Balkan Youth School’s Evaluation and Closing Program, organized in 8 different Balkan countries with the support of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), was held at Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia.

The program which drew great interest was attended by the speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) Mustafa Şentop, the President of YTB Abdullah Eren, the Minister of Culture of North Macedonia Hüsnü Ismaili, Turkey’s Ambassador to Skopje Tülin Erkal Kara, the Principal Consultant of the GNAT Dr. Necip Fazıl Kurt, members of the GNAT, the representatives of Turkish institutions and organizations in the country, as well as participants of the Balkan Youth School program and many guests.

 “Balkans has been the heart of the world history, not just in recent history, but since the Ancient Time.”

In his speech the Speaker of GNAT, Mustafa Şentop, stated the importance of these kinds of activities for the youth, and underscored that the region as a whole has been the heart of the world, not just in recent history, but since the ancient times. The Speaker of GNAT noted that whenever there is trouble and conflict in the region, there is trouble and conflict in the whole wide world, and in order to let peace dominate, the younger generations should understand one another to live in peace and treat each other with mutual respect. Şentop claimed that in order to achieve this, we should maintain contact, hold meetings, get acquainted and establish dialogue, and that this needs leadership. Stating that he himself is a child of the Balkans, Şentop said, “I am child of a family which immigrated to Thrace, Turkey in 1926 from North Macedonia, Gevgeli. In a sense, like you, I, too, am a child of the Balkans, of the Rumelia.”

‘‘To build a common future, we must come up with common solutions to common problems”

The President of YTB, Abdullah Eren noted that the Balkan Youth School project is one of the vision projects of YTB and that the project was first implemented in 2016. President Eren, declaring that the project has been realized in 8 Balkan countries, stated that Turkey has provided development support to different geographies of the world, primarily to the Balkans. Eren added, “According to the OECD figures of 2015, Turkey has provided development aids to the Balkan geography that approximates to 150 million dollars. Turkey will increasingly continue these aids.”

President Eren stated that in order to build a common future, we must come up with common solutions to common problems and he drew attention to the importance of ensuring mental continuity and harmony among the youth in Balkan countries and he noted that the objective of the Balkan Youth School is to promote mutual understanding that the youth in the Balkans.

Eren underlined that this project will also contribute to developing relations between Turkey and the Balkans and said: “While we were developing this program we did not discriminate between any ethnicity, sect or religion. We tried to bring this support to all our young brothers and sisters. God willing, we shall realize this event that contains many other activities in the coming years with more fruitful results.”

“YTB opens new vistas for hundreds of young people from all over the world.”

The Ambassador to Skopje, Tülin Erdal Kara noted that YTB has opened new vistas for hundreds of young people from all over the world and carried out many valuable works that enabled each of them to become useful to and integrated into society. Kara stated that the first and foremost of these works is the contributions of the bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates’ to the progress and the welfare of their own country with their achievements in Turkey, and added that “I believe that YTB which treated North Macedonia with care and tenderness shall in the coming periods realize successful projects and contribute to the educational level of our sister country, North Macedonia.”

Culture Minister of North Macedonia, Ismaili, noted that organizing the Balkan Youth School Project’s evaluation and closing program in North Macedonia is meaningful and reminded that with this project, different nations living in the Balkans will have the opportunity to get to know and understand each other better. Ismaili also said “I believe that the Balkan Youth School project shall strengthen the culture of co-existence for the different nations living in this region and help preserve peace, stability and tranquility.”