Edremit Municipality Foreign Relations Office

Edremit, where mountain and sea tourism go along with thermal tourism, turned into a district with its 150.000 population since its centre Balıkesir became a metropolitan city. It is possible to reach our district by car, sea and air via scheduled international flights which are executed from the Koca Seyit International Airport, which extended our vision and opened our doors to the world. As project department of Edremit Municipality, our task is to develop international projects in order to establish strong and enduring networks of synergies and collaboration with European Institutions, local authorities and civil society organizations, in the frame of the European participatory principles of dialogue and cooperation, supporting intercultural exchanging opportunities and fostering young citizens enterprising spirit. All our efforts are addressed to ensure more facilities and opportunities for Edremit young citizens, especially for those who are both in financial and social disadvantaged condition, trying to be an active point of between them and European Union activities, values and initiatives in the frame of education and training. Erasmus + program represents one of the most significant tools throughout our municipality can concretely offers a wide variety of opportunities to different individuals and organizations and in this concern the EVS (European Volunteering Service) is one of those programs we intend enhance to encourage non-formal learning, participation, voluntary activities, youth work, mobility and information. The EVS program will be also a great occasion to promote new youth- projects in the frame of Edremit Municipality partner cities agreements: Kamp-Erdenet ( Mongolia), Ameliada (Greece), Otranto (Italy), Kamp-Lintfort ( Germany), Nicolosi (Italy) and Srebrenik (Bosnia Herzegovina). During the visits of those cities delegations, our project office is ready for the organization, guiding and helping with translation. Furthermore new Partner City collaborations with Lesvos and Chania in Greece and Castro in Italy are in the progress. The main planned activities are as follows: • To establish job opportunities for economically disadvantaged people • To publicize widely known “Antandros Ancient City” • To inform the world about Edremit as a touristic and historical destination • To conduct effective seminars and conferences at suitable times • To accomplish exchange programs of Erasmus+ and Strategic partnerships • To organize vocational training courses in various topics • Activities for women and children • Projects for disabled people • To aim Seminars, meetings and conferences to develop decision making process of youth, women and children • Common activities with active working NGOs in Edremit • To organize various sportive activities around the city Along with these projects Edremit Municipality will focus on supporting youth and youth projects for the recognition of volunteerism. Projects will be designed and carried out in the fields of raising the city’s economy especially on tourism supporting the rights of disadvantaged groups for equal living standards and providing them with their rights, protecting public health, supporting youth projects, protecting the local values such as Antandros and geographical aspects as of Edremit and most important of all to establish projects that help to create a peaceful and participatory environment to live in.