The fourth phase of the Civil Society Dialogue Programme started on February 29, 2016 with a well-attended opening ceremony.
The ceremony started with the opening remarks of Central Finance and Contracts Unit Director,Emine Doger; Head of Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, Hansjörg Haber; and Minister of EU Affairs, Volkan Bozkır. Members of the Parliament, ambassadors, representatives from the international and public organizations as well as civil society organizations which have been granted under the new phase participated in the meeting.
Minister for EU Affairs Bozkır stated that they considered the EU accession process as a opportunity for social development and transformation, and they put civil society in the center of the process. He pointed out that the civil society was not perceived as a competitor anymore as it used to be in the past but as an added value for the country. For a democracy in real sense, representatives of civil society organizations needed to reach out to the public in EU. He said that the Civil Society Dialogue Programme offered a big opportunity for Turkey and EU member states to know each other better.
Head of Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, Hansjörg Haber mentioned that the EU accession process is not for governments but for people and daily lives, and the inter-communal links had been strengthened through the partnerships established under the scope of the Dialogue Program since 2008.
Central Finance and Contracts Unit Director,Emine Doger said that the grant agreements made under the scope of the Programme had positive effects on the civil society and also improved the project preparation and implementation capacity within the country.
After the opening speeches, a panel moderated by the Ministry for EU Project Implementation Director Bülent Özcan was held. During the panel in which experiences from the third phase were shared, The Civil Society Programme’s contribution to the project processes was emphasized. Denizli Foster Family Association Director Ayfer Doğan stated that they had found foster families for 1000 children under the project. Yasin Ali Türkeri from Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Turkey mentioned that they had conducted the most comprehensive study on copyrights in Turkey. The panel ended with the presentation of Öyküm Bağcı from Youth Services Center which work for the participation of youth in all aspects of the EU membership process.
After the opening ceremony, the 3-day grant implementation training started.
