Initiatives for Izmir to become the 2026 European Youth Capital are gaining intensity as November approaches, when the result will be known. 5 cities are competing in the final to obtain the title of European Youth Capital, which is also important for taking concrete steps regarding the political, civil, social and cultural rights of young people under the leadership of young people.
Young people from Izmir continue their contacts in order to strengthen Izmir's hand in this race. In this context, a delegation consisting of members of the European Youth Capital Platform went to Strasbourg, France. During the visit, Izmir Youth Municipality representative Alper Kurudere, from Izmir's European Youth Capital team, Youth Organization Forum (GoFor) representative Barış Azar, Cosmos Association representative Furkan Hergül, Izmir City Council Youth Council President İsmail Ferhat Kaplan and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Youth and European Union activities were included. Gülşen Balcı and Cenk Öz attended.
The team met with officials in the European Council and the European Union Parliament and followed the General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and evaluated the opportunities for cooperation between the youth of Izmir and Strasbourg in the meeting held with the youth work team of the Strasbourg Municipality. We met with Gül Sarıgül, Deputy Undersecretary of the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the Council of Europe, and exchanged ideas about Turkish youth's involvement in Europe-Turkey relations and studies and increasing cooperation.
Studies transferred
During the interviews with youth studies experts Anca-Ruxandra Pandea, László Milutinovits and Muriel Julien, responsible for the European Youth Centre, from the Democracy and Education and Training Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Izmir's work on the European Youth Capital was conveyed and recommendations were received on what can be done in this field. PACE European Award Committee President Carmen Leyte expressed that she appreciated Izmir's projects regarding Europe and the European Youth Capital.
If the 2026 European Youth Capital is Izmir, the opportunities for presenting cultural, social, political-economic life and development programs for young people will increase, and livable city ecosystems for young people will be improved.
Kaynak: İHA
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