BULUT ISLAND TO CHANGE IT'S NAME TO LEVENT, APPROVED BY BOTH REGIONS

The name Bulut was given to the island as a neutral name by the Alkharyan government.

DÖRTKÖŞE - While the country of Alkharya itself might be named Alkharya for short, the name "Alkharya" only compasses the large island in the middle, which is then separated into North and South. The other two entities are the islands of Kent and Teodor off the coast of Etikel, collectively called the Limon Islands (informally the Twin Islands or the Twins) and the Bulut Island, across the city of Poyraz, Kaanpaşa. For centuries, the entire island was called "Levent". There are many theories on where did this name come from, or what it means.

Some say that it was named by Sahrawi seafarers, with the word meaning "young man" or "ship crew". This could possibly be because of many Alkharyan men from the modern-day city of Levent working in ships, whether Sahrawi ships or Alkharyan ships. There are also theories that the word meant "single", probably referring to how marriage was a rare thing in the city back then. The last theory is that Levent means "idle" or "rambling", referencing an era of mass unemployment in the city. The origins of the last two meanings are unknown.

The other theory is that the name came from the Spanish seafarers. According to this theory, the Spaniards saw the island while going somewhere else. Due to its distance and almost a year-long cloudy weather around the island making the shore look foggy, they named the land tierras lejanas, meaning "far lands". They kept this name even after starting trade deals with the folk of Levent. This cloudy weather also lead to the island being named Bulut Island, literally "Cloud Island". But why?

This island was not a calm place, at all. In fact, it saw more violence in the 20th century than Alkharya has ever seen in the last five or six centuries. This is because of the rise of the city of Açelya in the southwest corner of the city. It saw a population boom because of its industry rising. A town which was once a fishing town fading into irrelevancy became huge after it saw the benefits of tourism and textiles. And eventually, it wanted more power. In the middle of the benefits that the region of Levent was sowing, Açelya wanted to be a region.

And it worked- it was approved by all of Alkharya... except Levent. The region was staunchly against the idea because it took half of the island. Menteşe, another town up north, also wanted to join the new region as the trades between Açelya and Menteşe were quite strong at the time. This enraged Levent so much that it declared independence from the rest of Alkharya in 1949, claiming the new region of Açelya with it. Militia from both sides surfaced after Alkharya lost power in the island. The next 20 years were terror attacks after terror attacks, sometimes outside the Bulut Island, most notably in Kaanpaşa, with Açelya and Levent fighting each other, almost forty thousand civilians dying. Eventually, it came to an end in 1985, after a treaty signed in Kaanpaşa. The treaty guaranteed Açelya regionhood and also re-named the island to Bulut Island. The latter was unpopular, and the name "Levent" was still used by many Alkharyans, including the islanders. Today, it makes a resurgence.

In an unexpected meeting, both governors of Açelya and Levent decided to call the whole island Levent once again, and for all. "We have called the land we settled on Levent for centuries, and that has not changed. This neutral name posed by Kaanpaşa is inaccurate and we will not accept it." Governor of Açelya, Onur Kalkovan said after the meeting. "We have met with Tülay Elçi before this and she told us she was fine with the idea of name changing once again." President Tülay Elçi was indeed supportive of the name change and signed it into power this afternoon. "From now on, on all documents, the island will be referred to as Levent or Levent Island. The peace has been established and the greedy government of Levent is now long gone. We will help the island return to its historical roots."

This was Erin Karagül, writing for Dörtköşe.

On behalf of Alkharya, I vote AGAINST both amendments.

Councillor Aylin Gökçen of Alkharya

(OOC: At the time of the summit's start, the now-withdrawn Protection of Body Integrity for Children and Intersex People Act was not released.)

I believe that at times, the European Union tends to interfere quite a lot on internal affairs. I was a supporter of the repeal of Elected and Accountable Council Act 2020- which almost passed, actually, so I'm certain I'm not the only one who thinks this way. I've also heard that Councillor Aylin Gökçen was actually writing a bill about banning circumcision for minors all around the EU, which I really don't understand and I strongly disapprove of, even though I personally disagree with circumcision as well.

It is a clear example of what the European Council and the European Union shouldn't be- A chamber for enforcing any and all laws for one's conformity. Why in the world is Gökçen trying to pass a law like this for all of the European children, regardless of cultures, religion or different thinking? I don't know. However, it represents a bigger problem. The elephant in the room. Many councillors are now acting like there is no diversity in Europe anymore. That this union does not have hundreds of cultures, more than 20 languages, and thousands and thousands of different ways of thinking, which, now, some are messed up and we shouldn't tolerate the intolerant, but many aren't and the councillors are simply not thinking of all of Europe when writing bills. Not even Aylin Gökçen! Are you kidding me?

President Elçi decided to take a break from talking by taking a deep breath and drinking a glass of water. She continued afterwards:

Look, I still love the European Union. Don't take me as this Euroskeptic person that I am clearly not. I am one of the key people on the process of Alkharyan membership to the Union. But many people don't know how to use this union. Some councillors, not giving names, use this Union as if other countries are their provinces and nothing more. That was the sole reason why Alkharya didn't join the EU for so long, politicians constantly ranted and argued about Alkharya's freedom as a country had it joined the European Union. They argued that the rest of Europe simply doesn't get Alkharya, that they hate us, and other isolationist buffooneries. But sometimes I actually feel they have a point. And these are the people that called me "radical" and "crazy" when I started my political journey.

I believe that the European Union should be, like the name itself, about the unity of member states. That we can support each other and do bigger things, even if we are drastically different. It should not be a shouting chamber where everyone tells each other what they should do. And another thing, just because it may be a good law for your country, doesn't mean it's a good law for the rest of Europe.

That's out of the way. Now, I support the basic idea of EUROPOL, though I would like to have a more detailed look at how it works and functions. Same with the funding of security. It should have a more detailed look than "we need more equipment in general". Funding them can be dangerous if done recklessly. Police brutality is a possibility, you know what I mean. I'd like to have more information on this matter before strongly expressing any opinions.

On behalf of Alkharya, I vote FOR this act.

Councillor Aylin Gökçen of Alkharya

YARGITAY RULES BARBAROS' TAX TRANSPARENCY LAWS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND "A DANGEROUS BREACH TO PRIVACY"

Governor of Barbaros has resigned over the controversy.

Showtime - This afternoon, Yargıtay ruled Barbaros' tax transparency laws are unconstitutional, as they are a direct violation of the right to privacy. The laws in question make it so that any EU citizen can see the tax returns without any requirements. According to the decision, while having a public tax database is not against the right to privacy, the court has ruled that publishing this database outside Alkharya is. In addition, the Government of Barbaros has also been repeatedly accused of not informing people who have checked their tax returns and has been sued multiple times.

7 of 11 judges who were able to vote, from the regions of Kaanpaşa, Geyikli, Açelya, Levent, Leylekhan, Alfur and Atlıkarınca have voted for the law's repeal or changes to the law in accordance with the Constitution.

Governor of Barbaros, Ilgın Erbakan has resigned over the controversy. She will be replaced by another election in the Barbaros regional parliament sometime next week. The other two regions with public tax laws, the Limon Islands and Etikel are expected to adjust their laws in accordance with the lawsuit.

LOCAL TAX RETURNS ARE NOW PUBLIC IN THE LİMON ISLANDS, THE THIRD REGION TO DO SO AFTER ETİKEL AND BARBAROS

Residents of the region are now one click away from seeing other people's tax returns. Is it safe?

SÖZ - In a landmark decision made by the parliament of the Limon Islands, the database of local tax returns of the region is now public to all of the citizens of the region. Any Alkharyan citizen who lives in the Limon Islands can go to a tax office in Kent Island or Teodor Island to learn about the tax returns of a citizen.

Etikel and Barbaros are two other regions that have passed "tax transparency" laws- with Barbaros going as far as letting any EU taxpayer see the paid taxes of citizens living in Barbaros. In Etikel, all tax information can be seen on Etikel's online database, provided that you're an Alkharyan taxpayer. The Limon Islands are also planning a similar online database, set to open in 2021. The amount of information given also differ- For example, imagine an Alkharyan man working three jobs. If he lived in Barbaros, all three incomes of his would be published individually. If he lived in Etikel, meanwhile, only the total income would be public.

Under federal law, tax information is considered private information, and there are a lot of debates on whether or not these public tax practices are constitutional, most notably of Barbaros. However, some countries do have tax transparency laws. Most notably Vayinaod. The Information Transparency Statute, passed in 1897 lets citizens submit requests to tax authorities, which usually get approved unless you have a court order against it, or are a criminal (By the way, it is a criminal offence to help those who are not allowed to get tax information in Vayinaod.) At first, the impacts of the statute regarding taxes wasn't recognized, but when it was, it was too late. The Vayinaod folk now enjoy the rights to have all this information with one submission.

One thing that Vayinaod and Etikel, Barbaros and the Limon Islands all have in common is that when someone checks on your taxes, you get informed about it. In Etikel and the Limon Islands, the Alkharyan media are exempt from this. In Barbaros, they aren't. In Vayinaod, it's complicated, as you need an administrative hearing from a civil court judge.

The move intends to reduce tax evasion. Will it work? Well, it's complicated. While it does make taxation more transparent, there aren't enough studies regarding its effects on tax evasion. Etikel, the first region to issue tax transparency laws, did so in 2000, Barbaros followed 11 years later. There was a lot of controversy around Etikel's decision at the time. However, in 2001, almost 2/3 of Etikel said they were happy with the current tax law. In 2006, it was 71%. Similar numbers were also seen in Barbaros (56% in 2001 to 66% in 2006) These statistics give us a pattern on whether or not will the islanders like the change, but it is far from certain.

This was Tuncay Çağlar, writing for Söz.

EDUCATION

Education: Free primary and secondary education and free university education* provided by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Çocuk yuvaları (daycares, lit. "child homes") and anaokulu (kindergarten) exist for children under 7. After grades 1 through 4, or ilkokul (elementary or primary) and grades 5 through 8, or ortaokul (secondary), the next years of education are taught in five separate types of lise (plural liseler, high school).

• Only in public schools. All regions except İskender, Limon Islands and Levent may offer to pay a portion of private school costs. Laws vary by jurisdiction.

Meslek (Job) - Low-level education lasting from Grade 9 to 11*. These kinds of schools offer adequate academic education for students who do lower than average academically. Some of these schools may focus on even a smaller education, like industry, textiles or crafting.

• Grade 9 to 12 in Kaanpaşa and Leylekhan.

Edebiyat (Literature) - Medium-level education lasting from Grade 9 to 11*. These kinds of schools offer education for students who do average academically. To enter an Alkharyan university, at least a literature school diploma is needed.

• Grade 9 to 12 in Kaanpaşa, Etikel, Barbaros and Leylekhan.

Sosyal Bilim (Social Science) - High-level education lasting from Grade 9 to 12*. These kinds of schools offer education for students who do above average academically and would like to pursue a general, high-level academic education.

• Grade 9 to 13 in Kaanpaşa, Etikel, Barbaros, Alfur and Leylekhan.

Bilim (Science) - High-level education lasting from Grade 9 to 12*. These kinds of schools offer education for students who do above average academically and would like to pursue a high-level academic education focused on math, physics and chemistry.

• Grade 9 to 13 in Kaanpaşa, Etikel, Barbaros, Alfur and Leylekhan.

Sağlık (Health) - Special education schools that focus on medical education. A student needs to enter these schools to pursue a medical career. Education lasts from Grade 9 - 13*.

• Grade 9 to 12 in Kaanpaşa and Etikel and Grade 9 to 14 in Alfur.

There are other special schools, such as music schools, art schools or cooking schools, most of which private, though a significant portion is owned by the government.

In Alfur, Atlıkarınca, Geyikli, Leylekhan and Yeditepe, private schools are completely illegal. In Limon Islands, Etikel and Levent, private primary and secondary schools are illegal. Laws vary by jurisdiction.

IMPORTANT LEGISLATION

On behalf of Alkharya, I ABSTAIN from voting.

Councillor Aylin Gökçen of Alkharya

The summit was going exactly as President Elçi has imagined: A messy vibe, Bridges and Juncker going neck and neck and Mikaela being as sassy as she usually is. She didn't talk during the Eurorail discussions, as it wasn't really affecting Alkharya. Now that the topic was changed, it was time for her to speak, finally! She took some of that water and started talking:

Mr. Juncker, I can assure you Alkharya is quite ready for a greener transition to combat climate change. 95% of our energy comes from renewable sources- half of that being wind energy. I have always helped many non-profit organizations to build trees all around Alkharya. Yeditepe? Covered 1/10 of it with trees. Fruity trees, too, so it's also a bonus on agriculture. Throughout my career, I have promoted and endorsed many legislative works promoting electric cars with tax cuts and special exempts, some of which passed, some didn't. Also, Alkharyans would love to see their nation hosting the first climate summit in the capital city of Kaanpaşa. We would love to host any worldwide event, really.

Now, as for waters, I feel there are quite a lot of dissenting opinions for that issue and it is quite hard to make an agreement for all parties. Some believe that if you don't go to war for waters, it wasn't your claim to being with, while some say you have the right to the water if you have the coast. It's confusing. I believe that the former viewpoint is flawed in some way and it just allows invasion of the waters near you since you may not have the equipment to defend it. That's a rough argument. I don't have much to say right now about this but I would like to add more as other people start talking or in another discussion of some kind. Maybe Councillor Gökçen argue about it on the Council?

I was a little late for this discussion, but Alkharya already has its local 5G equipment, currently a work in progress, set to be completed and distributed nationally... somewhere around 2021. I have massive privacy and espionage concerns over using other countries' 5G network and staunchly disagree with sharing stuff like this with other nations. I definitely support ERASMUS and would love to see international citizens in the finest universities of Alkharya. What else... I think nothing. For now.