parliamentarian advisers in the European Parliament from different countries had meetings with the youth as well as various public institutions and organisations, particularly TGNA, in Ankara.

On 21-28 May 2017, Young Academics Forum - Islamophobia (İslamofobi Genç Akademik Forumu) was realised in Ankara, Bursa and Istanbul by participation of academicians from all over the world specialised on Islamophobia and local and foreign students continuing with their masters and doctorates. With the Young Academics Forum - Islamophobia, it is aimed to determine the dominating negative attitude towards the Islam and Muslim in the world like discriminating acts against the Muslims, allegations that the Islam did not share the common values with the other main beliefs and as such, and to put forth what it can be done to change them. In the Forum, the participants were provided with an environment where they can relay their own experiences and works on “Islamophobia”, discuss the issue in detail. The Forum was held with participation of 100 people.