From 30 March to 2 April 2006, Şanlıurfa hosted the “GAP and Local Media Training Seminar” which was organised to enhance the technical and GAP related information of mass and local media professionals.

Attended by 200 professionals from various sectors of the media, the training seminar was organised jointly by the GAP Administration, Turkish Federation of Journalists, Şanlıurfa Governorate, Şanlıurfa Municipality and GAP Journalists Association with the support of Harran University, Şanlıurfa Stock Exchange and Chamber of Industry and Trade. Topics covered in the seminar during group work and panel discussions included “Problems of Local Media”, “Media and Ethics”, “Relations between the GAP and the Media” and “Social and Economic Benefits of the GAP to Local People.”

The seminar started at 09:30 hours in the Conference Hall of Harran Hotel on 31 March 2006 with brief opening speeches by Nazmi BİLGİN, President of the Federation of Journalists; Şanlıurfa Mayor Ahmet Eşref FAKIBABA; GAP Deputy President Dr. Ferhat ŞELLİ and Şanlıurfa Deputy Governor Adil NAS, which was followed by a briefing on the GAP. The next event of the programme was a panel discussion moderated by Nazmi BİLGİN. Panellists were Erdoğan KAHYA, President of Antalya Association of Journalists on “Problems of Local Media”; Prof Korkmaz Alemdar, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Gazi University, on “Media and Ethics”; NTV Producer Tayfun TALİPOĞLU on “Relations between the GAP and the Media”; and Can DÜNDAR from daily Milliyet on “Social and Economic Benefits of the GAP to Local People.”

In the afternoon programme of the event there were group discussions on various themes starting at 14:00. Moderators in these group discussions were Nuri KOLAYLI, Deputy President of the Federation of Journalists; Yılmaz KARACA, President of Eskişehir Association of Journalists; Süleyman UKAV, Deputy Secretary General of the Federation of Journalists; Naci SAPAN, President of the Association of South-eastern Anatolia Journalists; Dr. Kemal KAPAKLI, President of GAP Journalists; Sefa ÖZDEMİR, President of Konya Association of Journalists. On 1 April 2006, journalist and media professionals attending a seminar took a tour in the region visiting such places as Atatürk Dam, Tunnel Exit and Treatment Facility, Hanımeller Pazarı, Yakubiye ÇATOM, the Harran Plain, authentic Harran Houses and Balıklı Göl.