Girne Municipality, launched a Children’s Assembly on 7th January 2020 where all children between the ages of 9-15, living in the city, regardless of gender, religion, language, race, culture, will be represented.
The meeting was held with the participation of 150 children from the regional schools and the Board of Directors of the Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly was elected.
The Children’s Assembly, which was initiated, as in the contemporary cities, was established in order to ensure that children have a voice and take an active role in city life.
Following the completion of applications for membership of children aged 9-15, the Girne Municipality Children’s Platform was held.
The first meeting was held on 7th January to form the Children’s Assembly in the hall of Anafartalar High School. Mayor Nidai Güngördü gave a speech after the Mayor of the Council Sudenur İnce started the Children’s Platform meeting.
Girne Mayor Nidai Güngördü emphasised that today’s children are the managers of the future and expressed that the children will have a say in the city administration and country administration and thanked everyone who contributed to the implementation of Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly Project.
With this project, Güngördü emphasised that it is aimed to provide for the future managers 
to have responsibility and democracy awareness, to care about their country, their family, environment and animals and to show tolerance. He stressed that they will try to move to the future with better conditions than today. Güngördü pointed out that today’s children and young people live together with many advantages and disadvantages. With the first meeting of the Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly, Güngördü said that a memory will be created and wished success to the children’s council.
Following the speech of Güngördü, the 150 participants were informed about the aim of the Children’s Platform and the working system of the children’s council by Misli Kadıoğlu, Coordinator of Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly.
Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly aims to improve the values of children living in the Girne area to provide social consensus; identifying children’s problems and providing environments where they can make suggestions; Production, work, culture, art etc. in social life. to pioneer the necessary work in order to have a say in the fields; Participation in urban life and determination of demands based on the problems of the city, ensuring that they take an active role in producing solutions and projects; Leading the way in directing children’s projects to the competent units; Kadıoğlu said that it was established in order to develop awareness of democracy and adopt democratic lifestyle of children. Children who participated in the Children’s Platform Meeting and all children living in Girne region will be natural members of Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly.
The members of the Board of Directors and substitute members of the Children’s Assembly were identified.
Members of the Board of the Children’s Assembly:
- Elif Şeker from 23 Nisan Primary School with 1-104 votes,
- Mehmet Ali Boncuk from Oğuz Veli Secondary School with 2-49 votes,
- Sudenaz Alev from Anafartalar High School with 3-47 votes,
- Nehir Arıcı from Karaoğlanoğlu Primary School with 4-43 votes,
- Sevil Yalçın from 23 Nisan Primary School with 5- 40 votes
- Feride İzveren from Anafartalar High School with 38 votes,
- Filiz Aldemir from Oğuz Veli Secondary School with 7-37 votes,
- Saliha Güç from Karaoğlanoğlu Primary School with 8-34 votes
Alternate Board Members
- 1- Tual Zeyil from Turkish Armed Forces with 33 votes,
- 2- Nursena Meral from Anafartalar High School with 2-31 votes,
- 3- Eda Bittacı from 23 Nisan Primary School with 3-30 votes
The names that will head the children’s assembly will be determined after the election that will take place on Saturday, 11th January 2020. The presidential candidates will be nominated, followed by the speeches of the candidates and the election.
Girne Municipality Children’s Assembly, Assembly Members, Substitute Assembly Members, Parliament Speaker, Deputy Parliament Speakers, Parliamentary General Assembly and Parliamentary Executive Committee will be elected and their term of office will be 1 year.
Within the scope of the Children’s Assembly, Sub-Committees entitled Culture, Arts, Education, Environment, Brotherhood of Peace, Sports, Children’s Rights, Press and Solidarity will be established. These sub-committees will hold meetings with experts or guidance persons appointed by the municipality every two weeks and decisions taken by the committees will be discussed at the Children’s Assembly Meeting, which will meet once a month. Decisions taken in the Assembly, with the signature of the President of the Children’s Assembly, will be forwarded to the Girne City Council and Girne Mayor.
