7th sPAT-GNAT Meeting

Porters and the Kitchen team of the small Provincial Assemblies of Turkey have gathered, as every year, on April 23rd.

Porters and the Kitchen team of the small Provincial Assemblies of Turkey have gathered, as every year, on April 23rd. 

On the first day of the meetings on 22-23 April, the Porters have taken the floor first and shared the latest situation in their provinces, as well as other important points and developments, with the other Porters. Justice and Development Party (AKP) Kayseri MP İsmail Emrah Karayel has visited us on the first day of the meetings, during the seminars at Hotel Etap Mola. Karayel has shared his observations with us and answered questions directed to him.

In the later sessions of the first day, Hatice Kapusuz from STGM Help Desk has given an awareness presentation, with the title, “Civil Society and Women.” Afterwards, Deniz Çengel from the Kitchen team has given a presentation on the effective and planned use of sPAT social media accounts, with the title, “The Use of Social Media Accounts.”

In the morning session of the second day, Yakup K. Karabacak and Oya Özden from the Kitchen team have taken the floor. They have evaluated the previous year from the point of view of the Kitchen; the possible potentials and the difficulties of the upcoming year have been debated.

We have started the planned GNAT meetings in the afternoon. We have first met with Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman for Civil Society Veli Ağbaba and CHP Group Deputy Chairman Levent Gök. Then we have been the guests of Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group Deputy Chairman Naci Bostancı. In the last visit of the day, we have exchanged greetings with People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chairman Ahmet Yıldırım. In these visits, Porters have explained the current situation in their provinces to the MPs and kindly requested for provincial MPs and the provincial chairmen to not leave their seats unoccupied in the upcoming sPAT meetings.

The sPAT family has then visited the locations at the Parliament building, bombed on 15 July 2016.

At the end of the day, a dinner was organized at the Parliament restaurant and a family photograph has been taken at the Dikmen gate.

Both the Kitchen and the Porters have then returned to their provinces, looking forward to meet again in 2018 and to share their annual experiences.

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