On 2 June, DPI hosted an online roundtable meeting entitled ‘Current Situation in Turkey: The Role of Local Government Leaders in Responding to COVID-19 & their Post-Pandemic Strategy’. This was the first of a series of online meetings with municipality leaders from different political parties and regions of Turkey to discuss the current situation in light of COVID-19. This first meeting brought as key speaker Ms Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep. This roundtable provided a valuable platform for participants to discuss the response of the local administration to the political, economic, and social effects of the pandemic, as well as their post-pandemic strategy. Among the topics of discussion were also the management of Syrian refugees in Gaziantep and the role of local administrations in strengthening democratisation and conflict resolution. The meeting was virtually attended by a diverse group of participants from Turkey, including academics, journalists, lawyers, politicians, members of Wise Persons Committee (WPC), as well as DPI’s Council of Expert members, and our funders. The RT forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey”, supported by the EU and the Norwegian government.
