The English Speaking Club, organized in collaboration with Bülbülzade Foundation and BEKAM, held its first meeting with strong participation.As part of our foundation’s youth and education-oriented projects, the English Speaking Club we launched completed its first session on Tuesday, March 31, at our BEKAM (Science Education Culture Research Center) facility. In this program, where we aim to transform English from a theoretical subject into a part of daily life, the excitement and energy of the first day were remarkably high. As the event began, our participants were welcomed by a dynamic and interactive atmosphere beyond the usual.Sheyma Achir, who joined our foundation from France as an ESC (European Solidarity Corps) volunteer, encouraged participants to push their language boundaries with the content she prepared, while the process moved forward in a fully enjoyable social environment, far from a traditional classroom setting. The initial hesitation quickly gave way to a sincere and warm conversation. The participants’ comfort while practicing the language was the clearest indication that the club had achieved its purpose.WE WELCOME EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLSAlthough the scheduled time for the program came to an end, the fact that our participants remained in the classrooms at BEKAM and continued their conversations was the most meaningful moment of the day. Once again, we observed that learning a language is not only about words but also about opening doors to new friendships. Our club, held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 17:30 and 19:00, welcomes new members and anyone eager to practice. We invite everyone who wishes to express themselves and improve their language proficiency to become a part of this friendly community.

A delegation from the Bülbülzade Foundation visited İslahiye District Governor Mehmet Soylu in his office, evaluated ongoing activities, and delivered material support to the Sewing Workshop.The delegation, consisting of the Earthquake Region Unit, Migration Unit, and ESC volunteers operating under the Bülbülzade Foundation, paid a courtesy visit to İslahiye District Governor Mehmet Soylu. During the meeting, the delegation подробно explained the projects carried out by the foundation in the region, its social cohesion activities, and the comprehensive rehabilitation efforts it has continued after the earthquake. While sharing the current needs in the field and the projects planned for the upcoming period, the foundation representatives emphasized the importance of joint efforts to be carried out specifically in İslahiye. Governor Soylu expressed his satisfaction with the visit, highlighting the value of the dedicated efforts demonstrated by the volunteers for the local community.A CRITICAL ROLE FOR WOMENAfter completing the visit, the foundation members and ESC volunteers promptly moved to the İslahiye Sewing Workshop, which is the heart of production in the region. The volunteer team carefully unloaded rolls of fabric and various technical sewing materials from vehicles and delivered them to the workshop to ensure uninterrupted production. During the delivery, volunteers met with trainees receiving education at the workshop and stated that women's participation in the production process plays a critical role in the regional economy. The team members expressed that they would always stand at the forefront of such projects that strengthen local production and support social development, and wished success to the trainees in their work.

Within the scope of our foundation’s ESC-51 project, the volunteering mobility carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina has evolved from being merely a humanitarian activity into a journey of empathy beyond borders, personal awareness, and a return to cultural roots for young participants.As part of the European Solidarity Corps ESC-51 project conducted by Bülbülzade Foundation and supported by the Turkish National Agency, our young volunteers Nisa Nur Bayrak, Feride Nisa Tanaş, and Feyzanur Üstün—hosted by IFS EMMAUS in the cities of Doboj and Srebrenitsa in Bosnia and Herzegovina—are experiencing the deep peace of touching different lives. Taking part in numerous activities ranging from tailoring workshops to educational activities with children, from visits to the elderly to cultural interactions, the young volunteers state that they have built heartfelt connections that transcend language barriers.MY SENSE OF EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE HAVE EXPANDEDThe volunteers express that living within a different culture enriches their perspectives, while also bringing profound changes to their inner worlds as they contribute to social benefit. Nisa Nur Bayrak emphasizes that working with people whose language she does not speak has strengthened her sense of empathy. Having had the opportunity to contribute her experience in tailoring to the project, Bayrak explains what this experience means to her with the following words:“Living and working together with people from a different culture whose language I do not know has expanded my sense of empathy and my perspective. The fact that my first volunteering project took place in Bosnia made this experience more meaningful and unforgettable for me.”I HAVE BECOME A MORE SENSITIVE PERSONDescribing the process as a journey of self-discovery, Feride Nisa Tanaş states that along with the happiness of being able to help others, she has gained a strong sense of belonging. Noting that the ESC project has given her a sense of responsibility and a solution-oriented approach, Tanaş says:“Especially feeling that I could be helpful to people made me very happy. Through this experience, I realized that my communication skills improved and that I could approach events in a more understanding and solution-oriented way. Touching different lives has made me a more sensitive person.”IT TURNED INTO AN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCEDrawing attention to the spiritual value of being in these lands as a Balkan immigrant, Feyzanur Üstün expresses her thoughts as follows:“Seeing architectural works bearing traces of the past in the cities I visited, interacting with different cultures, and experiencing the multilayered structure of this geography was very educational and meaningful for me. As a Balkan immigrant, spending time in these lands, building connections with people, and feeling the traces of a shared past turned into an invaluable experience for me. I would like to thank our host IFS EMMAUS and Bülbülzade Foundation for providing us with this opportunity.”Our volunteers continue to represent our foundation through the bridges of kindness they build in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also strengthening the heartfelt ties between the Balkans and Türkiye through their own emotional experiences.

Speaking at the Istanbul Negotiations, our Foundation President Turgay Aldemir defined the reconstruction of Syria as a civilizational responsibility and stated: “We are not only rebuilding buildings, but also hope, justice, and Syria’s future.”Representatives of civil society organizations, opinion leaders, academics, and media members operating in Istanbul came together on March 27, 2026, at the ÖNDER Headquarters building for the “Istanbul Negotiations” meeting. Moderated by Sinan Özyurt and enriched by the contributions of Rıdvan Kaya and Kazım Sağlam, the honored guest of the gathering was Bülbülzade Foundation President Turgay Aldemir. Aldemir shed light on the past and present of the Syrian revolution and made historic warnings and visionary statements regarding the role of civil society organizations in Syria's future.THEY USED DIVERSITY AS A TOOL OF DIVISIONAldemir began his speech by emphasizing Syria’s historical and strategic importance. “Syria is not merely a state in the Middle East; it is a junction where the fertility of the Mediterranean, the security of Anatolia, and the ancient knowledge of Mesopotamia converge,” he said. He noted that the Baath regime transformed this immense ethnic and religious diversity into a “tool of governance and division,” thereby damaging social peace. Referring to the process that began in Daraa in 2011, Aldemir stated that it evolved into a struggle for dignity and existence, and that the regime responded to these demands with systematic massacres, reminding that approximately one million Syrians lost their lives in this cause.BEING ANSĀR IS OUR ANCIENT DUTYStating that the process quickly turned into a laboratory where global powers tested new weapons, Aldemir described the support given by Iran and Russia to the regime as a “purge of the people.” Opening a special parenthesis for Türkiye’s stance, he emphasized that they did not view the issue through numbers or barbed wires and said: “For us, being ‘Ansar’ is not a favor but the fulfillment of an ancient debt, a thousand-year brotherhood. The four million brothers and sisters we host today are not merely refugees; they are entrusted to us by history, geography, and our faith. Where global conscience has fallen silent, Türkiye has single-handedly upheld the honor of humanity.” He added that Türkiye’s “Open Door Policy” is not merely migration management but a tremendous movement of “human revival” against “human degradation.” He also emphasized that the primary aim of cross-border operations carried out by Türkiye is to provide breathing space for civilians and to create conditions for safe return.THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IS TO REVIVE MINDSDrawing attention to the work of institutions such as Bülbülzade Foundation and BEKAM in the region, Aldemir summarized the responsibility of civil society with striking words: “You may rebuild a city and reconstruct destroyed buildings, but if you do not revive minds and hearts, those piles of stone cannot establish a civilization. The most painful consequence of the Syrian crisis is the threat of ‘lost generations’ that cannot be captured in statistics. As Bülbülzade Foundation and BEKAM, we have set up a barrier against this threat with academic rigor and civil enthusiasm. We have viewed our educational activities not merely as curriculum delivery, but as the construction of identity and belonging. Through our projects in safe zones and in Türkiye, we prevented tens of thousands of children from exchanging pens for weapons. The ‘Social Cohesion’ books and curriculum studies prepared by BEKAM reinterpret the ancient brotherhood of the two peoples through the language of modern sociology. These efforts were not only about saving today, but also about preparing the intellectual infrastructure of the engineers, doctors, and teachers who will rebuild Syria tomorrow.”He emphasized the importance of Anatolian Cultural Centers established in Azez, al-Bab, Jarabulus, and Afrin under the leadership of Bülbülzade Foundation, stating: “We are not merely opening a foundation branch there; we are reinforcing the pillars of a thousand-year-old bridge of civilization.”A CALL FOR DEVELOPMENT FOR A NEW SYRIADefining December 8, 2024, as a turning point when 60 years of darkness were torn apart for the Syrian people, Aldemir shared his vision for the new era following the collapse of the Baath regime. He outlined the roadmap for rebuilding Syria as follows:“We must now close the chapter of ‘emergency aid’ and move on to the page of ‘sustainable development.’ Delivering bread is not enough; we must build the bakery that produces it, the energy that runs it, and the universities that will train the engineers who will establish that energy system. The fact that the required resources for reconstruction exceed 600 billion dollars shows the magnitude of the responsibility on the shoulders of civil society organizations. International civil society must take responsibility in strengthening civil institutions and establishing justice mechanisms in Syria. People do not only want to return to a house, but to a future. To build this future, we must establish a new ‘construction site’ that unites academia with civil society and bureaucracy with the people. As Bülbülzade Foundation, our strategic plans and field experience are at your disposal.”Aldemir concluded his speech with a historic call to all national and international civil society organizations:“Come, let us rebuild Syria not only physically, but also spiritually and intellectually, together!”Click here for the full speech delivered by Turgay Aldemir.

The educational workshops organized within the Child Studies Unit, which appeal to different age groups, continue to contribute to the development of children.The Bülbülzade Foundation Child Studies Unit continues its workshop activities carried out with the aim of supporting the mental development of our children and providing them with a qualified learning environment. In the programs implemented as of March 28, 2026, we place both academic skills and spiritual values at the center. Within the scope of Erasmus+ ESC51 (European Solidarity Corps) volunteering projects coordinated by the Project Units of our foundation and BEKAM, our volunteers from Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the Netherlands bring dynamism to our educational processes.A UNIVERSAL PERSPECTIVEWithin the framework of ESC, our volunteers take on active roles in workshops. As part of the “Youth Bridge” project carried out within BEKAM, Viktoria Kotelevets from Ukraine strengthens youth bridges, while through the “Together We’re Better” project under the umbrella of the Bülbülzade Foundation, Ali Ghuliyev from Azerbaijan and Elisa Dijkhuis from the Netherlands bring the message “Together We’re Better” to our workshops. Our volunteers from different geographies reflect their cultural backgrounds in our activities, offering our children a universal perspective in their learning processes. In this process, shaped by the slogan “I Learn, I Have Fun, I Grow,” we aim for our children to spend their out-of-school time productively.CHILD-SPECIFIC CONTENTWithin the scope of our program, our course flow for children aged 4–6 begins with Elif-Ba and memorization of short surahs, and is enriched with workshops such as learning the Names of Allah (Asma al-Husna) through games, the English Speaking Club, and the Rubik’s Cube Workshop. For our male and female students aged 7–8, we implement a program filled with Qur’an education, Rubik’s Cube activities, and events focusing on the life of the Prophet. In this way, we aim to reinforce both the mental focus skills and basic religious knowledge of our children.ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SUPPORTIn the weekly curriculum prepared for students aged 10–12, we focus on the English Speaking Club to improve language practice and Rubik’s Cube workshops that contribute to problem-solving skills. Additionally, with lessons such as the interpretation of short surahs and drama, we aim to enhance our children’s ways of self-expression and their intellectual depth.Our Child Studies Unit will continue to meticulously carry out its workshop activities in order to contribute to the holistic development of our children.

ESC volunteers who came together under the roof of Bülbülzade Foundation contributed to the greenery of Kurtuluş Forest and took part in fertilization work.As Bülbülzade Foundation, we continue our efforts in line with our vision of a sustainable future and a greener world. Within this scope, we visited our deep-rooted Kurtuluş Forest together with our volunteer team serving at our foundation under the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). Not content with just a visit, the young participants carried out a comprehensive fertilization activity to support the healthy growth of our trees as a responsibility toward nature. We all experienced the joy of touching the soil and preparing the forest for the future.THE TASTE OF SPRING, THE POWER OF SOLIDARITYESC representatives who are part of the Bülbülzade Foundation family—Victoria Kotelevets from Ukraine, Sheyma Achir from France, Ali Ghuliyev from Azerbaijan, and Elisa Dijkhuis from the Netherlands—contributed not only to the soil but also strengthened bonds of brotherhood during the fertilization work in Kurtuluş Forest. On this special day where different cultures met on the common ground of protecting nature, our team shared their feelings and emphasized the peace that comes from connecting with nature.AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCEOne of our volunteers, Victoria Kotelevets, stated that contributing to the growth of a tree is an indescribable feeling, while Ali Ghuliyev expressed that welcoming the arrival of spring in the unique atmosphere of Kurtuluş Forest was an unforgettable experience for him. Sheyma Achir and Elisa Dijkhuis noted that being away from the noise of the city and coming together for such a meaningful purpose increased their motivation, and they shared their happiness in protecting the green heritage of our foundation.As Bülbülzade Foundation, we will continue to be a breath for the soil, nature, and the future together with our volunteers.