The closing program of the “East-West Bridge from Antiquity to the Future” project, implemented by Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, Interkulturelles Forum zur Förderung des Austausches und der Integration Association, and Kerim Foundation, was held at the Essen Consulate General as part of the 100th Anniversary celebration events.
The East-West Bridge from Antiquity to the Future Project, supported by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), was implemented by Interkulturelles Forum zur Förderung des Austausches und der Integration Association, Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, and Kerim Foundation. The project, completed in 11 months, involved young people aged 18-25, born as 4th and 5th generation children of families who moved from Turkey to Europe. The project, led by Dr. Lect. Member Hatice Dilek Güldütuna from Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, was carried out in Essen under the coordination of Güldeniz Willer.
The project's closing was held with a special program hosted by the Essen Consulate General, organized within the scope of the '100th Anniversary of the Founding of Our Republic' celebration program.
Taylan Özgür Aydın: “European Turkish Youth will walk with honor in the new century”
At the special closing program where the spiritual and tangible outputs of the project were shared, Essen Consul General Taylan Özgür Aydın said; “The burden is now on the youth, and you are our bright faces. In the new century, the European Turkish Youth will walk with honor and be a source of pride for Turkey. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic, we frequently met with Non-Governmental Organizations, and this closing meeting supported by YTB is one of them.”
Consul General Aydın, touching upon the positive effects of the project, especially on young people living in Germany and university students, emphasized the importance of the project's cultural dimension. Aydın also expressed his satisfaction that the project's closing was combined with the 100th anniversary of the Republic celebrations held in Essen.
Dr. Lect. Member Hatice Dilek Güldütuna: “This is not just an attachment to a geography, but a cultural attachment”
Dr. Lect. Member Hatice Dilek Güldütuna from Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies stated; “We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of our Republic, and we are very happy to be here together. We love our homeland very much; this is not just an attachment to a geography, but a cultural attachment. We believe that this culture contains unifying values for the whole world. Yunus Emre's meaning of the four books is; ‘There is no god but Allah.’”
Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan also participated
Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan, who gave a conference titled “Journey on Our Own Map” and held discussions with the participants, expressed his pleasure to be invited to the program in Essen and meet the participants face-to-face once again.
Güldeniz Willer: “The project gave all of us the opportunity to look at ourselves through the mirror of a civilization”
Project Essen Coordinator Güldeniz Willer said; “There are 60 students participating in the project, and they achieved over 70% attendance. These students, who are also continuing their schooling and participating in various social responsibility projects, dedicated valuable time to my project work. They are very happy to have found the opportunity to look at their own cultural geographies with a different depth and from a different perspective. They met each other, saw their common topics and common problems. They found solutions together. This project gave all of us the opportunity to look at ourselves through the mirror of a civilization.”
Within the scope of the project, efforts were made to create common ground among Turkish youth living in Turkey and European countries, strengthen national and international friendships, enable these young people to participate in international platforms, increase their courage in projecting and implementing their ideas, enhance their entrepreneurship and advocacy skills, and contribute to their acquisition of qualifications that will lead to positive change in Germany and Turkey.
The project, which came into effect as of January 2023, was conducted with courses on various topics, with contributions from Dr. Lect. Member Dilek Güldütuna, Dr. Lect. Member Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar, Dr. Lect. Member Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya, Dr. Sema Süvarioğlu, Dr. Edibe Nuray Saatci, Prof. Dr. V. Emre Ömürlü, and Kerim Güç from Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, as well as Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan.
Young people who participated in seventy percent of the program were given the opportunity to deeply examine Turkish-Islamic history and culture, which also forms the foundations of Western culture, during the Istanbul phase of the project. At the end of the studies conducted at Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies, the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology, and the Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Foundation for the History of Islamic Science, a final session was held on August 29th at Üsküdar University Fuat Sezgin Hall. During the session, evaluations were made between the project participants and the Institute for future collaborations.