Youth policies in the EU and in Turkey

The goal of this study is twofold: First, to observe the functions and the benefits of the youth policies, and second, to examine the national, regional, and local youth policies implemented by the governments in the European Union and Turkey. Within this research, using the model of Schrizotto and Gasperoni, four different youth policy models applied in the European Union are elaborated. In a next phase, the socio-economic variables related to the youth policies of the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands, each of which is selected as a representative country of the four models, are investigated with variance analysis. Finally, the youth policy models resembling to the models of Turkey with respect to the socio-economic variables are determined, and some suggestions that can be accommodated by the youth policy in Turkey are proposed based on the youth policies implemented by the governments of the four respective countries. The findings of the analysis have indicated that aforementioned four countries representing different youth policy models differ from each other to at least some degree within the next socio- economic variables: total population, percentage of youth population on total population, unemployment in the youth population, youth population having completed at least upper secondary education, tertiary educational attainment by the youth population and the social public expenditures in the percentage of GDP. In the case of Turkey, this study demonstrates that a single youth policy implemented in the governments of the European Union is not applicable to accommodate to the youth policy in Turkey. In conclusion, this study proposes that Turkey should implement an integrated set of youth policies of the countries, which have the best practices related to the respective socio-economic criteria, as its youth policy model. Keywords: European Union, Youth, Youth Policies