The First “Capacity Building Training on City Twinning” under the TWIN Project Held in Ankara
Within the scope of the “Turkey–EU City Twinning Project (TWIN)”, which aims to enhance administrative capacity in Turkey’s EU accession process, the first session of the “Capacity Building Trainings on City Twinning” was held in Ankara. The upcoming sessions are planned to be organized in Istanbul, Izmir, and Antalya.
The training series, implemented by the Directorate for EU Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, co-financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, and managed by the Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU), started with its first phase in Ankara between 31 July and 3 August 2018.
The program began with an introductory presentation by TWIN Project Team Leader Sadun Emrealp. This was followed by sessions from Prof. Dr. Birgül Demirtaş on “The Institutional Framework of City Twinning” and Fikret Toksöz on “City Twinning in the Context of EU Accession”.
On the second day, Sinan Özden conducted two sessions titled “A Thematic Approach to City Twinning” and “Capacity Development for City Twinning.” The third day featured Prof. Dr. Birgül Demirtaş again, who presented on “Institutional Framework of City Twinning: Key Institutions and Operations” and “Learning from Each Other.”
During the final day, Sezin Üskent led a session on “Involving Key Stakeholders”, while Sadun Emrealp delivered a detailed presentation on “Ensuring Sustainability in City Twinning Initiatives.” The program concluded with a certificate ceremony.
The training, specifically designed for local administrations, addressed topics such as the institutional framework of city twinning, its role and importance in the EU accession process, exchange of experience, key actors and stakeholders in Turkey and the EU, and sustainability. The Capacity Building Trainings on City Twinning are planned to continue in Istanbul, Izmir, and Antalya throughout 2019 with the participation of local government representatives.
