YTB Brings Together Umbrella Turkish NGOs in Europe

The program, hosted by YTB, was attended by Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the İlim Yayma Foundation; Zafer Sırakaya, Deputy Chairman of the Justice and Development (AK) Party; Vedat Demiröz, Chief Advisor to the President; and Gökhan Turan, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Berlin.

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Presidents and representatives of Europe’s leading organizations, such as the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DİTİB), the Islamic Community Millî Görüş (IGMG), the Union of European Turkish-Islamic Associations (ATİB), the Union of International Democrats (UID), MÜSİAD, EUBA, WEFA, and ATİAD, took part in the program.

​The main agenda of the program consisted of current issues facing the Turkish community in Europe, youth and education initiatives, and the strengthening of inter-institutional cooperation. During the program, NGO representatives took the floor individually to describe their activities and share their expectations and suggestions.

​The program served as a significant meeting in terms of increasing solidarity and coordination among Turkish non-governmental organizations in Europe.

​Speaking at the event, YTB President Turus stated that the intensive work of the day was crowned with the consultation meeting held during the blessings of sahur. He expressed his pleasure in meeting at the same table with the NGOs that form the main arteries of the European Turkish community.

​Turus noted that during the sahur program, they addressed topics such as strengthening the institutional capacity of the diaspora, increasing youth participation in civil society, and cultivating future leaders. Furthermore, he drew attention to the importance of increasing strategic coordination between YTB and NGOs to ensure that services provided to citizens abroad are carried out more effectively.

​Noting that they aim to hold such meetings more frequently, Turus emphasized that they will continue to take stronger steps for the Turkish community in Europe through shared wisdom and a culture of consultation.

​In his speech, Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the İlim Yayma Foundation, stated that Türkiye has gained significant momentum in every field in recent years and emphasized that NGOs should broaden their goals in parallel with this rise.

​Expressing that NGOs must adopt a more ambitious and visionary approach, Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan stated that they should take a pioneering role in some areas and strengthen their resources by closely following developments in others. He pointed out the importance of all diaspora organizations in Europe acting with this mindset.

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Erdoğan highlighted the importance of institutional cooperation in the work of NGOs, stating that YTB, embassies, and consulates are authorities that can always provide support. He noted that there is a strong institutional infrastructure on the Turkish side available for communication.

​Stating that there should also be coordination with NGOs in Türkiye, Erdoğan expressed that institutions knowing one another and being aware of each other’s activities would increase efficiency. Stressing that working in coordination rather than repeating the same projects would yield more effective results, Erdoğan gave the message:"We no longer have the luxury of leaving any area unaddressed."