Europe is a diverse continent, rich of different cultures, languages, religions, ideas. Under the flag of the Council of Europe, all member states are nonetheless united to follow the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the founding Treaties of the EU prohibit discrimination…
Turkey has been holding elections since 1930 and Turkish people go to the polls to elect their local administrators once every five years. On March 31st, this year, people voted for 30 metropolitan, 51 city, 919 district, and 397 town municipalities, writes Hande Bozatli. Among those 81 provinces, 30 are called metropolitan municipalities, and the…
Radical ideologies play a key role in brainwashing individuals and encouraging them to commit violent acts. Correct tools are needed to address different radicalisation scenarios so that effective prevention can be realised, writes Hande Bozatli. All stakeholders, including civil society, cultural networks, national, local and regional governments, have a crucial role to play in early detection and prevention of the root causes…
It was in September 2018 that Mr. Uner Kirdar, the Former Senior United Nations official and the main architect of UNDP Development Study Programme, said: ‘True development can only be achieved through a process that places ‘people’ at the centre of all concerns, writes Hande Bozatli. This process must aim at the maximum release of…
The British broadsheet, The Guardian , was the first to announce that the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project had discovered the world’s oldest intact shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea, writes Hande Bozatli. A lack of oxygen at that depth had preserved the ship undisturbed for more than 2,400 years, the researchers said. Furthermore, National Geographic Archaeologist-in-Residence Fredrik…
The French press has suggested that the anti-government protests of yellow vest protestors in France started initially as a protest against a rise in taxes on diesel. However, some violent groups and far-right groups infiltrated this grass-root citizens’ movement and many small business owners have suffered losses during the riots, writes Hande Bozatli. Could this kind of restlessness in…
The refugee situation in Europe and its neighbourhood continues to be high on the European political agenda. There are many actors at different levels providing a multi-layered response to the refugee situation, writes Hande Bozatli. Among these actors the role of Local and Regional Governments is at the forefront of offering public services to refugees. At the…
