The Youth Network of Argüden Governance Academy organized a summit called “We Pledge to the Republic of Türkiye!” bringing together young leaders, professionals, and press members from all over Türkiye. The Summit, organized to improve the quality of life and build a sustainable future in the second century of the Republic, took place at Miniatürk on Saturday, November 18.

The opening speech of the Summit was delivered by Pınar Ilgaz, the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Academy.  Numerous youth leaders from different universities took the stage to summarize the results of numerous workshops that were held to prepare for the summit. The panel discussions were moderated by important Turkish experts such as Özlem Gürses (a the well-known journalist), Dr. Bahadır Kaleağası (Chairman of Institut du Bosphore), Naci Başerdem (CEO of The Marmara Hotels).

At the closing of the summit, the “Youth Manifesto” was published and signed by all participants. The Youth Manifesto, starting with “For Quality of Life and a Sustainable Future, we the youth to whom the Republic of Türkiye was Entrusted to by Atatürk Declare that…”.  The Manifesto included 23 items on important themes such as prioritizing and committing to a better future, cultivating a culture of trust, embracing responsibilities towards society and future Generations, ensuring continuous learning and development, strengthening love and respect for nature, and embracing love and respect for humanity as fundamental principles of our life.

The Youth Network of Argüden Governance Academy aim to amplify the voice of young people, increase their sense of responsibility, and contribute to societal values with the “Pledge to the Republic of Türkiye” Summit. The manifesto is open to any institution wishing to support it and can be adopted and signed by them.