President Özdil Meets with Young People at the Bosphorus Diplomacy Forum
August 16, 2026
President of Turkish Maarif Foundation Mahmut M. Özdil and Member of the Board Dr. Halime Kökçe met with young participants at the Bosphorus Diplomacy Forum 2026, organized by the Young Diplomats Association. Held under the theme “Humanitarian Diplomacy in an Age of Crises,” the forum featured a special session entitled “Syria’s Reintegration and Reconstruction,” organized by the Committee of Foreign Ministers. Attending the session as guest of honor, Özdil highlighted education as one of the fundamental pillars of lasting peace and social reconstruction.
Organized by high school students under the umbrella of the Young Diplomats Association, the Bosphorus Diplomacy Forum serves as an international platform enabling young people to take an active role in diplomacy and international relations. The forum, where participants directly experience negotiation, representation, crisis management, and decision-making processes, was held this year under the overarching theme “Humanitarian Diplomacy in an Age of Crises.” A total of six committees took part in the forum: three conducted in English, one in Turkish, one in Arabic, and one in French. Throughout the program, regions affected by modern forms of colonialism were examined from the perspective of humanitarian diplomacy, while participants discussed the impact of crises in areas such as security, migration, energy, the economy, and humanitarian aid on human life, as well as possible solutions to these challenges.
As part of BDF’26, in which Turkish Maarif Foundation was among the stakeholders, young participants represented different countries in committees and negotiated their views on global issues. One of the forum’s special sessions, entitled “Syria’s Reintegration and Reconstruction,” was organized by the Committee of Foreign Ministers.
Participating in the session as guest of honor, President of Turkish Maarif Foundation Mahmut M. Özdil assessed Syria’s reintegration into the international and regional system as well as the country’s reconstruction process from various perspectives. Özdil emphasized that, particularly in the new period emerging after years of crisis, steps to be taken in education would be significant not only for academic development but also for rebuilding social trust and establishing lasting peace. Stating that Syria’s future should be shaped not by external interventions or new struggles for influence, but by the will of the Syrian people and the country’s own social dynamics, Özdil said that Turkish Maarif Foundation was ready to share its international experience in education throughout this process.
President Özdil said: “The responsibility of the international community today is not to turn the new environment emerging in Syria into an arena for struggles for influence, but to respect the will of the Syrian people to build their own future. Reproducing the forms of domination experienced in the past through different actors and instruments will not contribute to the climate of trust and stability the country needs. As Turkish Maarif Foundation, we are ready to contribute to this process with all our experience in education. Our aim is not to shape Syria from the outside, but to learn together with our Syrian brothers and sisters, share our experience, and support children in building a strong future in their own country. While Syrian students learned in Türkiye, Türkiye also learned a great deal from them. Now is the time to put this shared experience to use together for Syria’s future.”
The session also provided young participants with an opportunity to examine Syria’s reconstruction process through the themes of education, social trust, and respect for local agency.
