Ahmet Dalkıran, Director General of Integration and Communication at the Presidency of Migration Management, visited the Bülbülzade Foundation and examined on site the foundation’s work centered on migration and Syria. Civil diplomacy and integration processes were evaluated during the meeting.
The Bülbülzade Foundation hosted Ahmet Dalkıran, Director General of Integration and Communication at the Presidency of Migration Management, to present its multidimensional work on the Syrian crisis and migration management. During the meeting, humanitarian aid activities carried out since the beginning of the Syrian crisis and the social recovery movements that began following the crisis were discussed in detail. While the importance of the Common Future Meetings, which bring Turkish and Syrian opinion leaders together at the same table, was emphasized, it was stated that Gaziantep has assumed a central role in this historic process. It was conveyed that the bonds 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 education 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 provides education to more than one thousand students, were highly appreciated. 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 reminded that the work of the Migrant Services Center and book translations continue uninterrupted.
MIGRATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY RATHER THAN A CRISIS
Another prominent issue discussed at the meeting was that migration should not be considered solely as a crisis and 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 integral part of this society and that Syrians have developed such a deep sense of belonging that they even acquire burial plots in Türkiye. Emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen diaspora ties and establish qualified relations with counterparts on a human basis, going beyond numbers. It was stated that the meticulous diplomacy processes carried out by governorships with opinion leaders, in which everyone is listened to, 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 should move away from superficiality. It was noted that going beyond the basic needs of the vast population living in cities and building more permanent, integrated systems instead of day-to-day aid such as food parcel distribution are necessary. It was conveyed that the complex problems brought about by the age can be solved through modern and sustainable systems, while it was stated that the successful system in Türkiye should also serve as a model for the reconstruction of Syria.
