Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun, who attended the 1st Ordinary General Assembly of the City Council Youth Assembly, said young people have always had a voice in local government in the city and should take a leading role in society.

The 1st Ordinary General Assembly of the Diyarbakır City Council Youth Assembly was held at the Çand Amed Culture and Congress Centre. The meeting was attended by Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Metropolitan Municipality and the City Council; Metropolitan Municipal Council Co-Spokesperson Ayhan Karatekin; representatives of civil society organisations; and young participants.

At the opening of the meeting, City Council Deputy Secretary General Veysi Kuzu delivered remarks.

Co-Mayor Hatun: 65 per cent of the city’s population is young

In his address, Co-Mayor Hatun drew attention to Diyarbakır’s young population, saying: “Our city is already a young city. Sixty-five per cent of our city’s population is young. There are around 650,000 young people aged between 13 and 30. When the Diyarbakır City Council was first established, it was the most successful among 80 city councils across Türkiye. Among its commissions, the Youth Assembly was the most successful. Friends who served in the Youth Assembly at that time will share with you their experience of how they came first among 80 cities in Türkiye.”

‘Young people have a say in local government’

Stressing that young people have agency, and that they must defend their own will in every area of life and take a leading role in society, Co-Mayor Hatun said that young people have always had a voice within local government in Diyarbakır. Drawing attention to the concept of gerontocracy, he said: “Gerontocracy is when young people’s will does not come to the fore in politics and the oldest are the ones who have the final say. We must show our opposition to this gerontocracy. Of course, that does not mean we do not listen to our elders. But as a system of power, gerontocracy takes young people’s agency out of young people’s hands. That is a problem. Everyone wants to shape young people according to their own ideas and views—the system does, organisations do as well. But as Kurdish politics, we say that young people have agency: they must stand up for their own will in every aspect of life and lead society.”

“A city always progresses under young people’s leadership”

Saying that societies led by young people progress, Co-Mayor Hatun concluded: “If young people lead a society, that society always moves forward. That city always moves forward. I believe this assembly will always engage with issues within the city and the problems young people face. We will share these issues with local government and solve them together. We started young; we will move forward young; and we will succeed young.”