Migration Management Integration and Communication Director Ahmet Dalkıran visited the Bülbülzade Foundation and examined the foundation’s work on migration and Syria on site. Civil diplomacy and integration processes were evaluated during the meeting.
The Bülbülzade Foundation hosted Migration Management Integration and Communication Director Ahmet Dalkıran to explain its multifaceted work on the Syrian crisis and migration management. During the meeting, humanitarian aid activities carried out since the beginning of the Syrian crisis and social recovery movements that began following the crisis were discussed in detail. The importance of the Common Future Meetings, which bring Turkish and Syrian opinion leaders together at the same table, was emphasized, while it was stated that Gaziantep has assumed a central role in this historic process. It was conveyed that the ties between the two societies should be strengthened and systematic relations should be maintained.
CIVIL DIPLOMACY AND CULTURAL RECONSTRUCTION
One of the most important agenda items of the meeting was the educational and cultural projects implemented and planned in Syria. It was stated that the Anatolian Cultural Centers (AKM) opened in Aleppo, Afrin, Al-Bab, Azaz, and Jarabulus have established a strong civil diplomacy bridge between the two countries. The activities of the Aleppo AKM, which was restored in just three months and began providing education to more than one thousand students, received appreciation. On the other hand, it was shared that the licensing processes for the youth center planned to be established in Damascus, as well as the publishing house and radio station projects to be opened in Syria, are nearing completion. In this context, it was also recalled that the work of the Migrant Services Center and book translations continue uninterrupted.
MIGRATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY RATHER THAN A CRISIS
Another prominent topic of the meeting was that migration should not be viewed solely as a crisis but should be transformed into a great opportunity. It was stated that hundreds of thousands of Syrian children born in Türkiye now feel themselves to be an inseparable part of this society and that Syrians have developed such a deep sense of belonging that they are even purchasing burial plots in Türkiye. Emphasis was placed on strengthening diaspora ties and establishing qualified relations with counterparts on a humanitarian basis, going beyond numbers. It was stated that meticulous diplomacy processes carried out by provincial governorships with opinion leaders, in which everyone is heard, make a significant contribution to this integration.
SYSTEMATIC SOLUTIONS FREE FROM SUPERFICIALITY
It was emphasized that the vision of migration and integration efforts in the new period must move away from superficiality. It was noted that it is necessary to go beyond the basic needs of the vast population living in cities and build more permanent, integrated systems instead of short-term aid such as distributing food packages. It was stated that the complex problems brought about by the age can be solved through modern and sustainable systems, while it was emphasized that the successful system in Türkiye should also serve as a model for the reconstruction of Syria.
