ISTANBUL

Organized by the 23 Foundation, the youth event Summit 23 opened its doors for the fifth time in Istanbul on Oct. 16 with the theme “Go to Yourself.”

Hosted by the Istanbul Basketball Development Center, the summit brought together 3,000 students selected through various application stages, nearly 500 professionals, civil society representatives, and leading figures from the business world.

Centered on the motto “Go to Yourself,” symbolizing young people’s journey of self-discovery, this year’s sessions focused on uncertainty, doubt, curiosity, passion, balance, peace, conscience, courage, and revolution, the nine core themes of Summit 23, with each speaker addressing one of these topics.

Moderated by Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Business Review Türkiye Serdar Turan, the event featured speakers from diverse fields, including General Manager of ASELSAN Ahmet Akyol, Executive Vice President for Talent and Culture at Garanti BBVA Ebru Tasci Firuzbay, Executive Vice President at Vodafone Türkiye Meltem Bakiler Sahin, founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, technology and sustainability communicator Sertac Doganay, food writer Refika Birgul, actor Zafer Algoz, and technology writer Serdar Kuzuloglu.

This year, the event received over 30,000 applications, while more than 12,000 participants have participated over the past four years.

Since its establishment in 2021, the 23 Foundation has sought to contribute to Türkiye’s qualified human capital by offering young people an “educational journey” that reshapes their skills through unique experiences.

University students attending the summit can join the foundation’s two-year, experience-based program upon successfully completing the interview stage. Participants engage in workshops, academic and research projects, social responsibility initiatives, and entrepreneurship programs throughout the two-year period.

Foundation aims to support youth on self-discovery journey

Chairman of the 23 Foundation Kadir Aydin told Anadolu that around 3,000 students and nearly 1,000 professionals attended this year’s event.

With this year’s theme “Go to Yourself” we wanted to emphasize that getting to know oneself is a difficult and courageous process, Aydin said.

He added that the summit aims to support young people on their journey of self-discovery by bringing them together with peers and inspiring speakers.

Aydin noted that Summit 23 holds a special place among the foundation’s activities.
“Today, we hosted more than 3,000 participants. From among them, 70 will join the two-year Summit 23 program,” he added.

“In their first year, they participate as attendees, and in the second, they volunteer and give back to the community. After completing the two-year journey, they become ‘23 graduates,’” Aydin added.

Highlighting that the initiative draws inspiration from its core themes, Aydin said: “We form what we call ‘circles,’ or workshops. We collaborate with companies and academies on case studies, organize office visits, and offer both online and in-person training sessions on these themes.”

Aydin shared that their aim is to provide participants with a program that truly supports their personal journeys.

He noted that over 200 young people have graduated from the program so far, many of whom he said now thrive in entrepreneurship, academia, civil society, and the business world.

On the foundation’s future goals, Aydin said they plan to maintain the foundation’s synergy and values, expand their projects globally, and reach more people.

“The more young people participate in these types of organizations on their journey of self-discovery, the more they will listen, read, talk, and encounter new stories. If young people find themselves in environments that encourage them to reflect on themselves, they will definitely benefit from it,” he said.

Meltem Bakiler Sahin, Executive Vice President at Vodafone Türkiye, also said she was pleased to take part in an event that brought together young people eager to learn and improve themselves.

“The energy and curiosity of young people, their skeptical yet hopeful outlook on the future, is motivating. At Vodafone, we will always continue to stand by young people,” Sahin said.