Oblivion | 16th National Selection Conference of EYP Turkey

Oblivion Istanbul | November 2014

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Editorial From black and white to colour. Colour of joy, of pictures. As a circle closes, another one begins. In this issue, you will find intriguing articles that excite imagination or go deep into reality. That’s what happens in EYP. You go from superficial to significant, from funny games to deep discussions.

Rewarding or not, this experience is up to you to evaluate and criticize.

From our perspective, this journey is worth every time, every ride. All the ups and downs, all the tiny little moments of delight or frustration. You will eventually understand that EYP means something different to each and every one of us. You will find what means to you with time. “It is not the destination but the journey” as a great Greek poet once said. Welcome to EYP.

Dimitris and Irida, Editors of the session

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Issue 1 // 16th NSC of EYP Turkey // Istanbul | 20 - 24 November 2014 // Dimitris Davris (GR) // Irida Karasmanoglou (GR) // Zura Giorgobiani (GE) // Anastasia Ntracha (GR) // Quirin von Blomberg (DE) // Alinda Ohotski (TR) // Furkan Kalender (TR) // Cevahir Köprülü (TR) // Nehir Hatipoglu (TR) // Ömer Oguz (TR) // Sezen Deniz Tokadam (TR) // Zeynep Demir (TR) // Can Altunkaynak (TR)

Contents 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

The sharing economy.

Hidden reality about the genders: sexism.

Are we in good hands?

On the hand of true democracy.

A timline of a war.

Immigration in Europe.

Google Glass.

Independence referendum.

Why do Europeans join the ISIS?

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Benefits and Challenges of the new capitalism.

by Quirin von Blomberg

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Last night 50,000 people rent from a service that offers 300, cities in 190 countries. They and paid for everything onl were provided by private ind a hotel chain. Hosts and gues

by Airbnb, a firm based in Sa most prominent example of a omy�, in which people rent b assets directly from each oth the internet.

You might think this is no diffe bed-and-breakfast or particip But technology has reduced making sharing assets cheap ever—and therefore possible scale. The big change is the data about people and things ical assets to be consumed the internet, renting a surfboa a parking space from someon but was usually more trouble

Now websites, such as Airbn Goods, match up owners a phones with GPS let people est rentable car is parked, soc a way to check up on people systems handle the billing.

ted accommodation ,000 rooms in 30,000 y chose their rooms line. But their beds dividuals, rather than sts were matched up an Francisco. It is the a new “sharing econbeds, cars and other her, co-ordinated via

erent from running a pating in a car pool. d transaction costs, per and easier than e on a much larger availability of more s, which allows physas services. Before ard, a power tool or ne else was feasible, than it was worth.

nb, Uber and Snapand renters. Smartsee where the nearcial networks provide and online payment

Just as businesses like eBay allow anyone to become a retailer, sharing sites let individuals act as a taxi service or boutique hotel as and when it suits them. Just go online or download an app.

The model works for items that are expensive to buy and are widely owned by people who do not make full use of them.

Such “collaborative consumption” is a good thing for several reasons. Owners make money from underused assets. Meanwhile, renters pay less than they would if they bought the item themselves, or turned to a traditional provider, such as a hotel or car-hire firm. (Not surprisingly, many sharing firms got going during the financial crisis.) And there are environmental benefits, too: renting a car when you need it, rather than owning one, means fewer cars are required and fewer resources must be devoted to making them.

The main worry is regulatory uncertainty. Will room-renters be subject to hotel taxes? Can a private taxi service guarantee the same insurance as their licensed counterparts? In Amsterdam, officials are using Airbnb listings to track down unlicensed hotels, while officials in Berlin have banned it completely on the grounds of misuse. In some European cities, peer-to-peer taxi services have been banned after lobbying by traditional taxi firms. The danger is that although some rules need to be updated to protect consumers from harm, incumbents will try to destroy competition.

Of course, people who rent out rooms should pay tax, but should they be regulated like guests of a Ritz-Carlton?

The sharing economy is the latest example of the internet’s value to consumers. This emerging model has now caused enough disruption for regulators and companies to wake up to it. That is a sign of its immense potential. It is time to start caring about sharing.

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Hidden reality about the genders:

Sexism

by Can Altunkaynak

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Cognisant of the unstable scatter in different areas of professions, explicit commercials that had been shot in order to sell gender-oriented products, as well as a massive bottle industry; sexism is still a current issue that must immediately be addressed.

For those who already don’t know, sexism is the utmost segregation between male and female. It can simply be explained as a set of attitudes based on the fundamental belief in the natural inferiority of women, which is still the case in most of the countries of the world, as it also is in Turkey.

So as to give a palpable example, there’s Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s assertions on July 28th 2014, about the “moral corruption” in Turkey. In his speech, women’s public act of joy supposedly engender, his exact words being “A woman should be chaste.

She should know the difference between public and private. She should not laugh in public,” and continued with asking “Where are our girls, who slightly blush, lower their heads and turn their eyes away when we look at their face, becoming the symbol of chastity?” .

Therefore, I decided to ask some questions to Anna Nichols (IE) and Aida Grishaj (AL), who are the chairpersons of the Committee on Woman Rights.

Anna Nichols (IE):

• Could you define sexism shortly?

Anna: Surprisingly prevalent.

• What is the most sexist thing that has ever happened to you?

Anna: I was in a debating competition and a guy came up and said “The equality is not the problem, I mean, look, there is even a woman in the room.”

• What is the biggest symbol of sexism, in your opinion?

Anna: I think it’s the physical appearances, how you dress and present yourself. Women have to care a lot about this. There is even a massive industry for that.

• What can you propose to tackle this issue?

Anna: I think people should talk about it, because when you discuss something, it creates the power to make people rethink the situation and that might change their mind-set.

Aida Grishaj (AL):

• Could you define sexism shortly?

Aida: Something that happens every day but not noticed all the time.

• What is the most sexist thing that has ever happened to you?

Aida: It’s not something that happens on occasion or once in your life time. It happens all the time and if you gather them all, you actually have a huge problem.

• What is the biggest symbol of sexism, in your opinion?

Aida: I’m opponent to the phrase “Being a mother is always important”, because it ignores many important things that a woman could do in her life. I think if women want to chance her objective, it shouldn’t be treated in a weird way.

• What can you propose to tackle this issue?

Aida: I would propose to rethink all the role models that we’ve seen in our lives, like being saved by a prince in fairy tales. I really hate fairy tales, because they humiliate women and are very sexist, except Shrek, because Fiona is really strong. I think fairy tales are just giving wrong messages: Don’t work, don’t try, don’t have a future, just marry a rich guy.

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Are we in good hands?

by Furkan Kalender

We, each, are one person amongst billions in the world. Every single one of us is entitled to liberties and ideologies. To keep them in place we require a group to hold the balance and peace in check. In modern day times we call this group the “police force.�

The definition of a police force is: a body of trained officers entrusted by a government with maintenance of public peace and order, enforcement of laws, detection and prevention of crime. They have always had a positive image projected to the public universally. Police series, games, movies and costumes are made. In addition to this, police is considered as a role-model to the youth. They are looked upon as heroes and saviours.

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Despite the great adjectives that are attributed to police, no human is without flaws. Somewhere along the line, several controversial events and news have taken place. The once perfect considered and loved police have become a focal point of criticism. Shady judgement, sloppy investigations and excessive aggression towards citizens are three main arguments that have been put up against them. These events have taken place all over Europe, including Member States of the European Union. The Gezi Park protests started out with environmentalists trying to protect trees in the park, but it swiftly turned into a struggle against police’s actions. Friend and foe became one in order to protect citizen rights for weeks on end. Gezi Park had become a stronghold for those who wanted to relay a message to the government. Three weeks ago, the exact same thing happened in Paris. An environmentalist was killed in a clash with police and last week hundreds of high-school students protested in Paris for his death. In Germany, citizens had marched to the European Central Bank to protest the ECB’s involvement in the European crisis and contribution to inequality and debt. While German law protects their right to demonstrate, German police neglected the protesters’ rights and, once again, they were face to face with another violent assault. All three of these protests had one thing in common: While using the liberties that are given to you, you are attacked brutally and, as one thing leads to another, the main reason becomes to fight against the force that is used.

With all this negative commotion going on, it makes one wonder what is the viewpoint of people from different countries on a topic such as this. During the session I asked over 40 males and females if they felt safe around police.

Amongst them were both delegates and officials. They were all from different regions in Turkey or Europe. Even though there were from a variety of different backgrounds, the answers I received were approximately the same. Both a high portion of males and females said that they did not feel safe with police around.

Naturally, one would expect the police to be a source of protection and well-being, whereas here, they are causing uneasiness.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned events had to take place and conclude with innocent injuries and deaths. We are going towards an era where to speak your mind is considered bravery and using your constitutional rights leads to facing illegal, inhumane actions. Generally, a light bulb illuminates the room which it is in. Sadly to say the room I live has a light bulb which does not shine.

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Lately there has been heated debates upon the prevalence of a democratic deficit within the European Union and its institutions, whose concept is the idea that institutions of the EU lack democratic accountability and legitimacy. When people feel that their opinion remains unheard within the Union, when they are ignorant of their fundamental rights as European citizens, when the credibility of the European Parliament has been disproven and the democratic legitimacy of the European Commission questioned, it is crystal clear that the democratic deficit has shaken the whole European foundation from its roots.

As far as the core problems of the EU Institutions, the European Parliament does not have the right to initiate legislative procedure and the European Commission is unelected and unaccountable to any electorate, since it cannot be removed or changed by the people.

Furthermore, the Council of Ministers has no transparency but high-prominence in the EU decision making process, while the European Council may appear democratic, but it is after all a union of the elected leaders of the Member States, so, in short, 27 people control the fate of five hundred million people. Consequently, claims of a democratic deficit in the EU tend to emphasise the lack of direct popular control over the major decision making Institutions of the EU. Even the European Commission, which is considered one of the most powerful bodies on the world stage, has to come up with some sort of democratic mechanism for choosing its leaders and deciding its policy. In fact, not only is the Commission unelected, but it also does not represent the interests of any national electorates, simply because it is the official duty of commissioners not to do so.

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The Lisbon Tr bridge the gap betw citizens and the Euro creating and putting in tional tool of direct parti European Citizens’ Initiati life in an indignant Europe. en EU citizens must propose Commission on matters wh example health, right to wate 1 million signatures in 12 done, the Commission deli the proposal, perhaps by way, it could be said tha same proposal pow Parliame

On the tru democ

by Anasta

Treaty tried to ween the European opean Institutions, by force the first transnaicipatory democracy, the ive (ECI), a breath of fresh A committee of at least seve legislation to the European here the EU can legislate, for er etc. They must then gather 2 months and, after this is iberates it and responds to y legislating for it. In this at EU citizens have the wer as the European ent (EP).

hunt of ue cracy.

asia Ntracha

However, there are several problems that hinder its whole potential. Firstly, the seven citizens on the committee must be from seven different Member States; thus you need a certain amount of signatures from each country. At the same time, the ECI is perhaps not widely advertised and, thus gathering signatures can prove difficult, since it follows that significant marketing fees are needed to publicise the campaign. Therefore, the signature collection time should be lengthened from 12 to 18-24 months, so as to allow small organisations to sponsor ECIs, as well as encourage ECIs on important topics that are not widely known.

Furthermore, the Commission could lower the age barrier to 16 years old to foster the participation of young Europeans, as well as enable all EU citizens, regardless of where they live, to sign an ECI, since currently 11 million of the EU citizens who live outside their home country are denied this right. Lastly, it is a fact that ECI cannot propose treaty amendments, which undermines its value as a democratic tool.

All in, it is clear that there is a shortfall of democracy in the EU and, in order to bridge the gap between citizens and the decision-makers, transparency and accountability hold a key role in the road to change. Above all, the quote from Winston Churchill must be remembered “It is the people who control the Government, not the Government the people�.

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A timEline of a war

by Alinda Ohotski

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Precisely a year and 3 days ago, the former president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych suspended preparations for the implementation of an association agreement with the European Union. This was literally a turning point for Ukraine’s future. Within a year and 3 days, the country has faced so many horrors that none expected. Before 21 November 2013, Ukraine seemed to be on the track of EU accession, although Ukraine was always in a geopolitical tag of war between the West and Russia. Some sided with Russia, due to long years spent in the Soviet Union, and some wanted independent Western values to become parts of their lives, leaving the long history of dependence to other countries behind.

21 November 2013 is the date when the system of democracy failed the country’s people. The president decided to postpone the EU’s proposals and choose Russia’s proposals of giving Ukraine economic benefits. The reason why this action was found wrong, and still is, is that the president abused his powers. He was expected to represent his nation. However, he declared ultimate power over his nation by this action. The process of suspension of EU’s offer didn’t involve any democracy. Nor the parliament, nor the people of the Republic of Ukraine had the chance to express their opinions concerning this issue. That’s why, the public revolted. In early December, 800.000 people gathered in the Independence Square and occupied the Kiev City Hall.

Winter is always believed to pass harsh in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe. For Ukraine, the past winter was the most painful winter in years. It wasn’t due to snow or very low temperature, but it was rather a very heated winter. A winter heated by conflict. On February 20th, 88 people were killed in 48 hours and Kiev saw its worst day of violence in 70 years. Following these horror days, the president Yanukovych disappeared and denounced a “coup” in Ukraine.

Though it seemed like the wish of Ukrainians was fulfilled, due to the gap in authority, protests and violence spread to other regions. The region most vulnerable to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has always been Crimea, throughout history. That’s why it didn’t take long until the world’s attention focused on Crimea. The public split between independence and staying with Ukraine. The urge of being independent dominated; at least that’s what the outcome of 97% of voters in the referendum proved. However the reliability of the referendum is still being questioned, bearing in mind the fact that after becoming “independent”, Crimea joined the Russian Federation.

Unfortunately, the conflict didn’t end there. The eastern regions of Ukraine popped up on Russia’s –or more correctly- Mr. Vladimir Putin’s agenda. Eastern Ukraine, being the industrial region of the country and the major economic sources lying in the specific region, was a territory crucial for both Russia and Ukraine. The war actually started after this. Russian separatists supported by Russia clashed with Ukrainian troops and volunteers. 4.035 people were killed, an airplane with 298 passengers was shot and 454.456 people were internally displaced. These numbers are a proof of how many people were damaged by this conflict and how severe the situation continues to be. Nonetheless, the Minsk ceasefire deal is at place right now. The whole world is watching how long this ceasefire will last. How many more human lives need to sacrifice for the sake of freedom? Will the regions of Donetsk and Luhanks be enough for Russia? Will Ukraine survive this clash? What will the measures taken by the EU be? These are all interesting questions, but there is nothing we can do, expect to wait and see.

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#MOMENTS

IMMIGR ATION

in Europe by Ă–mer Oguz & Sezen Deniz Tokadam

Hometown, or home in general, is a special place for every human being. People are bound to their hometown by their birth and their childhood, their language, their earliest experiences or acquired affinity. Thus, home is where people feel most comfortable, safe and linked with. As a result of it, individuals are most likely to be able to express themselves more freely, when they are at home, since being able to express one’s thoughts and emotions are humanitarian need. People tend to be happier when they belong, they have a home.

Even though we love to spend as much time as we can at home, or in our hometown surrounded by our family, friends and people who have been with us since the very beginning of our lives, people may be obligated or even forced to leave their hometown behind at some point in their lives. In some cases, the forced locomotion like this is called immigration. Definition of immigration is the movement of a person or a group of people into a country, which they are not native. It’s the action of leaving your native country, your home and settling to a completely different place.

There may be many different reasons behind immigration, but most of the time people do that when they do not have many other options. The reason behind someone leaving their hometown might be a personal or a national problem, such as wars or military conflicts, an economic crisis, discrimination against a certain group of people by the society or government. People do not always immigrate due to national conflicts. There are many individuals around the world who had to leave their countries or their hometowns due to personal issues, such as poverty, lack of access to proper public services (education, healthcare, safety etc.), feeling discriminated and not being respected about their choices (for example their sexual orientation), their religion or their life style in general. Groups or people who have immigrated to another country, because of bad conditions or violation of human rights in their native countries, tend to move and settle to the countries, in which people are provided with better and sufficient conditions by the government and where the human rights are respected.

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Europe has been the place where human rights were recognised and actually became a part of governance and were adopted by the society. People have started to immigrate to Europe a long time ago, but it increased substantially in the later 20th century, especially after the industrial revolution, when a marked population increase and proliferation of rural industry settled rural people in manufacturing towns and villages. World War I and World War II, not only changed the entire world more than any event did before, but World War II was also a milestone for the history of immigration to Europe, since additional men power was an essential need in order to be able to re-build an entire civilization out of the ruins and ashes of the previous one. After the World War II, the number of the people who immigrated to European countries increased immediately. This uttermost escalation of the immigrants in Europe is the reason behind current diversity of the different cultures and the current multi-cultural atmosphere in the continent. For instance, in 1960s approximately one million Turkish citizens immigrated to Germany with hopes, such as finding a better paying job, achieving better life standards and having a better life in general. In fact, immigrants and their cultures became a really important part of the modern German culture. A further example to explain the cultural diversity in Europe could be about people with Algerian and North African descents in France.

In fact, some of the best soccer players in French national football team, for example Karim Benzema, have Algerian roots.

It is actually impossible for someone to not develop intercultural dialogue with the people you share a land and daily life with. In Europe, one could easily find a kiosk selling falafel or dรถner kebab or a yoga school, even in the smallest cities. A yoga school in a small Hungarian town or a gyro restaurant in Denmark would be quite unexpected to see 70 years ago, but immigrants are the reason behind the multi-cultural atmosphere, and their traditions became a part of the daily life. Europe probably has been the one and only continent to have such a mixed demographical structure.

There is still one question, which has to be answered. How did the European Union evaluate the immigration to Europe in the past and what is the situation right now?

As mentioned before, the biggest immigration movements were after the wars, not forgetting the fact that Europe experienced two huge wars, which concluded with the death of millions of people. So, after such great collisions, the EU needed human power, in order to construct the cities again. Since there are no wars within Europe for almost 70 years, the Member States do not need the human power they used to, aside from the fact that the modern world allows people to use machines instead of the human power. However, there are also millions of refugees escaping the danger in the Middle East as we speak. It is a humanitarian responsibility to accept the people who feel that their lives are in danger.

Nevertheless, this situation leaves EU in a troublesome position. At this point, the EU supports countries like Turkey, which provide an impediment to immigration between the Middle East and the EU. Nonetheless, the current situation is not stable, so the future of foreign policies of the EU on that matter remains uncertain.

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Google Glass

A peak into the future.

Google Glass, the invention of the decade, is a hands free computer in the form of glasses. People connect to the internet by voice commands and images are reflected upon the glasses. Google Glass was first discovered in California, mid 2011 by Google X, a semi-secret facility run by Google, devoted to developing technological advancements to create a hands-free wearable technology. This invention is the first step towards a new world, where the universe will be ours to create.

This wondrous invention, worn by few, will one day be in the possession of all of us. It is said that Google Glass is the first step towards a world where we can have things done with just a blink of an eye.

Even though we are far from being capable of discovering a way to read thoughts, we must admit that a technology where your words could turn into actions is one worth appreciating. Who knows? Maybe in less than 20 years we’ll be flying around in cars conducted by our sub-conscious, while enjoying a hot jacuzzi, changing its temperature according to our will.

A field where Google Glass is increasingly popular is medicine. Now, doctors can access patient records, check live patient vitals, collaborate by sharing what they are viewing in surgery with up to 5 other doctors, and record videos or take pictures. The first demonstration of the us-

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age of Google Glass during a live surgical procedure was on June 20, 2013 by Rafael J. Grossmann, a Venezuelan surgeon practicing in the USA. This invention has made the work of these doctors much easier, by helping them concentrate more on their work and not tire themselves over all the small details that could potentially pose problems.

Primarily, Google glass was on sale to those who could develop it rather than use it.

Therefore the inventors made the sale restricted to invites. However, today it’s on sale to anyone living in the UK or the USA. Luxottica, a company that owns Ray-Ban and Oakley, designs the frames of these glasses. As a whole, it has been designed in such a way that together with its 5-megapixel camera, capable of 720p video recording, 16 GB memory and 2 GB RAM (Random Access Memory), it is a wonder to anyone who comes across it.

To conclude, Google Glass an invention that inspires many and will hopefully be in our lives as soon as possible. Think of the lives that will be made easier just by using this creation. Those who are unable to use regular computers or phones, such as elderly and handicapped people, will have the ability to use Google Glass, for it does simply what you command it to do. So what do you think? Would you prefer using Google Glass instead of your regular phone, or are you just not ready for that?

by Nehir Hatipoglu

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The rise of independence referendum’s throughout Europe

by Cevahir Köprülü

The interactions between culturally and ethnically diverse communities have altered societies’ geopolitical feature and importance. The current circumstances in and around countries have been shaped by their political relations with their allies and enemies, financial states and conditions of their military forces as well. Nowadays, different communities are witnessing controversial decisions by their own and the states which they live under as minorities. For several years, especially due to economic reasons, the UK, Spain and Italy have been involved in independence discussions with their citizens who belong to another culture, speak another language and demand to gain independence regarding their right of self-determination.

“La Serenissima” or the Most Serene Republic of Venice had been an independent trading power in Mediterranean for a millennium before its leader was deposed by Napoleon in 1797. The language of the Venetians, Venetian, differentiates from Italian and has been monitored and defined as vulnerable by UNESCO. In spite of the fact that it is spoken by hundreds of thousands of people, they do not receive legal protection from Rome, whereas it is not allowed to be taught in schools.

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Many Venetians see themselves as ignored and alienated by the national government. Being one of the wealthiest regions of Italy, the state provide five euros of government services for every seven euros Venetians pay. Considering the apparent poverty in southern Italy, it is evaluated as unequal taxation in Venice. In addition, in the case of independence, it is estimated that the region could have approximately 20 billion euros in surplus revenue and be among Europe’s most prosperous economies on a per-person basis. The online poll that was held in March 2014, has shown the majority of Venetians (89.1%; turnout was 63%.2).Nevertheless, their democratic decision over independence was tried to be limited by pledging autonomy and improving government services.

In comparison with the Scottish Independence Referendum, which was the end of the legitimate and democratic “Yes Scotland” campaign, Catalonia has been struggling with the Spanish Government in legal basis, while their referendum and even their debate proposals have been rejected and suspended as well. Due to the consequences of the dictatorship of Gen Francisco Franco, such as Spanish Civil War, suppression of political opposition as well as Catalan autonomy, language and culture, Catalonia was damaged severely.

The 1978, Constitution recognised the existence of national communities within Spain, followed by the statute of autonomy of Catalonia. Currently, the progress of Catalonia as a financially strong region - the second-wealthiest city is Barcelona – creates an aspect of an independent state. For years, the Government of Catalonia has been in a political tension with the Spanish Government over the proposal of independence referendum in Catalonia. As a result of countless but ineffective trials of referendum and ballots, the Government of Catalonia has been criticised by national government, which has led to the arrangement of a ballot that was going to show their determination about the idea of an independent Catalonia. Although the result of the unofficial ballot was in favour of independence, the turnout was only about 37%, which was not expected.

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To conclude, despite the unwillingness of minorities, who has faced oppressive rule and been benefited as a financial source, the self-determination right must not be ignored or postponed in any situation, since not just every community’s, but also every person’s decision should be respected.

Why do Europeans join the ISIS? “This is more than just fighting,” said the man, identified as Abu Muslim. “We need the engineers, we need doctors, we need professionals...There is a role for everybody’’ told a member of ISIS in one of their videos , implying why and how European , American or Canadian people are convinced to go Middle East and take part in their mission.

Joining ISIS is not particularly about religion, but it is mostly about certain ideas that people have in their minds and the things they lack all over the Europe and in North America. Potential militants’ age and their immigrant background is said to have huge impact on their undertaking. Social discrimination and lack of a certain identity, together with lack of recognition and social acceptance by their community, encourages mostly young, second or third generation of immigrants, to join ISIS. ISIS’s arbitrary meaning is crucial in attracting militants. In addition to immigrants’ unstable state of mind and inconvenience in their societies, ISIS manages to use a technology to make videos similar to Hollywood movie trailers, such as the ‘’ISIS show’’, and Twitter accounts like ‘’jihadi stuff’’, where they show their ‘‘deeds’’.

This “State” uses religion as a shield to attract people and also to justify their horrific murders. It operates as a cult and has that mystic tone, in which brotherhood of all members is emphasised.

It is extremely centralised and organised and, therefore, has support from some parts of the local population, as the locals are fed up with the decentralised state, in which very different powers operate separately and in a constant fight. Some locals say ISIS is better than not having power at all. Militants is assumed to look for a heroic purpose in life, something that will give them meaning, and ISIS plays on that feeling, the sense of belonging and identity, to recruit more militants.

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by Zeynep Demir

ISIS is visibly successful in its campaigns, as it now operates with more than 12,000 foreign fighters, from at least 81 countries, stationed in Syria alone. Of that number, approximately 2,500 are from Western nations, including France, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia. Groups such as ISIS are particularly welcoming to foreign fighters, even those who don’t speak Arabic or lack military training. Westerners simply arrive one day, ask for a gun, and get one.

Now, U.S. and the Europeans are trying to prevent the loss of their citizens. U.S. authorities investigated a New York food store owner, accused of funding ISIS and plotting to chase American troops who had served in Iraq. On the same page, in a conference on terrorism in Norway’s capital Oslo, scholars debated if ethnic or religious discrimination and social inequality were among the root causes of terrorism. They did so, as to prevent further flees, by integrating their minority groups and social classes. As a result, they would like to have societies eradicating radicalisation before it happens. They suggested European countries to develop youth programs, where the hybrid identities of young second or third-generation citizens are welcomed.

Westerns fighting against Westerns is unacceptable. At the end of the day, militants’ ultimate goal will be fighting against them in the West itself. Europeans and particularly European Union should do what it takes to get its citizens back and, later on, provide them with a better integrated society, in which they will not be feeling alienated and will not seek a warm welcome from such dangerous organizations, like ISIS, promising a life inside an Islamic caliphate.

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