A conference titled "Turkey's Balkan Policy" was held at Istanbul Rumeli University's Mehmet Balcı Campus with a presentation by Barış Ceyhun Erciyes, Deputy Director General for the Balkans and Central Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. The conference, organized in collaboration with Istanbul Rumeli University's Rumeli Studies Application and Research Center (RUÇAM) and the Balkan Youth Strategic Cooperation Association (BALGENÇ), provided participants with information on the general outlines of Turkey's Balkan policy and its initiatives in the region.
The opening speech of the conference was delivered by RUÇAM Deputy Director and BALGENÇ President Research Assistant Dr. Erdem Eren. In his speech, he provided information about the activities RUÇAM has carried out regarding the Balkans since its establishment. Following this, RUÇAM Director Associate Professor Dr. Süleyman Özmen gave a speech on the historical significance of the Balkans. Our Rector, Professor Dr. Mustafa Kara, emphasized the deep ties between our kin in the Balkans and the Turkish people.
In his speech, Erciyes stated that the Balkans are extremely important for Turkey due to the historical ties between the region and Turkey and the presence of kin and related communities in the region. He also mentioned that Turkey has undertaken initiatives to enhance the welfare and security of the peoples in the region. Questions from the participants were also answered during the conference. The event concluded with the presentation of a plaque to Erciyes and photo sessions.
