YTB President Abdullah Eren who gave a speech in the ''11th Human Rights Training Program'' event held by our presidency in Strasbourg pointed out that young people abroad should contribute to the societies they live in and added, ''The more you educate yourself and try to be a helpful citizen for the country, the more you will get in return for sure. As YTB we are ready to give you any kind of support.''

The 11th Human Rights Training Program initiated by our Presidency started with the participation of 56 students from 10 countries in Strasbourg, France. In the scope of the program students receive trainings on various subjects such as human rights, discrimination, and the function of international organizations. Participating youngsters also visited the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament (EP).

EUROPE IS FACING AN IDENTITY CRISIS

Addressing young people in the program, YTB President Abdullah Eren stated that Europe is facing a new identity crisis and reshaping its politics and thus the Turkish presence in Europe should take up a new position. Eren stated that there is a gradual increase in the amount of ''incidents related to hostility toward the other, discrimination, and Islamophobia'' in Europe and that while these are mostly on an individual level, in some countries it even extends to ''institutional racism.'' 

Stating, ''The more you educate yourself and try to be a helpful citizen for the country, the more you will get in return for sure,'' Eren said that YTB's doors are open for any kind of support in this respect.'' Pointing out that students of Turkish origin living abroad should contribute to the societies they live in, Abdullah Eren stated, ''The lives of our fathers and grandfathers are a success story. Now we need to carry this success story to another point.'' Underlining that Turkish youngsters abroad should strive for academic and intellectual success, YTB President said, ''We trust that you will.''

HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING PROGRAM

YTB has provided more than 500 participants from different countries in the world with trainings on human rights and international law under 10 training programs with 7 being in Turkey and 3 being in various European cities since 2012.

With these trainings it was ensured that the necessary human resource is created to embrace the issues of Turkish diaspora locally while aiming at having participating youngsters contribute to Turkey's vision for the future and support public diplomacy.

In the training programs subjects such as Islamophobia, racism, hate speech, hate crime, education, employment, and discrimination in social life were treated on the base of human rights, which have been ever-intensifying issues the foreign citizens of Turkish origin face in everyday life.

The programs aimed at raising awareness on these topics among university students who were raised abroad while encouraging them to participate in efforts related to human rights advocacy and relevant NGOs. Also, it was aimed at helping university students of Turkish origin living in different European countries come together to form a network and thus strengthen Turkish diaspora by means of possible collaborations.