In the spotlight
Key2Europe 2019-2020
Why not thinking big AEGEE Greek-Turkish Civic Dialogue Written by Burcu Becermen Project Manager of the “Turkish-Greek Civic Dialogue Project” 2002-2005 and Honorary Member of AEGEE-Europe ‘Through our activities, we empower students and young people in Europe to take an active role in society. We create a space for dialogue and learning opportunities as well as act as their representative towards decision-makers.’ This is how it is written on the website of AEGEE. In the beginning of this century a group of young people from Turkey and Greece under the lead of Burcu Becermen, later awarded as Young European of the Year, started the project of the Greek-Turkish Civic Dialogue. She gave us an insight into the project. It all started when AEGEE-İstanbul strived to join the AEGEE network, as the very first local from Turkey, during the AGORA in Kos in 1992 - a few miles away from Turkey. At that time, some members from Greek antennae including the AGORA organisers left the sessions in protest against AEGEE-İstanbul’s membership. The network had to familiarise itself with century-old conflicts between Greece and Turkey, and deal with the impact of this legacy on its own members. During those years, already tense political relations culminated with the Imia/Kardak crisis in 1996. The dispute and military skirmish over tiny rocks in the Aegean sea quickly brought the two countries to the brink of war. Only a few business people and journalists were trying to bridge the divide, but there were no contacts or joint initiatives between young people in both countries. Against such a backdrop, in 1996, AEGEE-Athina and AEGEE-İstanbul jointly organised the very first youth exchange between the two countries, leading to the signing of a common Declaration of Greek-Turkish Friendship in 1997. Initiatives from both sides followed, leading to the AEGEE-Europe Peace Academy project in 1999/2000. Meanwhile 1999 marked important devel-
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opments for Turkey-Greece relations. Two major earthquakes hit first Turkey, and then Greece, claiming lives and causing catastrophic damage. Right after the earthquake in Turkey, Greece was the first country to provide aid and send rescue teams. When the earthquake hit Athens a month later, Turkey reciprocated. The two countries were ready to wage war, and three years later they were saving each other’s lives. This genuine humanitarian effort went beyond an earthquake diplomacy that thawed the relations, but it also touched peoples’ hearts on both sides of the Aegean. Three months later, during the EU Helsinki Summit, Turkey was granted a candidate status. Both developments created a new impetus and paved the way for the EU to launch its first funding scheme in Turkey. Having witnessed the Greek-Turkish rapprochement after the earthquakes and the impact of the Peace Academy project, the EU decided to grant AEGEE-Europe EUR 150.000 to carry out a project.
The thematic idea, AEGEE’s vision and track record, and the funds were already in place. Only the project concept was missing. As two fresh AEGEE members, one from Ankara and one from Athina (Sophia Kompotiati), we happened to be the lucky ones to come across with the project idea.
