Address By H.E. Süleyman Demirel Presıdent Of The Republıc Of Turkey New Horızons Of Turkısh Foreıgn Polıcy In The Year 2000 And Beyond
24.03.2000
ADDRESS BY H.E. SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
(ÇANKAYA PALACE, 24 MARCH2000, 10:30)
NEW HORIZONS OF TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY
IN THE YEAR 2000 AND BEYOND
YOUR EXCELLENCIES,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU IN ANKARA. THE CAPITAL CITY OF A DYNAMIC, INCREASINGLY INDUSTRIAL AND URBANIZED NATION, LOCATED AT THE EPICENTER OF THE EURASIA, POISED TO BECOME A FULL-MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.
THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY IS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT AT MODERNIZATION AND A SUCCESS STORY. ATATÜRK'S AIM WAS TO INTEGRATE TURKEY WITH THE MODERN WORLD. HE ASKED OF US TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS IN EVERY FIELD. AND TODAY, AS WE ENTER A NEW CENTURY, THIS PROCESS OF INTEGRATION GATHERS PACE, TRUE TO THE VISION OF OUR FOUNDING FATHER.
THE DECISIONS OF THE HELSINKI SUMMIT HAVE BEEN A HISTORIC OCCASION FOR TURKEY AND FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION. IT WAS A LANDMARK EVENT IN THE EUROPEAN VOCATION OF TURKEY AS IT WAS FOR THE IDEAL OF AN UNDIVIDED, DEMOCRATIC, PROSPEROUS AND PEACEFUL EUROPE. TURKEY WILL BECOME A FULL-MEMBER OF THE EU IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME MEETING THE MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA, THEREBY DISPROVING THE PREDICTIONS OF THOSE WHO ARGUE THAT A CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS IS INEVITABLE.
TURKISH MEMBERSHIP WILL BE A CONCRETE CONTRIBUTION TO THE PLURALISM OF THE UNION AND ENRICH IT IN MANY WAYS.
REGARDING THE SET OF EU CRITERIA CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS NO DISCRIMINATION IN TURKEY ON THE BASIS OF ETHNIC ORIGIN, RELIGION, BELIEF OR GENDER. TURKEY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY BASED ON RULE OF LAW. OUR CONCEPTIONS OF NATION AND NATIONALISM IS BASED ON COMMON HISTORY, SHARED DESTINY AND ON THE PRINCIPLES OF CIVIC IDENTITY. HOWEVER, ETHNIC IDENTITY CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE PITTED AGAINST CIVIC IDENTITY. CONSTITUTIONAL PATRIOTISM AND CONSTITUTIONAL CITIZENSHIP ARE THE KEY CONCEPTS TO SAFEGUARD THE RIGHT TO BE DIFFERENT IN OUR DEMOCRACY AS IN ANY OTHER ONE.
YET, WE DO NOT DENY THAT WE HAVE CERTAIN SHORTCOMINGS IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RIGHTS. WE DO NOT, AS WELL, OFFER EXCUSES WHILE WE SURELY CAN, CONSIDERING THE HEAVY TOLL THAT YEARS OF TERRORISM HAS TAKEN ON TURKEY.
AT ANY RATE, ENJOYING THE BEST STANDARDS THAT MODERN DEMOCRACIES OFFER IS THE GENERAL ASPIRATION OF OUR PEOPLE. WE ARE DETERMINED TO ATTAIN THEM NOT FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEMBERSHIP TO THE EU, BUT FOR OUR PEOPLE WHO DESERVE THE BEST.
ALSO IN THIS RESPECT, THE PROSPECT OF FULL-MEMBERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, CORRESPONDS TO THE ASPIRATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT ALIKE.
LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC ON THIS COUNT: THROUGH EFFORTS WE WILL BE RESOLUTELY EXERTING TO REALIZE TURKEY'S FULL-MEMBERSHIP TO THE EU, TURKEY WILL BE REACHING THOSE STANDARDS THAT HAVE COME TO DEFINE THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE.
AT THIS JUNCTURE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ONCE AGAIN: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY REPRESENTS THE CULMINATION OF A LONG AND ARDUOUS STRUGGLE TOWARDS NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE, AND FREEDOM WHEREBY THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WERE ENDOWED WITH ALL THE BENEFITS OF CITIZENSHIP, AND AN OVERRIDING SENSE OF BELONGING TO A MODERN NATION STATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY WHICH DATES BACK MORE THAN A MILLENNIUM.
THE TURKISH PEOPLE EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS EMANATING FROM THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL CITIZENSHIP AS EQUALS BEFORE THE LAW. THE REPUBLIC DRAWS ITS STRENGTH FROM THIS CONCEPT OF CITIZENSHIP BASED UPON EQUALITY, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, AND SECULARISM.
TURKEY IS CONCEIVED IN DREAMS!
BUT IT IS NOT CREATED ON THE SPUR OF COINCIDENCES: AS TOTALITARIAN REGIMES FINALLY CRUMBLED UNDER THE FORCE OF THE EVERLASTING CALL FOR FREEDOM, THE FLOW OF HISTORY IN THE LAST CENTURY HAS VINDICATED THE PREMISES BEHIND THE FOUNDING PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTAL CHOICES OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC.
AS A NEW AGE DAWNS, TURKEY IS AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FORCE ON THE SIDE OF PEACE, SECURITY, STABILITY, AND AN ENLIGHTENED WAY OF LIFE!
INDEED, THE WAY WE ARE EMBRACING THE NEW CENTURY IS IN SHARP CONTRAST WITH HOW WE HAD TO ENTER THE PREVIOUS ONE: IT WAS THEN CALLED AS "THE SICK MAN OF EUROPE". TODAY, TURKEY ENTERS THE NEW CENTURY WITH VIGOR, HOPE AND THE WILL TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.
IN ALL SENSES OF THE WORD, TURKEY IS NOW TIGHTLY INTERTWINED WITH THE WORLD THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. TODAY, TURKEY IS AMONG THE TOP EMERGING MARKETS, THE SIXTEENTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD POSSESSING ONE OF THE BEST ENTREPRENEURIAL CLASSES ONE CAN FIND ANYWHERE. NINETY PERCENT OF OUR EXPORTS CONSISTS OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS RECEIVED BY 134 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE. WE ARE A PLURALISTIC AND VIBRANT DEMOCRACY, THE ONLY ONE AMONG ISLAMIC NATIONS.
THIS IS WHY, TURKEY ENTERS THE SECOND MILLENNIUM PERCEIVABLY ASSERTING A GLOBAL ROLE: AFTER ALL, IT IS THIS COUNTRY THAT HAS THE STRONGEST ECONOMY IN A VAST REGION EXTENDING FROM THE BALKANS TO THE CAUCASUS, THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN AND CENTRAL ASIA; INDEED, HAVING THE DEEPEST AND MOST DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIAL BASE IN BETWEEN VIENNA AND TOKYO.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT HAS THE LONGEST-RUNNING DEMOCRACY IN THIS VAST GEOGRAPHY. IT IS A COUNTRY DIRECTLY SHARING A LONG HISTORY WHICH HAD ITS SHARE OF GOOD AND BAD DAYS, WITH NEARLY 40 COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
THIS HISTORY IS NOT OUR LIABILITY, BUT OUR GREAT ASSET: BEING EUROPEAN AND ASIAN AT ONCE IS A UNIQUE PRIVILEGE! AT THIS ERA WHEN EUROPE AND ASIA FIND THEMSELVES AS PARTS OF A LARGER WHOLE, INCREASINGLY INTERDEPENDENT AND INTEGRATED IN TUNE WITH NEW REALITIES, TURKEY IS NO LONGER THE FLANK STATE, BUT AT THE VERY HUB AND CENTER OF TODAY'S GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS.
THIS IS WHERE THE OCCIDENT AND THE ORIENT MEET TO CREATE THE LASTING AND RELEVANT TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE NEW CENTURY AHEAD OF US. IT IS HERE THAT THE PULSES OF THE MODERN TIMES WILL RESONATE WITH THE PEOPLES OF SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE, THE BLACK SEA BASIN, THE CAUCASUS, THE CASPIAN BASIN, AND THE DEEPER STRETCHES OF CENTRAL ASIA.
THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION IS BEST TO BE SEEN IN TURKEY IN ITS HUMANE AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS: UKRAINIANS, MOLDOVANS, AZERIS, RUSSIANS AND ROMANIANS MINGLE WITH THE FRENCH, THE GERMANS AND THE DUTCH ON THE STREETS OF ISTANBUL. CHASE MANHATTAN MOSCOW REPORTS TO CHASE ISTANBUL. NOKIA TRANSFERS ITS EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS FROM HELSINKI TO ISTANBUL, ACTING IN TANDEM WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AGGREGATES OF TURKEY, COUPLED WITH OUR EXPANDING RELATIONS, AND THE MORAL IMPETUS TO AFFECT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER THAT DIRECTLY EMANATES FROM THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE REPUBLIC, REPRESENT A UNIQUE POWER BASE. TURKEY, GIVEN ITS GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEO-STRATEGIC LOCATION ALONG WITH THE PATRIMONY OF ITS ACHIEVEMENTS LAST CENTURY IS BETTER DISPOSED AND BETTER PREPARED TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION THAN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.
YET, WE ARE AWARE OF THE MANIFOLD RESPONSIBILITIES STEMMING FROM OUR GLOBAL ROLE AND POTENTIALS. BLENDING ITS RICHES AND HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE, THEREFORE, WITH CONTEMPORARY TRAITS IS TURKEY'S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HUMANITY. IT IS THROUGH THE DESERVED ATTRIBUTES OF MODERNITY THAT WE WILL BE WORKING TO FULFIL THE PROMISE INHERENT IN TURKEY AND ITS PEOPLE:
PRECISELY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AND DEFEND THE IDEALS OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, AND THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN OUR WIDENING REGION; A TURBULENT ONE WHICH IS IN NEED OF A SUCCESSFUL MODEL OF MODERNIZATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT CAPABLE TO REASSURE INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES.
THAT TURKEY FULFILS THIS ROLE IS OF GREAT INTEREST NOT ONLY FOR EUROPE AND THE COUNTRIES OF OUR WIDER REGION, BUT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
TURKEY IS ABOUT FOSTERING A BETTER PROSPECT FOR THE MANKIND!
THE TURKISH NATION HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM ITSELF!
LIKEWISE, THE WORLD HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM TURKEY!
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
EVIDENTLY, TURKEY HAS TO PURSUE A MULTI-FACETED FOREIGN POLICY. THIS HAS BECOME STILL MORE RELEVANT AFTER THE DECISIONS OF THE HELSINKI SUMMIT IN DECEMBER, ANNOUNCING THE CANDIDATE STATUS OF TURKEY FOR FULL-MEMBERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN UNION. AS THE FRONTIERS OF THE UNION EXTEND, THE NEED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LASTING STABILITY IN THE BELEAGUERED REGIONS AROUND TURKEY BECOMES A MORE URGENT TASK.
IN THE BALKANS AND THE CAUCASUS, WE HAVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THE MULTI-ETHNIC CHARACTER OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND KOSOVA MUST BE PRESERVED.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CENTURIES, THE PEOPLES IN THE BALKANS SHARE THE SAME ASPIRATION THAT IS TO BE PART OF THE EUROPEAN PROJECT. HOWEVER, LACK OF DEMOCRATIC CREDENTIALS ON THE PART OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA IS THE ONLY OBSTACLE TO MAKE THIS REGION AS A WHOLE PART OF THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION.
BALKAN STABILITY PACT IS THE KEY INSTRUMENT FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE SHARED DREAMS AND IDEALS OF THE COUNTRIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE. THEREFORE, WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE BALKAN STABILITY PACT AND WE WILL ALSO BE PURSUING EVERY EFFORT THAT HAS ANY CHANCE OF BRINGING SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT AFFECT THE FUTURE WELL-BEING AND PROSPERITY OF THIS REGION THAT ARE VASTLY IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY AS WELL AS FOR EUROPE AS A WHOLE FOR OBVIOUS GEOGRAPHIC, HISTORIC, ECONOMIC, HUMANITARIAN, CULTURAL AND SECURITY REASONS.
TURKEY IS ON LEGITIMATE GROUNDS WHEN DESIRING TO SECURE AND SAFEGUARD HER INTERESTS, AND THIS EXPLAINS OUR ACTIVE AND FULL SUPPORT OF NATO WHEN THIS ORGANIZATION HAD TO INTERFERE TWICE TO STOP FURTHER TRAGEDY, BLOODSHED AND THE HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF AGGRESSIVE ETHNO-NATIONALISM.
IN A SIMILAR VEIN, THE CAUCASUS HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF GREAT TRAGEDIES RECENTLY. WHILE WE DO NOT CONDONE ANY FORM OF TERRORISM, AND SUPPORT THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF ALL NATIONS AS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE, THE SUFFERING OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION IN THAT REGION IS A CAUSE FOR GREAT CONCERN. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS. CONDITIONS MUST BE CREATED FOR THE REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES IN SAFETY AND DIGNITY.
WITHIN A LONGER PERSPECTIVE, THERE IS EVERY REASON FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO WORK TO LAY DOWN THE FOUNDATIONS OF LASTING STABILITY IN THE CAUCASUS. IT WAS WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT I HAVE WRITTEN SO CONCERNED LEADERS TO FORM A STABILITY PACT FOR THE CAUCASUS ALONG THE LINES OF THE STABILITY PACT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE. I AM PLEASED BY THE REACTIONS I RECEIVED THUS FAR. WE WILL ACTIVELY PURSUE THIS IDEA AND BUILD ON THESE REACTIONS.
PEACE, STABILITY AND SECURITY OF BOTH THE BALKANS AND THE CAUCASUS CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE OVERALL PEACE, STABILITY AND SECURITY IN EUROPE. AND, TURKEY HAS BEEN PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN BOTH REGIONS TO THIS EFFECT.
THE TURKISH-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT IN THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. TURKEY HAS BECOME THE SECOND RANKING TRADE PARTNER OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND WE REGARD THE COOPERATION OF THAT COUNTRY TO BE ESSENTIAL POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, THE GIANT TRANS-FRONTIER PROJECTS OF ENERGY AND INFRA-STRUCTURE THAT WE PURSUE, UNDERPIN NOT A RIVALRY BUT A JOINT EFFORT IN RENDERING OUR REGION RICHER, INTEGRATED AND THUS PEACEFUL.
TURKEY IS SET ON ITS WAY TO BECOME A MAJOR ENERGY TERMINAL IN ITS OWN RIGHT, PROVIDING FOR THE SAFEST AND MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTES FOR THE TRANSPORT OF THE OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF THE CASPIAN BASIN TO WESTERN MARKETS. THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE JOINT EFFORTS, AND THE STABILITY OF THE CAUCASUS REGION IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE FOR ALL, INCLUDING TURKEY AND RUSSIA. HERE AND ELSEWHERE, WE HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED OUR PRINCIPLED STANCE THAT THERE CANNOT BE A DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING AND SHOWING LENIENCY TO TERRORISM. THIS SCOURGE IS THE MOST BLATANT FORM OF ATTACK AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS. TURKEY HERSELF, HAS BEEN UNDER THE ONSLAUGHT OF ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS FORMS OF TERRORISM.
TO THE SOUTH, TURKEY HAS HISTORIC TIES TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND WE HAVE BEEN LONGING FOR THE USHERING OF AN ERA OF EXPANDING COOPERATION BASED ON LASTING STABILITY THAT WILL ALLOW THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION TO FULLY ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THEIR RICH RESOURCES AND HUMAN CAPITAL. IN THIS UNDERSTANDING, WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. AFTER ALL, GREAT BENEFITS WILL ACCRUE TO TURKEY FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WE BELIEVE THERE IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE PEACE PROCESS.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE PAST YEAR HAS INDEED RECEIVED MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS . ON 17 AUGUST LAST, THE TURKISH NATION HAD UNITED IN GRIEF. A VERY POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE STRUCK THE MOST POPULOUS AND URBANIZED REGION OF THE COUNTRY. THE SHEER MAGNITUDE OF THE DISASTER REPRESENTED A UNIQUE CHALLENGE FOR PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO REAFFIRM HUMAN SOLIDARITY. HUMANITY IS HONOURED BY WAY OF THE RESILIENT AND GENEROUS SUPPORT EXTENDED TO THE PEOPLE OF TURKEY. IF THE TRAGEDY WE SURVIVED HAD ONE POSITIVE ASPECT, IT IS THAT THE WORLD HAS SEEN THE ESSENCE OF HUMANITY SHINING THROUGH THE DARKENED SKIES OF THE DISASTER AREAS!
AS WE REACHED DEEPER INTO OURSELVES, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EXTENDED US A POWERFUL HAND IN SAVING LIVES AND COMFORTING OUR PEOPLE MORALLY AND MATERIALLY. WE ARE GRATEFUL!
HELP AND ASSISTANCE POURED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD... YET, IT WAS THE GENUINE FEELINGS OF SHARED GRIEF ON THE PART OF OUR GREEK NEIGHBOURS ESPECIALLY, THAT CARVED AN INDELIBLE MARK IN OUR HEARTS.
IN A TWISTED, AND MOST UNDESIRABLE WAY, WE HAD THE CHANCE TO RECIPROCATE WHEN ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE STRUCK ATHENS FEW WEEKS LATER.
HEEDING THE CALL OF GEOGRAPHY, WE THE TURKS AND THE GREEKS STARTED TO NEGOTIATE SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES, TACTFULLY EVADING MORE DIVISIVE QUESTIONS. WE HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR THIS DIALOGUE, AND WE ARE PLEASED BY THE DEGREE OF IMPROVEMENT THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR IN THIS ONGOING PROCESS. WE ARE AS WELL PLEASED TO SEE CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN THIS PROCESS. THERE IS ROOM FOR OPTIMISM, AND WE HOPE TO TAKE UP THE REMAINING ISSUES SOON. HOWEVER, NO ONE SHOULD EXPECT A QUICK-FIX FOR THE PARTIES THAT HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES AT ODDS SINCE SO MANY YEARS. YET, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE BOTH HAVE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING TODAY OF THE MUTUAL CONCERNS THAT TIE THE DESTINIES OF OUR NATIONS TOGETHER.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
TURKEY ENJOYS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES, FORGED DURING THE LONG DECADES OF THE COLD WAR. AFTER THE END OF THE COLD-WAR, THIS RELATIONSHIP IS RENDERED WITH NEW QUALITIES OF A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP. WHEREAS THE SECURITY DIMENSION OF TURKISH-US RELATIONS WAS DOMINANT DURING THE PRECEDING DECADES, TODAY THIS RELATIONSHIP IS BEING DIVERSIFIED TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANT ECONOMIC AND TRADE ASPECTS AS GREAT POTENTIALS EXIST IN THIS FIELD.
INDEED, IN THIS AREA OF GLOBALIZATION, THE HAPPINESS OF NATIONS ARE NOT SAFEGUARDED BY THE SHEER STRENGTH OF ARMED FORCES. IT IS MORE AND MORE ABOUT FREEDOMS, SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY, BETTER INCOME LEVELS, AND ACCESS TO BETTER EDUCATION AND HEALTH. IT IS ABOUT CREATING ENLIGHTENED SOCIETIES WHERE PEOPLE GUARD HOPE FOR THE FUTURE AND WHERE THE INDIVIDUALS FULFIL THEIR PROMISES.
AT THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW AGE, TURKEY'S STRENGTH IN THE EASTERN HORIZONS WILL FOSTER HER PLACE IN EUROPE AND THE WEST. HER INCREASING STRENGTHS WITHIN EUROPE AND THE WESTERN FOLD IN TURN, WILL FURTHER HELP TURKEY TO TAP THE POTENTIALS IN THE EAST. AS SUCH, TURKEY WILL BE A VERITABLE BRIDGE OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO; IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD; CULTURALLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND POLITICALLY.
IT IS ON THIS AXIS STRETCHING THE WORLD ACROSS THAT TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY WILL BE ACTIVELY PURSUED TO DEFEND FREEDOMS, AND TO FURTHER THE CAUSE OF PEACE, SECURITY, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN THEN NEW CENTURY.
THANK YOU.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
(ÇANKAYA PALACE, 24 MARCH2000, 10:30)
NEW HORIZONS OF TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY
IN THE YEAR 2000 AND BEYOND
YOUR EXCELLENCIES,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU IN ANKARA. THE CAPITAL CITY OF A DYNAMIC, INCREASINGLY INDUSTRIAL AND URBANIZED NATION, LOCATED AT THE EPICENTER OF THE EURASIA, POISED TO BECOME A FULL-MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.
THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY IS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT AT MODERNIZATION AND A SUCCESS STORY. ATATÜRK'S AIM WAS TO INTEGRATE TURKEY WITH THE MODERN WORLD. HE ASKED OF US TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS IN EVERY FIELD. AND TODAY, AS WE ENTER A NEW CENTURY, THIS PROCESS OF INTEGRATION GATHERS PACE, TRUE TO THE VISION OF OUR FOUNDING FATHER.
THE DECISIONS OF THE HELSINKI SUMMIT HAVE BEEN A HISTORIC OCCASION FOR TURKEY AND FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION. IT WAS A LANDMARK EVENT IN THE EUROPEAN VOCATION OF TURKEY AS IT WAS FOR THE IDEAL OF AN UNDIVIDED, DEMOCRATIC, PROSPEROUS AND PEACEFUL EUROPE. TURKEY WILL BECOME A FULL-MEMBER OF THE EU IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME MEETING THE MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA, THEREBY DISPROVING THE PREDICTIONS OF THOSE WHO ARGUE THAT A CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS IS INEVITABLE.
TURKISH MEMBERSHIP WILL BE A CONCRETE CONTRIBUTION TO THE PLURALISM OF THE UNION AND ENRICH IT IN MANY WAYS.
REGARDING THE SET OF EU CRITERIA CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS NO DISCRIMINATION IN TURKEY ON THE BASIS OF ETHNIC ORIGIN, RELIGION, BELIEF OR GENDER. TURKEY IS A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY BASED ON RULE OF LAW. OUR CONCEPTIONS OF NATION AND NATIONALISM IS BASED ON COMMON HISTORY, SHARED DESTINY AND ON THE PRINCIPLES OF CIVIC IDENTITY. HOWEVER, ETHNIC IDENTITY CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE PITTED AGAINST CIVIC IDENTITY. CONSTITUTIONAL PATRIOTISM AND CONSTITUTIONAL CITIZENSHIP ARE THE KEY CONCEPTS TO SAFEGUARD THE RIGHT TO BE DIFFERENT IN OUR DEMOCRACY AS IN ANY OTHER ONE.
YET, WE DO NOT DENY THAT WE HAVE CERTAIN SHORTCOMINGS IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RIGHTS. WE DO NOT, AS WELL, OFFER EXCUSES WHILE WE SURELY CAN, CONSIDERING THE HEAVY TOLL THAT YEARS OF TERRORISM HAS TAKEN ON TURKEY.
AT ANY RATE, ENJOYING THE BEST STANDARDS THAT MODERN DEMOCRACIES OFFER IS THE GENERAL ASPIRATION OF OUR PEOPLE. WE ARE DETERMINED TO ATTAIN THEM NOT FOR THE SAKE OF OUR MEMBERSHIP TO THE EU, BUT FOR OUR PEOPLE WHO DESERVE THE BEST.
ALSO IN THIS RESPECT, THE PROSPECT OF FULL-MEMBERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, CORRESPONDS TO THE ASPIRATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT ALIKE.
LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC ON THIS COUNT: THROUGH EFFORTS WE WILL BE RESOLUTELY EXERTING TO REALIZE TURKEY'S FULL-MEMBERSHIP TO THE EU, TURKEY WILL BE REACHING THOSE STANDARDS THAT HAVE COME TO DEFINE THE STATE-OF-THE-ART IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE.
AT THIS JUNCTURE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ONCE AGAIN: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY REPRESENTS THE CULMINATION OF A LONG AND ARDUOUS STRUGGLE TOWARDS NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE, AND FREEDOM WHEREBY THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WERE ENDOWED WITH ALL THE BENEFITS OF CITIZENSHIP, AND AN OVERRIDING SENSE OF BELONGING TO A MODERN NATION STATE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY WHICH DATES BACK MORE THAN A MILLENNIUM.
THE TURKISH PEOPLE EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS EMANATING FROM THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL CITIZENSHIP AS EQUALS BEFORE THE LAW. THE REPUBLIC DRAWS ITS STRENGTH FROM THIS CONCEPT OF CITIZENSHIP BASED UPON EQUALITY, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, AND SECULARISM.
TURKEY IS CONCEIVED IN DREAMS!
BUT IT IS NOT CREATED ON THE SPUR OF COINCIDENCES: AS TOTALITARIAN REGIMES FINALLY CRUMBLED UNDER THE FORCE OF THE EVERLASTING CALL FOR FREEDOM, THE FLOW OF HISTORY IN THE LAST CENTURY HAS VINDICATED THE PREMISES BEHIND THE FOUNDING PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTAL CHOICES OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC.
AS A NEW AGE DAWNS, TURKEY IS AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FORCE ON THE SIDE OF PEACE, SECURITY, STABILITY, AND AN ENLIGHTENED WAY OF LIFE!
INDEED, THE WAY WE ARE EMBRACING THE NEW CENTURY IS IN SHARP CONTRAST WITH HOW WE HAD TO ENTER THE PREVIOUS ONE: IT WAS THEN CALLED AS "THE SICK MAN OF EUROPE". TODAY, TURKEY ENTERS THE NEW CENTURY WITH VIGOR, HOPE AND THE WILL TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF MODERN CIVILIZATION.
IN ALL SENSES OF THE WORD, TURKEY IS NOW TIGHTLY INTERTWINED WITH THE WORLD THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. TODAY, TURKEY IS AMONG THE TOP EMERGING MARKETS, THE SIXTEENTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD POSSESSING ONE OF THE BEST ENTREPRENEURIAL CLASSES ONE CAN FIND ANYWHERE. NINETY PERCENT OF OUR EXPORTS CONSISTS OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS RECEIVED BY 134 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE. WE ARE A PLURALISTIC AND VIBRANT DEMOCRACY, THE ONLY ONE AMONG ISLAMIC NATIONS.
THIS IS WHY, TURKEY ENTERS THE SECOND MILLENNIUM PERCEIVABLY ASSERTING A GLOBAL ROLE: AFTER ALL, IT IS THIS COUNTRY THAT HAS THE STRONGEST ECONOMY IN A VAST REGION EXTENDING FROM THE BALKANS TO THE CAUCASUS, THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN AND CENTRAL ASIA; INDEED, HAVING THE DEEPEST AND MOST DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIAL BASE IN BETWEEN VIENNA AND TOKYO.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT HAS THE LONGEST-RUNNING DEMOCRACY IN THIS VAST GEOGRAPHY. IT IS A COUNTRY DIRECTLY SHARING A LONG HISTORY WHICH HAD ITS SHARE OF GOOD AND BAD DAYS, WITH NEARLY 40 COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
THIS HISTORY IS NOT OUR LIABILITY, BUT OUR GREAT ASSET: BEING EUROPEAN AND ASIAN AT ONCE IS A UNIQUE PRIVILEGE! AT THIS ERA WHEN EUROPE AND ASIA FIND THEMSELVES AS PARTS OF A LARGER WHOLE, INCREASINGLY INTERDEPENDENT AND INTEGRATED IN TUNE WITH NEW REALITIES, TURKEY IS NO LONGER THE FLANK STATE, BUT AT THE VERY HUB AND CENTER OF TODAY'S GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS.
THIS IS WHERE THE OCCIDENT AND THE ORIENT MEET TO CREATE THE LASTING AND RELEVANT TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE NEW CENTURY AHEAD OF US. IT IS HERE THAT THE PULSES OF THE MODERN TIMES WILL RESONATE WITH THE PEOPLES OF SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE, THE BLACK SEA BASIN, THE CAUCASUS, THE CASPIAN BASIN, AND THE DEEPER STRETCHES OF CENTRAL ASIA.
THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION IS BEST TO BE SEEN IN TURKEY IN ITS HUMANE AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS: UKRAINIANS, MOLDOVANS, AZERIS, RUSSIANS AND ROMANIANS MINGLE WITH THE FRENCH, THE GERMANS AND THE DUTCH ON THE STREETS OF ISTANBUL. CHASE MANHATTAN MOSCOW REPORTS TO CHASE ISTANBUL. NOKIA TRANSFERS ITS EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS FROM HELSINKI TO ISTANBUL, ACTING IN TANDEM WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC AGGREGATES OF TURKEY, COUPLED WITH OUR EXPANDING RELATIONS, AND THE MORAL IMPETUS TO AFFECT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER THAT DIRECTLY EMANATES FROM THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE REPUBLIC, REPRESENT A UNIQUE POWER BASE. TURKEY, GIVEN ITS GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEO-STRATEGIC LOCATION ALONG WITH THE PATRIMONY OF ITS ACHIEVEMENTS LAST CENTURY IS BETTER DISPOSED AND BETTER PREPARED TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF GLOBALIZATION THAN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.
YET, WE ARE AWARE OF THE MANIFOLD RESPONSIBILITIES STEMMING FROM OUR GLOBAL ROLE AND POTENTIALS. BLENDING ITS RICHES AND HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE, THEREFORE, WITH CONTEMPORARY TRAITS IS TURKEY'S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HUMANITY. IT IS THROUGH THE DESERVED ATTRIBUTES OF MODERNITY THAT WE WILL BE WORKING TO FULFIL THE PROMISE INHERENT IN TURKEY AND ITS PEOPLE:
PRECISELY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AND DEFEND THE IDEALS OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, AND THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN OUR WIDENING REGION; A TURBULENT ONE WHICH IS IN NEED OF A SUCCESSFUL MODEL OF MODERNIZATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT CAPABLE TO REASSURE INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES.
THAT TURKEY FULFILS THIS ROLE IS OF GREAT INTEREST NOT ONLY FOR EUROPE AND THE COUNTRIES OF OUR WIDER REGION, BUT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
TURKEY IS ABOUT FOSTERING A BETTER PROSPECT FOR THE MANKIND!
THE TURKISH NATION HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM ITSELF!
LIKEWISE, THE WORLD HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM TURKEY!
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
EVIDENTLY, TURKEY HAS TO PURSUE A MULTI-FACETED FOREIGN POLICY. THIS HAS BECOME STILL MORE RELEVANT AFTER THE DECISIONS OF THE HELSINKI SUMMIT IN DECEMBER, ANNOUNCING THE CANDIDATE STATUS OF TURKEY FOR FULL-MEMBERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN UNION. AS THE FRONTIERS OF THE UNION EXTEND, THE NEED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LASTING STABILITY IN THE BELEAGUERED REGIONS AROUND TURKEY BECOMES A MORE URGENT TASK.
IN THE BALKANS AND THE CAUCASUS, WE HAVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THE MULTI-ETHNIC CHARACTER OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND KOSOVA MUST BE PRESERVED.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CENTURIES, THE PEOPLES IN THE BALKANS SHARE THE SAME ASPIRATION THAT IS TO BE PART OF THE EUROPEAN PROJECT. HOWEVER, LACK OF DEMOCRATIC CREDENTIALS ON THE PART OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA IS THE ONLY OBSTACLE TO MAKE THIS REGION AS A WHOLE PART OF THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION.
BALKAN STABILITY PACT IS THE KEY INSTRUMENT FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE SHARED DREAMS AND IDEALS OF THE COUNTRIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE. THEREFORE, WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE BALKAN STABILITY PACT AND WE WILL ALSO BE PURSUING EVERY EFFORT THAT HAS ANY CHANCE OF BRINGING SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT AFFECT THE FUTURE WELL-BEING AND PROSPERITY OF THIS REGION THAT ARE VASTLY IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY AS WELL AS FOR EUROPE AS A WHOLE FOR OBVIOUS GEOGRAPHIC, HISTORIC, ECONOMIC, HUMANITARIAN, CULTURAL AND SECURITY REASONS.
TURKEY IS ON LEGITIMATE GROUNDS WHEN DESIRING TO SECURE AND SAFEGUARD HER INTERESTS, AND THIS EXPLAINS OUR ACTIVE AND FULL SUPPORT OF NATO WHEN THIS ORGANIZATION HAD TO INTERFERE TWICE TO STOP FURTHER TRAGEDY, BLOODSHED AND THE HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF AGGRESSIVE ETHNO-NATIONALISM.
IN A SIMILAR VEIN, THE CAUCASUS HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF GREAT TRAGEDIES RECENTLY. WHILE WE DO NOT CONDONE ANY FORM OF TERRORISM, AND SUPPORT THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF ALL NATIONS AS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE, THE SUFFERING OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION IN THAT REGION IS A CAUSE FOR GREAT CONCERN. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS. CONDITIONS MUST BE CREATED FOR THE REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES IN SAFETY AND DIGNITY.
WITHIN A LONGER PERSPECTIVE, THERE IS EVERY REASON FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO WORK TO LAY DOWN THE FOUNDATIONS OF LASTING STABILITY IN THE CAUCASUS. IT WAS WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT I HAVE WRITTEN SO CONCERNED LEADERS TO FORM A STABILITY PACT FOR THE CAUCASUS ALONG THE LINES OF THE STABILITY PACT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE. I AM PLEASED BY THE REACTIONS I RECEIVED THUS FAR. WE WILL ACTIVELY PURSUE THIS IDEA AND BUILD ON THESE REACTIONS.
PEACE, STABILITY AND SECURITY OF BOTH THE BALKANS AND THE CAUCASUS CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE OVERALL PEACE, STABILITY AND SECURITY IN EUROPE. AND, TURKEY HAS BEEN PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN BOTH REGIONS TO THIS EFFECT.
THE TURKISH-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT IN THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. TURKEY HAS BECOME THE SECOND RANKING TRADE PARTNER OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND WE REGARD THE COOPERATION OF THAT COUNTRY TO BE ESSENTIAL POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, THE GIANT TRANS-FRONTIER PROJECTS OF ENERGY AND INFRA-STRUCTURE THAT WE PURSUE, UNDERPIN NOT A RIVALRY BUT A JOINT EFFORT IN RENDERING OUR REGION RICHER, INTEGRATED AND THUS PEACEFUL.
TURKEY IS SET ON ITS WAY TO BECOME A MAJOR ENERGY TERMINAL IN ITS OWN RIGHT, PROVIDING FOR THE SAFEST AND MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTES FOR THE TRANSPORT OF THE OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF THE CASPIAN BASIN TO WESTERN MARKETS. THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE JOINT EFFORTS, AND THE STABILITY OF THE CAUCASUS REGION IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE FOR ALL, INCLUDING TURKEY AND RUSSIA. HERE AND ELSEWHERE, WE HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED OUR PRINCIPLED STANCE THAT THERE CANNOT BE A DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING AND SHOWING LENIENCY TO TERRORISM. THIS SCOURGE IS THE MOST BLATANT FORM OF ATTACK AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS. TURKEY HERSELF, HAS BEEN UNDER THE ONSLAUGHT OF ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS FORMS OF TERRORISM.
TO THE SOUTH, TURKEY HAS HISTORIC TIES TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND WE HAVE BEEN LONGING FOR THE USHERING OF AN ERA OF EXPANDING COOPERATION BASED ON LASTING STABILITY THAT WILL ALLOW THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION TO FULLY ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THEIR RICH RESOURCES AND HUMAN CAPITAL. IN THIS UNDERSTANDING, WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. AFTER ALL, GREAT BENEFITS WILL ACCRUE TO TURKEY FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WE BELIEVE THERE IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE PEACE PROCESS.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE PAST YEAR HAS INDEED RECEIVED MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS . ON 17 AUGUST LAST, THE TURKISH NATION HAD UNITED IN GRIEF. A VERY POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE STRUCK THE MOST POPULOUS AND URBANIZED REGION OF THE COUNTRY. THE SHEER MAGNITUDE OF THE DISASTER REPRESENTED A UNIQUE CHALLENGE FOR PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO REAFFIRM HUMAN SOLIDARITY. HUMANITY IS HONOURED BY WAY OF THE RESILIENT AND GENEROUS SUPPORT EXTENDED TO THE PEOPLE OF TURKEY. IF THE TRAGEDY WE SURVIVED HAD ONE POSITIVE ASPECT, IT IS THAT THE WORLD HAS SEEN THE ESSENCE OF HUMANITY SHINING THROUGH THE DARKENED SKIES OF THE DISASTER AREAS!
AS WE REACHED DEEPER INTO OURSELVES, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EXTENDED US A POWERFUL HAND IN SAVING LIVES AND COMFORTING OUR PEOPLE MORALLY AND MATERIALLY. WE ARE GRATEFUL!
HELP AND ASSISTANCE POURED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD... YET, IT WAS THE GENUINE FEELINGS OF SHARED GRIEF ON THE PART OF OUR GREEK NEIGHBOURS ESPECIALLY, THAT CARVED AN INDELIBLE MARK IN OUR HEARTS.
IN A TWISTED, AND MOST UNDESIRABLE WAY, WE HAD THE CHANCE TO RECIPROCATE WHEN ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE STRUCK ATHENS FEW WEEKS LATER.
HEEDING THE CALL OF GEOGRAPHY, WE THE TURKS AND THE GREEKS STARTED TO NEGOTIATE SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES, TACTFULLY EVADING MORE DIVISIVE QUESTIONS. WE HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR THIS DIALOGUE, AND WE ARE PLEASED BY THE DEGREE OF IMPROVEMENT THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR IN THIS ONGOING PROCESS. WE ARE AS WELL PLEASED TO SEE CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN THIS PROCESS. THERE IS ROOM FOR OPTIMISM, AND WE HOPE TO TAKE UP THE REMAINING ISSUES SOON. HOWEVER, NO ONE SHOULD EXPECT A QUICK-FIX FOR THE PARTIES THAT HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES AT ODDS SINCE SO MANY YEARS. YET, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE BOTH HAVE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING TODAY OF THE MUTUAL CONCERNS THAT TIE THE DESTINIES OF OUR NATIONS TOGETHER.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
TURKEY ENJOYS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES, FORGED DURING THE LONG DECADES OF THE COLD WAR. AFTER THE END OF THE COLD-WAR, THIS RELATIONSHIP IS RENDERED WITH NEW QUALITIES OF A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP. WHEREAS THE SECURITY DIMENSION OF TURKISH-US RELATIONS WAS DOMINANT DURING THE PRECEDING DECADES, TODAY THIS RELATIONSHIP IS BEING DIVERSIFIED TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANT ECONOMIC AND TRADE ASPECTS AS GREAT POTENTIALS EXIST IN THIS FIELD.
INDEED, IN THIS AREA OF GLOBALIZATION, THE HAPPINESS OF NATIONS ARE NOT SAFEGUARDED BY THE SHEER STRENGTH OF ARMED FORCES. IT IS MORE AND MORE ABOUT FREEDOMS, SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY, BETTER INCOME LEVELS, AND ACCESS TO BETTER EDUCATION AND HEALTH. IT IS ABOUT CREATING ENLIGHTENED SOCIETIES WHERE PEOPLE GUARD HOPE FOR THE FUTURE AND WHERE THE INDIVIDUALS FULFIL THEIR PROMISES.
AT THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW AGE, TURKEY'S STRENGTH IN THE EASTERN HORIZONS WILL FOSTER HER PLACE IN EUROPE AND THE WEST. HER INCREASING STRENGTHS WITHIN EUROPE AND THE WESTERN FOLD IN TURN, WILL FURTHER HELP TURKEY TO TAP THE POTENTIALS IN THE EAST. AS SUCH, TURKEY WILL BE A VERITABLE BRIDGE OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO; IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD; CULTURALLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND POLITICALLY.
IT IS ON THIS AXIS STRETCHING THE WORLD ACROSS THAT TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY WILL BE ACTIVELY PURSUED TO DEFEND FREEDOMS, AND TO FURTHER THE CAUSE OF PEACE, SECURITY, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN THEN NEW CENTURY.
THANK YOU.
