I just love this country!

Herkese merhaba! To participate in the European Youth Voice project in Turkey was a very spontaneous decision for me. In the middle of October, I decided to try and apply for this program and in two weeks I flew to Ankara. I didn’t even have much time to process this step, I just had a strong feeling that I should be there. Of course, I had doubts about leaving Europe in these difficult times, but I thought that this opportunity is worth taking risks. Now I think that this was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

At the end of 2020, when the whole life has been frozen for a long time due to pandemic, it was such a relief to come back to Turkey. I visited Turkey before and every time I’m falling in love with this country and culture again and again. Trust me, this place has countless things to see and to discover. Even if you spend your whole life here, you won’t be able to see everything.

This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited so far. I don’t know whether you’ll ever decide to stay in Turkey for a long time or not, but at least add it to your destination goals. The majestic immense Ottoman Empire in the past nowadays transformed into a modern developed country where traditional is mixed with contemporary. 

Now, thanks to ESC and the organization I work for – IYACA, I have the opportunity to work with youth, help people, study Turkish language and learn new things about the rich Turkish culture. Of course, I cannot skip mentioning the beautiful city I live in. Ankara welcomed me with sunny days in November. At the south Autumn comes a bit later comparing to Europe, which gave me the possibility to walk a lot around the city and explore it while it was still warm. If you ever visit Ankara, take a walk to green Gençlik Parkı or see the famous black swans in Kuğulu Park, stop at a cafe and drink a traditional Turkish coffee, see the whole city from the Ankara castle, explore the amazing historical monument - Anıtkabir.

During this project I met a lot of new amazing people and even managed to travel a bit before the new restrictions were imposed. Together we visited the historical places of Ankara, spent some lovely days in Istanbul, tried plenty of delicious Turkish dishes.

Despite all the difficulties this year, we still have many interesting and useful activities. We study Turkish, help local people to learn English, work with refugees, learn about project management and non-formal education, work with social media, where we can develop our creativity.

This program gave me a great opportunity to meet new people and become a part of international community, get to know a new culture and do something useful for the society. I am very thankful for this project and looking forward to my next adventures here. See you later!