REU-Jekhipe in Istanbul

Last week, a conference dedicated to the integration of Roma communities from Turkey and the Balkans was held in Çanakkale, Turkey, at the invitation of Mr. Hilmi Keskin, President of the Federation of European and Balkan Roma Associations. Among the distinguished guests at the event were the Minister for Integration of North Macedonia, Mr. Shaban Saliu, and the leader of the Turkish People's Party, Mr. Yozel Ozgur. The conference took place under the patronage of the Mayor of Çanakkale, Mr. Muharrem Erkek, in one of the city council's halls.

The Bulgarian delegation was represented by Kristian Stanislavov, along with the parliamentary candidate from the "Dost" party and head of the list for the Lovech region, Mr. Nikolay Todorov, as well as the hosts of the program "Roma Panorama" – Mr. Georgi Zhelev and Mr. Faymi Yasharov. The conference brought together efforts from representatives of various non-governmental organizations with the aim of forming a federation for joint action on issues concerning Roma communities in Turkey and the Balkans. Strategies for implementing decisions made at the Berlin Conference were discussed, and opportunities for more effective integration of the Roma into society were explored.

In addition to the discussion, we were honored to have the Vice President of the Roma European Union, Professor Emrah Aziri, present at the meeting. Prof. Aziri took the opportunity to introduce the mission and objectives of our union and extended an offer for collaboration to all participating organizations. His presentation further strengthened the foundation for potential partnerships, fostering mutual cooperation in advancing shared goals.