|
The General Directorate is a governmental body under Prime Ministry. This organ takes its legitimacy from the Constitution. According to the Article 58 and 59 of “Protection of the Youth” and “Development of Sports” respectively:
“Article 58. The state shall take measures to ensure the training and development of the youth into whose keeping our state, independence, and our Republic are entrusted, in the light of contemporary science, in line with the principles and reforms of Atatürk, and in opposition to ideas aiming at the destruction of the indivisible integrity of the state with its territory and nation.
The state shall take necessary measures to protect the youth from addiction to alcohol, drug addiction, crime, gambling, and similar vices, and ignorance.
Article 59. The state shall take measures to develop the physical and mental health of Turkish citizens of all ages, and encourage the spread of sports among the masses.
The state shall protect successful athletes.”
General Directorate for Youth and Sports is a huge public institution with 47 sports federations, which are encouraged to be autonomous with newly passed regulations, that will take time, and 11 departments, one of which is the Department of Youth Services responsible for the youth issues.
Duties of the Department of Youth Services
1. Taking necessary measures in relation to opening, operating and commissioning of youth centres, hostels, camps and facilities; coordinating with the relevant department about the construction, maintenance and repair of such facilities and individual buildings;
2. Registering and supervising youth associations/clubs;
3. Providing in-service training for the officials and honorary authorities who will serve for youth activities;
4. Acting as the official institution in national and international youth activities on behalf of the General Directorate;
5. Ensuring that the youth spends its leisure time for social and cultural activities and providing service for this regard; organizing courses to improve their level of knowledge and skills in fields of necessity;
6. Coordinating and cooperating with the relevant institutions in order to take the necessary measures to protect the youth from bad habits;
7. Conducting the activities and proceedings related to the Youth Week;
8. Carrying out the works and proceedings related to the provisions of protocols between Turkey and other countries;
9. Participating in meetings, courses, seminars and similar activities held abroad, disseminating throughout the country the new information and developments in this regard;
10. Performing, assessing, publishing and documenting researches related to the problems of youth;
11. Opening and having others open Consultancy and Guidance Offices for the Youth, rendering and controlling Consultancy and Guidance Services;
12. Carrying out the works and proceedings related to the participation of Turkish youth living abroad in the youth activities held in our country;
13. Coordinating activities of Youth Tourism;
14. Rendering services for the good use of the leisure time by the youth,
Fields of Activities of the Department of Youth Services
1. Youth Centres
The Department of Youth Services is serving mainly young people between the ages of 12 – 24 through its sub-structures, namely “Youth Centres” that are under the control of Provincial Directorate for Youth and Sports. At present there are 113 Youth Centres throughout Turkey. These centres strengthen cooperation and solidarity among young people, have them gain skills in various fields and socialize them by providing social and cultural activities and courses.
2. Youth Camps
During summer holidays, youth camps are organised for young people, 13 – 24 years old. The aims of these camps are to ensure that young people have good time, rest, become friends and develop a sense of cooperation.
3. Cultural Activities
Through out the year various cultural and social activities are realized. Youth Week celebrations are organized between the dates of 15 – 21 May every year. During the week the General Directorate and Provincial Directorates of Youth and Sports organize various activities, such as conferences, panels and symposiums about youth issues, youth feasts, theatres, folk dances and concerts, exhibitions of the works produced by young people and sports.
4. Youth Clubs
According to the Article 57 of the Association Law No: 2908, “the right to be registered as youth club has been given to the associations founded with the aim of realizing activities in youth field”. As from August 2003 there are 155 youth clubs registered to the Directorate General.
5. Guidance and Counselling
There are guidance and counselling bureaus in youth centres. Training courses on various subjects, such as drugs, first aids etc… are organized by the Department of Youth Services for young people throughout Turkey in cooperation with the relevant institutions.
6. International Relations
The Department of Youth Services carries out all international issues relating youth, except EU Youth Programme. Although the Directorate General for Youth and Sports has protocols with several countries and realize various activities in sports field, it has a protocol in youth field only with Germany. General Directorate aims at promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation also with other countries in youth field.
|
