Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part VII
Kemal Köprülü Europeans understood us and our importance far better than Washington, D.C. In 2002, as the EU Ambassador in Ankara—who trusted me with everything—was preparing to depart, she mentioned that she had extra funds from another country she had been assigned to allocate. She wanted o
Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part VI
Kemal Köprülü There are many other experiences that I personally witnessed throughout the 90s’ that helped Türkiye fall into deep divisions and dark periods like the 1997 soft coup. In June 1995, Mesut Yilmaz allowed me to organize a week-long trip for Yilmaz in Washington, DC. This was
Françafrique – The Numbers Behind the Decline
Onur Anamur The recent coups in Africa show a clear loss of French influence. Belying this is lack of France-Africa trade, which is characterized by little investment and centred on raw resources. Meanwhile Africa’s well-performing trade relationships with the outside world are characterize
Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part V
Kemal Köprülü In April 1993, President Turgut Ozal died from a heart attack in the Presidential Palace in Ankara, and Turkey took a severe turn downwards after his death. I had the pleasure of not only knowing Ozal but was able to develop a valuable relationship with him because of his tim
Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part IV
Kemal Köprülü Cyprus and the famous UN Annan Referendum in 2004 was one of my favorite personal stories that included the EU, Washington, and Turkey. The Eastern Med University and my movement worked together very well, and we did simulations of every possible scenario regarding the vote f
Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part III
Kemal Köprülü In the 90s, every major political party moved to offer a partnership with us, starting with the late Necmettin Erbakan, who was ousted by the military in the infamous Feb. 28 / 97 soft coup. Erbakan was forming a new party, and he wanted young people to be proactive, and his?
Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part II
Kemal Köprülü Arrogance and incompetence coexist in Washington DC, but no one cares what decisions are made or who is held accountable. We have seen politics collapse, and people who should be nowhere near the government are managing it. Members of the U.S. Congress are weak, with electe
Empowering Turkish Youth – A Journey on Leadership & Political Transformation: Part I
Kemal Köprülü Türkiye is a country I used to know exceptionally well from residing there for 35 years and personally engaging with the youth at the grassroots between the ages of 17 and 25, where our leadership-building sessions and events touched 50,000 young people directly and indirect
American Youth and Sports
Kemal Köprülü Young people in America are supposed to be trained to think freely, engage others, compete fairly, always be a team member first and display self-confidence. Treating people around you in this manner will multiply and become part of the norm, giving strength and providing cou
Towards A Durable Peace: An Important Prerequisite
Gulshan Pashayeva On 21 December 2023, a historic football (soccer) match was played between two Azerbaijani football teams—FC Qarabag (Aghdam) and MOIK (Baku)—in Khankendi. FC Qarabag won one-nil. This was the first sports event held in this city following the independence of Azerbaijan,
