States News Service
May 30, 2014 Friday
H.E. PRESIDENT ABDULLAH GUL’S ADDRESS AT HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
ANKARA, Turkey
The following information was released by the Presidency of the
Republic of Turkey:
Honorable School Members,
Dear Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning to you all.
I am honored to speak in the historic atmosphere of the Kennedy School
of Government at Harvard University.
Kennedy School brings together some of the brightest talents around
the world, including students and academics from my country.
I would like to thank Prof. Nicholas Burns ‘”a friend of many years'”
for his kind introduction. I would also like to thank the Belfer
Center for organizing this event.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
One month from now marks one hundredth anniversary of the beginning of
the First World War.
The twentieth century had, in fact, started with great achievements
and high hopes for humanity.
Then came the most destructive war in history.
The Great War bred most extremist ideologies, new conflicts and
another world war.
I am very pleased to see that many historians are benefitting from
this bitter anniversary to look back at the origins and the
consequences of the First World War with a fresh insight.
They offer a lot of lessons for the current and future leaders of the world.
I believe, the most important lesson is to realize that international
relations are not necessarily a zero-sum game.
There are ample opportunities for all of us to gain if we work together.
To achieve that, we have to go beyond narrow interest perceptions and
egoistical calculations.
Our actions should be guided by wisdom, empathy, prudence and foresight.
Dialogue, diplomacy and compromise are therefore the biggest assets
that we have for a better common future.
A historian, Prof. Christopher Clark, named the leaders of the world
in the eve of the Great War as ”The Sleepwalkers”.
However, we, the current leaders of the world, have an advantage over
them: A more democratic environment with a free press and a civil
society, which did not exist then. These are becoming more and more
influential -if not always instrumental- in alerting the governments
to act responsibly against the risks of war.
I hope that the future historians will not label our generation of
leaders as ”Sleepwalkers”.
Against this background, let us now discuss what chances remain for
peace, stability and sustainable development in Turkey’s neighborhood
with due consideration to international norms, and rule of law based
on human rights.
In fact, President Obama was quicker than me to touch upon these
issues the other day.
That is because a ten hours flight and eight time zones separated us
from the West Point Academy. Another token of globalization!
But I fully share the President’s emphasis on cooperation against
terrorism with key partners. I also took careful note of his pledge to
preserve American leadership in the face of global challenges.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to begin my analysis today with a positive note.
Revitalization of the Middle East Peace Process by the Obama
administration last year is a most welcome development.
I was, like many others, very much encouraged by the start of direct
talks between the parties thanks to Secretary Kerry’s efforts.
Despite certain setbacks, this initiative remains the only basis for
reaching a just and comprehensive settlement of this core issue.
On the other hand, promising news come from Tunisia, where the fuse of
the Arab Spring lit. A new constitution is adopted in January with
broad consensus. By the end of the year, presidential and
parliamentary elections will be held.
Tunisian political leaders and people who acted with utmost prudence
throughout this process deserve our particular praise and support.
Last but not the least, the deal on Iran’s nuclear program is a great
opportunity, which provides a solid basis for parties to reconcile
their differences and move forward.
If achieved, it is in the best interest of all parties to keep
displaying utmost diligence in a prospective post-settlement phase in
Iran.
Drawing on its great state tradition, wisdom and common sense seem to
guide Iran’s behavior.
Our position on this topic is clear. A world free from nuclear weapons
remains our common goal and aspiration. The same applies to the Middle
East.
Dear Guests,
As I pointed out at the UN General Assembly last September, internal
conflicts increasingly have implications for global peace and
security.
Today, peace and security are dependent on the maintenance of domestic
order in each and every nation.
For example, hopes arose after the Egyptian revolution as its
democratic transition meant a lot for the region.
Egyptians indeed succeeded in holding free presidential and
parliamentary elections. The military coup that followed, however,
signified a radical interruption in the democratization process.
I, personally, would like to see Egypt return to normalcy and
democracy through an inclusive political process with all legitimate
political actors taking part freely. In this context, releasing
political prisoners would help greatly to dialogue and reconciliation.
For sake of Egypt’s long-term stability and sustainable development,
self-enclosure cannot be an option. Egypt deserves and is perfectly
capable of integrating with the world. This may be achieved through
upholding universal principles of rule of law, fundamental freedoms
and open market economy.
I wish that the new leadership in Egypt considers breaking away with
the dictatorship mentality of their previous leaders. If this can be
achieved, Egypt can easily reverse the vicious cycle it has been in
for decades.
In Syria, the current regime keeps ignoring and violating Security
Council resolutions, starves and bombs its own people. Aleppo, an
ancient city in UNESCO’s world heritage, now lies in ruins; just like
much of the rest of the country. Besides, close to a million Syrians
have taken refuge in my country.
It is regretful to see a second UN Special Representative resigned and
the UN Security Council once again gridlocked over Syria in the last
few weeks.
Nevertheless, we should insist on a strong, resolute and coordinated
action in helping end the great human suffering in Syria as well as
the ever growing threat of terrorism.
The international community cannot continue escaping this
responsibility any further.
Dear Guests,
The South Caucasus has historically served as a trade and transport
“land bridge’ linking Europe to the Middle East and Asia. The region
is also home to rich energy resources.
Unfortunately, ethnic conflicts have kept this critical region from
fully exploiting its potential.
Today, the countries in the region are faced with heavy financial
burdens because of arms race as well as due to the high cost of
refugees and displaced people.
Yet, it is time to move from the common conception of “locking in
walls’ towards “gates of interaction and cooperation’. This can only
be done by consolidating dialogue, interaction and interdependency.
Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan are making important strides to this
end. We are mobilizing all our efforts for building a web of energy
and transport links to enhance regional peace, cooperation and
prosperity.
For further progress, exploring the means to find a just and lasting
solution to frozen conflicts including Nagorno Karabakh is also a
must.
Armenia, with whom we share a common history and border, should also
be in the regional scheme.
At this point, let me emphasize here that we approach neighboring
Armenia sincerely and open-heartedly.
I was the first ever Turkish President to pay a historic visit to
Armenia in 2008 upon a kind invitation by President Sarkissian.
Unfortunately circumstances did not allow this beginning to run its
complete course.
But there is still hope to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations. Prime
Minister Erdogan’s message last month paying condolences to the
grandchildren of the Armenians who lost their lives in 1915 is an
important step forward.
The year 1915 is indeed the most painful and mournful year in the
history of Anatolia. This is so for all the peoples of Anatolia and
for many reasons.
The tragedies of the First World War reflect our shared pain.
To evaluate this period through a perspective of just memory is a
humane and scholarly responsibility. To this end, we opened our
archives to all researchers.
Achieving progress is not an easy task. Strong reciprocal will, joint
efforts and a good measure of mutual understanding are absolutely
necessary.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The crisis in Ukraine started with an obligation on Kiev to make a
choice between Europe and Russia. This should not have been done so!
The Crimean peninsula, the first hotbed of contention in the Ukrainian
crisis, is the motherland of the Crimean Tartars, millions of whom
live in Turkey for decades.
The international community including Turkey does not recognize the
annexation of Crimea. Yet, there is now a new reality on the ground.
Today, the “de facto’ Russian authorities are responsible for the
well-being, security and rights of the people in Crimea, including the
Tartars.
This does not relieve us of the responsibility to seek a political
resolution to the crisis. A lasting solution is only possible on the
basis of democratic rights and liberties, as well as the international
norms about sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to congratulate the new
Ukrainian President, Mr. Poroshenko. Upon his shoulders lies a
historical mission for the future of Ukraine. The way he manages the
crisis will no doubt have wider repercussions on stability and
security in Europe. I am sure he will serve most wisely and
responsibly.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At this point, I want to draw some guidelines, which, I believe may
lead us through the future. Needless to say, I have not invented
these. Yet, they continue to shed light on our way forward in our
region and elsewhere.
First, peace and stability is the backbone of any effort to steer
economic growth and development. And the key to achieve stability is
the supremacy of law, and, in today’s world, an institutionalized
democracy.
Second, confidence and predictability is what makes any system
credible and worthy. A system most observant of transparency,
accountability, highest legal standards and equal treatment is
therefore a must.
The internal tier of sustainable peace, thus, goes through
democratization, rule of law, improving human rights standards and
free market principles.
The biggest asset for countries like Turkey, which are in possession
of little natural resources but sizable populations, is human capital.
In order to make the best out of this asset, one needs to combine the
human element with what I have just explained. This is what we have
done in Turkey during the last decade.
This goes hand in hand with the external dimension which calls on
sovereign equality, territorial integrity and international law.
The international community must be united in terms of well-thought
transition and exit strategies before pursuing a certain course of
action. Some of the ramifications of the military interventions in
Iraq and Afghanistan are striking examples of mistakes in this regard.
Yet similar mistakes have unfortunately been repeated in Syria and
Libya where chaos, terrorism and human suffering unfortunately
continue.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This brings me to the last part of my speech.
Today, Turkey stands a safe haven in a troublesome geography. It is a
country that reflects modern values and ideals in this part of the
world.
Turkey understands the unique role it can play for lasting peace, and
prosperity in its wider region.
To do that, Turkey has to keep its character as a forward-looking,
dynamic, and pluralistic society.
This is why we have invested heavily on human capital and upgrading
our standards. Over the last decade, we made great strides and
undertook comprehensive economic and political reforms.
To be precise, raising the democratic standards for our young and
dynamic nation had a multiplier effect on our economic development.
Our own experience shows that enhancement of the rule of law, human
rights, and pluralism as elements of good governance both feed and
draw on economic development. They are, in fact, parallel processes
that strengthen each other.
Turkey’s European vocation and membership negotiations with the EU
were instrumental in this respect. This technical process must be seen
to its end.
I want to believe that in the meantime Europe will overcome challenges
such as economic crisis, illegal migration and extreme right
tendencies.
Despite some fluctuations in the pace of reforms which raised
questions about our good reputation, there will be no change in our
path, nor in our direction or orientation.
This is because democratic values, which are in harmony with our own
belief system, are owned up across the Turkish society such that
sometimes, the society runs ahead of the politicians.
Both political determination and ownership on this irreversible path
towards further democratization and development is strong.
This is evidenced by the strong record of economic growth and the
steps taken within the process of reconciliation with our Kurdish
citizens. Ever increasing participation of women in local governance
and the public sector after lifting the ban on headscarves is another
example.
We are resolute in moving along this path, knowing that there is still
way to go.
We will keep on upgrading our standards because this is the way to
make our people happier, wealthier and stronger.
Both Turkey and her partners will win in peace, cooperation and prosperity.
Thank you.