The GAP Administration and Women Leaders During last week, I passed by Urfa, Mardin Diyarbakır. I was lecturer in an event where ÇATOM (for whose women I had been working for years) participated. In association with GAP administration, Kent State University and Universities of Ohio and Bahçeşehir, there will be a “woman leader coaching program”.

The aim of the program is to change Turkey’s regional efforts for development into a local level and a democratic and participative way. Also, to educate woman leaders, creating a model in this subject and within time, to become a model to the countries nearby. Firstly comes the women from Iraq, then Afghanistan and the others as it’s said. 6 from Urfa, 6 from Mardin, totally 12 women had been educated in America. I spoke to those who had this education. In fact, I was wondering what they could teach me. I’m coming from the region, I know everything about it. But I learned a lot of things during the education in America. “Living in a different culture, seeing a different country, at least these can be teaching.” said, one of the participants. I can see that everyone is too willing to be chosen to the new group. The women have had an experimental education in the USA; their knowledge about citizenship and management have been improved and they have witnessed the experiences about the woman communication links in the USA, cooperation skills and how to make a changement in the society. The classes I took, were given by the girls who had been educated in America. Şanlıurfa and Mardin ÇATOM finally gave 50, local university and NGO representative, women their certificates. All of them joyfully, were telling what they were going to do. I told them how we sent Adalet to USA many years ago, with Şanlıurfa ÇATOM and the NGO named Anakültür which we had constituted. That was a new thing and Adalet was the first role model. Adalet is still a young girl working for ÇATOM. GAP is the first establishment who mentioned about “woman focused development” and applied it. It helped the woman of the region to impove themselves socially, culturally and economically. It constituted GİDEM for the young and encouraged them for entrepreneurship. It is not logical to open reconstruction agents to destoy the GAP and the savings of the workers who have been working there for 14 years. Because we all know that there is not only an economic but are social and cultural problems in Southeast. We learned it by paying our blood. If we destroy the trust of a hardly gained country and people others will take advantage of the GAP administration. It is the “we cook it, they eat it” story. “Don’t give up the GAP.” I say. This project will be occupied by the women from several cities of GAP region. Chats and discussions with role models for the women leader candidates are being organised. Self-improved Ülker Alhan is supported by Sabahat Koçaklar, the actif and woman –friendly wife of the governor of Mardin. The short story of Mrs Ülker is very interesting. “Picking up flowers and making jam” leads her and the idea Works. She borrows 4 millards 750 millions TL from the Turkey Reconstruction Foundation. A little workshop is now changed into a factory in Mardin free zone. Mrs Ülker who works with the Danish, exports capari and olive jams. I hadn’t seen Mardin for four years so I found it renewed. In Mardin where used to be a single hotel and a restaurant now there are many newly built ones. Erdoba Konağı Hotel has created an amazing Mardin atmosphere. The old world’s taste is gushing out from everywhere. Şehmus Dincel is the architect of this beautiful hotel. He tells how he built this locality by joining the Ensari’s and the Şatana’s houses. Instead of the anfractuous walls and doors of the school, they have wrough iron doors and low ceiling walls which seems chic. It is a good idea to improve the esthetic emotions of the students. What else can we expect from the souls, stuck in concrete yards and walls?…