The Presidency For Turks Abroad And Related Communities (YTB)” and The Strategy and Progress Institute together held a panel discussion, namely “Turkey’s Balkan Policy and The Presidency For Turks Abroad And Related Communities”, in Macedonian capital of Skopje.

Besides Abdullah Eren, President of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), as a panelist, Macedonia State Minister Elvin Hasan with the Turkish origin, Turkish Ambassador to Macedonia Tülin Erkal Kara, The Strategy and Progress Institute President Tuna Eyüp Kahveci, diplomats, deputies and representatives of Turkish institutions and organizations, as well as other guests also attended the event.

Stating that Turkey had carried out a scholarship program namely “Great Scholar Project” within the scope of the Education Ministry between 1992-2011, Eren said, “As of 2011, we, as YTB, give scholarships to students not only from the countries where our fellow citizens are living, but also from all countries in the world and offer scholarship to them.”

Touching on Turkey’s foreign policy perspective on the Balkans, Eren assessed that the Ottoman Empire’s dominance in these lands for many ages and its policies enabling to sustain the harmony between ethnic and cultural diversity are key elements to strengthen Turkey's hand even today.

Talking about Macedonia’s name-change, Eren said, “Turkey recognizes Macedonia under its constitutional name and the relations between two countries will pursue in that way.”  

In her speech at the opening of the panel, Kara reminded of Turkey’s historical background in this region dated back nearly 500 years. She said, “Our main purpose here is to keep our friendship alive forever and also take much further it, on the occasion of the brotherhood between Macedonia and Turkey.

 Stating that Turkey under the presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been moving humanitarian and assistance standards forward,  Kara added, “Be sure that Turkey is always standing by any country, which needs its help, and will continue to take place especially in the Balkans.”

President of Strategy and Progress Kahveci also stated that his Institute carried out its activities under economic, politic and social sectors. Kahveci said, “As an Macedonia-based institute, our aim is to contribute the peoples in Rumelia to live in a more prosperous and more peaceful environment.”