2nd World Turkic Forum Introduction Speech | Religion, Language, History and Geography Are Not Enough
Dear ministers,
Honorable ambassadors,
Estimable governors,
Deputies both from Turkey and from ally and friend Turkish governments
Dear representatives of NGOs
Friends of Media Members
Ladies and Gentlemen
I want to thank you all because of your participation. Of course many doyens as Prof. Nevzat Yalcintas, Prof. Olcas Suleymenov, Prof. Ahat Andican and one of very precious former prime ministers of Cyprus Hakkı Atun are with us right now. In their presence, I repeat my pleasure on the occasion of 2nd Forum because of being all together, here. Also, Mr. Hasan Duruer who seriously supported 1st World Turkic Forum while he was governor of Mardin at that moment and who is governor of Edirne now is here, and I want to thank him. The governor of Eskisehir, 2013 Turkic World Cultural Capital, Dr. Kadir Kocdemir is also here and I want to thank him for his presence.
Of course the number of introduction speeches is too much so I will try to keep my speech as short as possible just to be a model. We have held 1st World Turkic Forum with a highly wide participation at the end of 2010. Till recently, meetings in the Turkic World were limited with independent Turkic governments and some independent republics. And these meetings didn’t include minorities who had been living in different countries that were called as Turkic Diasporas. We have tried to keep the cadre as wide as possible within the context of Turkic World and Turkic Diasporas. You will also notice that we have been trying to keep this width in 2nd Forum. So, I want to thank ally and friend countries again, because of the interest of their Diasporas and related institutions, because of the repetition of their supports, their participations and their presences.
According to declaration which was accepted in the first forum, lots of things have been done, and have been developed. One of the most important things is to build “Wise Persons Council“. The council which gives a shape and vision to stuffs, and if it is necessary, takes a mission operationally was built by 12 persons and was achieved its first meeting successfully yesterday. We will also explain its results. In the year of 2013, we expect this council to take a mission operationally related to a problem or a generic subject about Turkic World, except its counseling mission. Here is an agreement about this subject, but I’d like to share what will be the mission as its certain shape right after taking views of related institutions in a few days.
Nowadays, the world has been experiencing one of breaking points of the history and a multidimensional world system has been shaping without question. A new multipolar system has been built, and relating to this, new different parameters have been existing in extraordinary competition atmosphere. As you know, we have held the Project called “Turkey's Strategic Vision 2023“ for seven years as TASAM and in its last five years, Dear President of The Turkish Republic has had his own auspices for this Project. One of the most basic results of this Project is that; world was affected and will be affected by three basic trend based on multidimensional competition. These are; “micro nationalism“, “integration“ and “unpredictability“. Micro nationalism and integration seems like they are opposite. This opposition is correct but these two trends are the processes which progress in the same time. Because there is not any possibility as lots of little country to show themselves in international system, we do notice integration which is parallel with micro nationalism. And this integration has been institutionalized by accepting experiences of EU from all around the world as a model and getting inspired by them. In this three parameters, ally and friend countries and Turkey also experience very important processes. What they will do in coming decade, will determine where they will be in the remains of coming century. So, as for me, if we assume just like the factors such as religion, language, history, geography etc. will save us, and will make us successful in the multidimensional competition, we will be mistaken.
I’d like to underline new prescription as the way of arriving a human resource which creates civilization, prosperity and technology by mental line of ally and friend countries, but especially Turkey, as the way of forming an economical system which creates highly supportive value by this human resource, and as the way of taking rates on international cooperation and work share as a result of this economical system.
In such a cadre, I know that there are ally and friend countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan which held similar projections as getting target of 2040, 2020, 2030 in the same shape of 2023 Vision of Turkey. I agree with the thought that all ally and friend countries need very important works in the point of serving common conscience and common acting culture on their own domestic Dynamics, foreign Dynamics and diasporas, and in the point of strengthening their country centers. I hope that this forum will provide an important strategic support in the point of intensifying relationships between ally and friend Turkish governments and their Diasporas, in the point of participation and supports of Diasporas about future visions of countries.
Of course, in the current period, phenomenon of micro nationalism is discussed with lots of sub concepts again and again. But I allow Turkic identity as a concept that has a body of Islam especially for 1000 years that is not possible to be reduced in an ethnical origin even if it is wished, that lost this qualification at least 1000 years ago and that forms as a civilization cadre. Because I’d like to underline that if we perceive Turkic identity as an ethnical origin instead of such a civilization cadre, we will be devoid of both historical heritage and future and responsibility which come with this historical heritage. I’d like to underline this historical heritage because a civilization cadre which has a body in the point of presenting Islam is a balance factor and an alternative hope of Turkic civilization cadre on localization, on Turkic governments own, on humanity. Also I want to underline that by staying away from unproductive discussions, by evaluating Turkic identity as a civilization cadre, what makes Turkic identity more developed from mottos and heroism is to represent it with high presentation in the scale of prosperity, civilization and technology with strong governments, strong societies and strong individuals.
Finally, we can strengthen institutionalization of this Forum by supports of all of us and with new agencies which will be newly built, can be managed, and which has bureaucracy as less as possible. Here, being TASAM one step forward can be correct according to necessity of taking initiative, but we, all can form this process with our supports and can create multidimensional supports only by being all together. For example, we have also a suggestion about youth in Wise Persons Council yesterday. By underlining that this and lots of new similar works have been waiting, I’m repeating the necessity about your cooperation and support for today, tomorrow and future, I’m paying my respect to all of you.
( 2nd World Turkic Forum Introduction Speech 4th April 2013, Titanic Hotel, Istanbul )
