“2019 Experience Sharing Program”

The program, which is organized under the leadership of TİKA in cooperation with various institutions and non-governmental organizations such as Anadolu Agency (AA), Presidency For Turks Abroad And Related Communities, Turkish Airlines, Credit and Dormitories Institution, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) in order to promote an awareness of global volunteerism among university students, has begun.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Serdar Çam, AA Chairman of the Board and General Manager Şenol Kazancı, TİKA Deputy President Serdar Kayalar, Woman and Democracy Association (KADEM) Youth President Ebru Aracı, and students attended the launch of 2019 Experience Sharing Program, which was held in TÜGVA Florya Higher Education Male Dormitory.

Eminoğlu spoke at the launch of the program and stated that such large-scale, interactive and experience- and application-oriented projects have a very important role in youth studies.  Eminoğlu said: “I also owe TİKA, our esteemed institution, a debt of gratitude for providing you, our precious young people, with such a wonderful life experience. As our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, ‘TİKA officials are the contemporary Alperens (combatants) of the 21^st century who bring justice and goodness to everywhere they go.’ Even today, when humanity goes through the most difficult times in socio-psychological and cultural terms, TİKA continues to carry out this honourable mission with our ancient values and the understanding we inherited from Islam, our supreme religion. Before all of you, I would like to wish TİKA success in its works.”

“Our young people will extend the helping hand of Turkey to the farthest regions.”

Noting that more than 1200 students have attended the program so far including 500 students who will go to 35 countries this year, TİKA Deputy Manager Serkan Kayalar said: “Our young people adopt the principle expressed by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as ‘Reach every region in the world and find anyone who is in need on behalf of Turkey. We will help them more or less.” They will extend the helping hand of Turkey to the farthest regions with many projects such as health scans, school restorations, and humanitarian assistance activities.”

Kayalar gave information on the program and added: “Our young friends, who are selected from universities all around Turkey, go to countries in Balkans, Central Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, regardless of whether these countries are near or far, and experience the active, humanitarian and development diplomacy in the field.

Stating that as economies recess all around the world, Turkey is growing, breaking its shell and expanding to the new horizons, Deputy Minister Culture and Tourism Serdar Çam said: “In the care of our President, this country grew three-and-a-half fold. We are going through a process that will hopefully require us to grow three- to three-and-a-half-fold once again. Therefore, we need to grow together with a new understanding and a new world vision.”

“Institutions are just means in this project”

Stating that this work also has a financial dimension, Deputy Minister Çam said: “Because the economy is going through a recession in every aspect. As economies recess all around the world, Turkey is growing, breaking its shell and expanding to the new horizons. In the care of our President, this country grew three-and-a-half fold. We are going through a process that will hopefully require us to grow three- to three-and-a-half fold once again. Therefore, we need to grow together with a new understanding and a new world vision. For this reason, we definitely need to have a share in the global trade and market in order to reach our 2023 vision and increase our per capita income from 10 thousand dollars to 25 thousand dollars.”  Emphasizing that institutions are just means and symbols in this activity, Çam made the following remarks: “Although this is considered as a social movement activity, some of you will start working, of course. I think many of you will especially take it to the international stage and turn it into trade, export and investment activities or projects where you will establish friendships with other countries.”