Speaking out

Dr Akkan Suver: A forum for Eurasia

Dr. Akkan Suver is the President of the Marmara Foundation, which is organising next month’s international Eurasia Summit in Istanbul, with a focus on regional energy issues, the role of small businesses and the fight against international terrorism. In the following commentary, Dr Suver explains the aims of the Foundation, the way in which the summit has developed over the years, the choice of topics, the other activities which will take place in and around the summit, and the dignitaries expected to attend. In his view, “Focusing on the EU does not mean that we should neglect Eurasia. Relations between Turkey and the Eurasian countries are weak, yet these regions have rich natural resources. It is not meaningful to be the poor steward of the rich resources in the Eurasia Region. We started out to discover new and broader ways of joining forces and cooperating.” The Foundation President concludes his remarks with some propositions on the concept of Eurasia itself.

The Marmara Vakfı (Marmara Foundation) was founded in 1985 with the aim of examining strategic issues and suggesting solutions to private and public institutions. It is a non-governmental organization. It carries out research, makes proposals, implements projects, discusses problems, handles enquires and helps to determine the public agenda. Our greatest goals are to develop “adoption strategies” by analyzing the effects of change, and to help non-governmental organizations so that they can play an important role in the development of democracy and the culture of civil society.

The Marmara Foundation is also the organizer of the annual Eurasian Economic Summit, which is now in its ninth year. The first summit was organized by the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation eight years ago, with the attendance of just 6 countries. At that time I was the Secretary General of the Marmara Foundation. When I became president, we were on our way to staging the second summit. Gradually, these events have turned into a prestigious venture on the international stage. This year, the Ninth Eurasian Economic Summit will take place from May 8 to May 10, at the Assembly Hall of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul.

Complementing the EU

Relations between Turkey and the Eurasian countries were as bright as a comet during the presidencies of Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel. The current government has focused on the EU, and has not given due consideration to the relations with the Eurasian Countries. But focusing on the EU does not require us to neglect the Eurasian countries. These regions still have rich resources and Turkey remains the poor steward of these rich resources. However the Turkish community and its youth have the strength and ability to make use of these resources. I believe that Turkey can take advantage of its identity to lead EU countries to this region.

I regard these summits as works undertaken to realize the goal set by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – namely, to achieve peace, stability and welfare for the region by cooperation among countries.

Every year we try to move one step further and realize the summits with a broader horizon. Last year, ten countries were represented at the Summit at the level of government ministers. Ninth President of Turkey Süleyman Demirel, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Bülent Arınç, Ministers of State Kürşat Tüzmen and Nimet Çubukçu, Minister of Internal Affairs Abdülkadir Aksu, Minister of Industry and Trade Ali Coşkun, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Güler and Minister of Tourism Atilla Koç represented Turkey at the Summit.

Three key themes

This year, we have three themes. We will work on energy issue on the first day, trade and industry on the second day and finally international terrorism, internal, external and international security on the last day. The subtitles of the first day (May 8, 2006) will be: World’s Energy Need, Alternative Energy Resources, Energy Strategies of Eurasia-EU-USA-China-Japan, Geostrategic and Geopolitical Importance of EU and Eurasian Dimensions of Energy Strategies, Security Dimension of Energy: Future of Oil and Natural Gas Pipelines, and Security of the Turkish Straits.

On May 9, 2006 which is the second day of the Summit, we will be focusing on Trade and Industry. Under the leadership of the Small and Medium-Scale Industry Development Organization of the Republic of Turkey (KOSGEB) and its president Erkan Gürkan, we will draw a map for small and medium-size enterprises (SME’s) and introduce their performances to the representatives of foreign countries. Mr. Ali Coşkun, the Minister of Industry and Trade, will be attending this session just as he did last year.

To fill in a little more detail, we will touch on the following issues: SME’s – Pioneering and Leadership of KOSGEB, EU and UN Supported Funds and New Opportunities, Creativity, Relations Among the Economic Sectors, International Dialogue, Tourism and Congress, Meeting, Adventure, MASS, Leisure, Cultural and Belief Tourism: Alternative Tourism Options, Textiles, Ready-to-Wear Clothing, Home Textiles and Leather.

Finally on the last day of the Summit (May 10, 2006), we will turn to the crucial issue of ‘Globalizing Terrorism – Internal and International Security’. This issue will be discussed by high-level national and international authorities. It will be addressed under the following headings: Terrorism and Technology, Terrorism and Economy, Terrorism and Development, Cyber-terrorism (Terrorism and Science), Terrorism and International Cooperation, Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), The UN and the Fight Against Terrorism, and Security of Women: Social & Economic.

It is clear that under the insecure conditions it is not possible to talk about capital and investments.

Exhibits and messages

The summit will be accompanied by a number of other activities. As every year, under the leadership of the Süleyman Orakçıoğlu and the Istanbul Textile & Apparel Exporters' Associations (İTKİB), we will organize a fashion show. This will provide a great opportunity for our foreign guests to view new horizons for the future.

This year, the Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration (TİKA) will make a major advertisement of Turkey’s mission and vision for the region and the countries in it.

During our cocktail party this year, the Turkey Bottle and Glass Factories will present unique examples of Turkish handicrafts.

In addition, Azerbaijan will be involved in a wide range of promotional activities. Azerbaijan will be particularly well represented at the summit at the highest level.

Invited guests

Altogether, we have invited to the summit ministers, chairmen of chambers and businessmen interested in making investments from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Syria, Tunisia, China, India, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the United States and Israel.

At the time of writing, the following have confirmed that they will be participating in the summit: Ion Iliescu, the former President of Romania; Pal Csaky, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia; Heydar Babayev, Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan; Abbas Abbasov, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan; Hakim Soliyev, Minister of Economy and Trade of Tajikistan; Albert Chernichev, former Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Turkey; Charles Washington, Senior Policy Analyst of the US Department of Energy, Franc Urbancic, Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism at the US State Department; Ali Hasanov, Presidential Executive Staff for Political and Economic Relations of Azerbaijan; Abid Şerifov, Vice Prime Minister of Azerbaijan; Natıq Aliyev, Minister of Trade and Industry of Azerbaijan; Nazım İbrahimov, Minister of State of Azerbaijan; Irakli Chogovadze, Minister of Economic Development of Georgia; Jusuf Kalamperovic, Minister of Internal Affairs of Montenegro; Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of Israel and member of the Parliament (Knesset); Lothar Klemm, former Minister and Member of Parliament of Germany; Colonel (Ret.) Jonathan Figel, Executive Deputy Director of the International Policy Institute for Counter Terrorism (Israel), and Dr. Alon Liel, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. There are still several weeks to go until the Summit, and I am confident that we will receive many more confirmations, just as happened last year.

Defining Eurasia

Some comment may be called for concerning the definition of “Eurasia”. Is Eurasia a land-based civilization? Where does it start and end? Is it possible to make a geopolitical evaluation for the whole of Eurasia?

First of all, we have to know that in the strict sense there are only two countries which we can call Eurasian countries. These are Turkey and Russia. If we evaluate this concept in a narrow perspective, we cannot include either China or Kyrgyzstan, which would be an incomplete evaluation. It is necessary to treat the concept in relation to notions of “belonging” and “civilization”.

According to some, the values of the Atlantic and Eurasia cannot be reconciled. These people argue that the Atlantic is a sea-based civilization whereas Eurasia is a land-based civilization. Thus the two civilizations appear in opposition to one another. However, in the philosophy of civilization there must be togetherness and complementariness.

When talking about civilization, we must mention endurance and tolerance, not contradictions. Consequently, the philosophy of Eurasia reflects harmonization from the Atlantic seaboard to America and from the geography of Africa to that of Australia. It would not be correct to limit the philosophy of Eurasia to a triangular region with China, Russia and Turkey as its sides. This is not a cultural movement but a standard for civilization.

Pioneering common values

In short, we should not evaluate Eurasia just as a land based civilization and present it in opposition to other civilizations. Nor should its philosophy be restricted to Russia and Turkey alone. Accordingly, we have opened the horizon of the Eurasian Economic Summits to all the other four continents. We gather people and cultures from America, Africa and Europe together with Eurasia.

Eurasia is a standard of civilization. And civilization is the common value of the human being. This is what we are pioneering.

( DIPLOMAT - April 2006 - Ankara )