Turkey: what happens next?

source: http://www.ibtimes.com/

We are together tonight, in whatever part of Europe we are: after the Nice terrorist attack, thousands and thousand of youngsters from all over Europe (and the world) are now monitoring the coup attempt in the close Turkey.
Its territory, even if mostly asiatic, is indeed strategical within the EU Foreign Policy, especially in the current context of the migration crisis from Middle-East.
At the moment, some Heads of State are already supporting the Erdogan government, but indeed the complex political situation of the turkish country makes us all really sadly astonished of what is happening in this european bloody summer. 

Right now, the turkish television is transmitting the images of people flapping the turkish flag. The chaos sovereign in the turkish city. What is the truth? Where is Erdogan?

What we know is that Turkey is the country of contraddictions: recently this country has missed the EU deadline that would have allowed its citizens visa-free travel through most of Europe, due to the fact it has failed to meet the 72 EU conditions on border security and fundamental rights required by the European Union.

What is sure is that we, the young people of Europe, don't want other victims!

Europe HOpes will inform young people on this critical situation, while all the volunteers are hoping that the European Union will be able to assume a unique and united position.
http://www.debatingeurope.eu/focus/infobox-arguments-for-and-against-turkeys-eu-membership/#.V4nebI9OKcw

Peacebuilding in the MENA region and the necessity of a new EU’s leading role

author: Giulia Semeghini

A common denominator from worldwide news reports is the situation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region which appears totally un-resolved and highly problematic. The war in Syria, the last year Gaza's crisis, the threaten Tunisia's stability and the migration and refugees emergency are just few examples that demonstrate the fragility and critical situation of the region. This awareness leads to the conclusion that the European foreign policy instruments were not so effective and even failed many of their purposes. In this context the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) plays a key role.

Since its conception in 2003, this policy should have been a relevant part of the EU Foreign Policy in the Middle East and North Africa region, with the aim of improving democracy, human rights, sustainable development and economic integration with all the partner countries of the Action Plan. Due to the necessity to reformulate this European approach, on the 17th of November 2015 it took place at the European Parliament a round table to start a discussion on the EU role as a peace promoter in the MENA region.

Organized by the non-governmental actors EuroMed Non-Governmental Platform, Arab NGO Network for Development and SOLIDAR, who have monitored the implementation of the ENP during the last years, the debate was focused in particular on the consideration of a comprehensive EU approach to peacebuilding and State-building including the promotion of human rights and security. “What can the EU do to concretely promote human security?”, “How can the EU work with local, regional and international actors to advance peace in the region?”; these are just some of the questions that started this debate.

Violence against women: A burning problem of the European Union

by Antonella Masiello 

from marciokenobi.wordpress.com

The conference hosted on the 6th of November by the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee represented another example to retake the never-ending debate about violence against women. In the words of Mr. Martin Schultz, the President of the European Parliament, at the conference, “ when a girl comes into the world, she already has less possibilities and less participation in economic, social, political and cultural life compared to a man”, and her fighting against these differences lasts all her life.

Many times what we see is this lack of rights is often expressed by violence against women, becoming a persistent and burning problem of the EU. Moreover, this reality is not only a serious violation of women's rights but also the root of gender inequality.

A women networking for helping women: spring forward for women

by Sara Borraccino

photo from www.usaid.gov

On the last 5th and 6th of November the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) of the European Parliament has hosted the “Spring forward for women” conference, co-organised by UN women and the European Commission. This event was part of the “Economic and political empowerment of women in the Southern Mediterranean region programme”. It aimed to bring together women parliamentarians from the States of the Arab Spring and members of the European Parliament.