Young ABTTF has become a member of YEN

The Young ABTTF participated from 14 to 20 October 2011 in the Youth Leader Seminar organized by the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN). Fatma Reşit, Spokeswoman for the Young ABTTF, and Gülşah Reşit, Secretary General of the Young ABTTF, represented the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace at the seminar hosted by the Sorbian youth organization “PAWK” in Bautzen / Budyšin, Germany.

The content of the seminar with the slogan “VolunTEAR” was related to the 2011 European year of voluntary work and it focused on the voluntary efforts and engagement of young people and their added value for the public, politics and civil society.

Membership of Young ABTTF will enrich YEN

On Wednesday, 19 October 2011, the application for membership of the Young ABTTF was debated at the Council of Members of YEN. The Young ABTTF Spokeswoman Fatma Resit provided the members with information on the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace, the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) and Young ABTTF, which has been created within ABTTF. Then, Madlena Kowar and Berit Nommensen gave information on their study visit to the head office of ABTTF in Witten, Germany in order to examine on site the Young ABTTF’s application for membership. Kowar noted that the Young ABTTF as an “old and new minority” was going to be enrichment for YEN and the YEN Executive Board was supporting membership of Young ABTTF to YEN. As a result of the vote, the Young ABTTF was admitted as a member of YEN.

Fatma Reşit elected as YEN Commissioner for Politics

At the YEN Council of Members, elections were held for the post of Commissioner for Politics of the YEN Executive Board, too. The Young ABTTF Spokeswoman Fatma Reşit, who was nominated by the youth organization “junge SPitzen” of the German in Denmark, was elected as new YEN Commissioner for Politics, and so has become a member of the YEN Executive Board.

With the membership of Young ABTTF to YEN and after the Young ABTTF Spokeswoman Fatma Reşit has become a member the YEN Executive Board as Commissioner for Politics, the problems of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace will come more often on the agenda within and take up more space in the works of YEN, which brings the minority youth organizations in Europe together. As Western Thrace Turks living in Germany, the Young ABTTF, which possesses the characteristic of being both old and new minority, will bring a new perspective to YEN.