Turkish NGOs unveil report outlining future vision for Syria

ISTANBUL

Turkish civil society organizations have presented a report outlining Syria's future at an event in Istanbul on Saturday.

The "Syria Report: Foresights, Proposals, and Solutions," prepared in collaboration between the Cihannuma Association, the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, and the Digital Hafiza Association, was unveiled at the event hosted by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University.

In his speech at the program, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said that these efforts are valuable for preventing new atrocities in different parts of the world by learning from the past and for helping Syria overcome its suffering more easily.

'Syrian issue cannot be addressed solely from a humanitarian aid perspective'

Selim Cerrah, chairman of the Cihannuma Association, said the report is a fruit of a four-month study on Syria, expressing his gratitude to the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation and the Digital Hafiza Association for their contributions.

For his part, Bulent Yildirim, president of the IHH, stated that they have been working not only for Syria but also for Gaza, Africa, and across the world.

Nevzat Simsek, rector of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, stated that the perspective presented in this report could contribute to a constructive approach to evaluating Türkiye's regional expertise in Syria's reconstruction.

Simsek said the analyses presented in the report clearly show that the Syrian issue cannot be addressed solely from a humanitarian aid perspective.

Short-, medium-, and long-term solutions for Syria are also included in the report, he added.

The program, which included a screening of IHH's documentary on Syria, featured a panel moderated by Professor Zekeriyya Kursun, a faculty member at the university.

During the panel, Professor Ismail Sahin, Associate Professor Yasar Kahraman, Associate Professor Bekir Gundogmus, and researcher Mehmet Altintas provided information regarding the report.

The event was also attended by Ali Erbas, former head of Türkiye's Religious Affairs Directorate, and representatives of NGOs, among others.

The report was prepared by 98 authors in the fields of history, philosophy, society, law, politics, international relations, economics, education, higher education, media, communication, urban planning and architecture, culture and art, health, humanitarian and economic aid, science, engineering, and technology.

In the report, prepared using a “persuasion, construction, and revival" approach for Syria’s reconstruction, teams conducted on-site visits in Syria at different times to carry out field assessments.

Edited by Sahin, Kahraman, Gundogmus, and Altintas, the report was prepared in three languages: Turkish, English, and Arabic.

* Writing by Serdar Dincel