While relations between Turkey and Israel, which have been declining since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “one minute” incident at Davos and his visit to Pakistan and Iran, were addressed at the symposium, scholars agreed that the government’s Middle East policies were appropriate as long as it did not gravitate toward the idea of neo-Ottomanism.
The symposium was organized by the Prime Ministry Atatürk Research Center, the Hatay Governor’s Office, the Hatay Municipality, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, the Center of Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM) and the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) and brought together Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi scholars.
While Turkey’s new role in the Middle East was discussed during the symposium, it was decided that due to this new position, the scope of the conference series would be extended to include border provinces.
ORSAM Director Hasan Kanbolat told Today’s Zaman that a series of conferences and symposiums would be held in Gaziantep, Kilis, Kars and Edirne from now on. He said that organizing meetings in provinces along the border facilitates effective discussions on relations between Turkey and the respective border country. On the last day of the three-day symposium, participants will tour the Syrian city of Aleppo.
Professor Ali Arslan from İstanbul University, who spoke on the first day of the symposium held at the Hatay Cultural Center, said that until now Turkey had not properly understood the developments in the Middle East and underlined that even if Israel is an ally of Turkey, it does not want any other power to exist in the Middle East. While explaining that Israel, which opposed Turkey’s intervention in Cyprus in 1954, realizes the potential Turkey has to influence the peoples of the Middle East, Arslan said Middle Eastern countries saw Turkey as a satellite of another power until the Turkish Parliament rejected the March 1 bill on allowing US troops to use Turkish soil to invade Iraq. Their perceptions changed after the US intervention in Iraq.
During his opening speech, Arslan said it would be impossible to have zero problems in the Middle East but certain problems could be put on hold. He also said the region-oriented foreign policy adopted by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government is the least expensive defense policy.
“[The Late Turkish Prime Minister] Adnan Menderes paid the price of going to the Soviet Union by being hanged. But no one else that went after him was hanged. Even pro-American Evren went. Up until now, Turkey has cooperated with the Middle East because of the perception of fear. The first intellectual axis of cooperation was formed with the rejection of the March 1 bill. But it would be wrong to use this to develop neo-Ottomanism. The Turkish Republic is not the Ottoman Empire. There are Middle Eastern peoples that want peace and prosperity with mutual cooperation. Soviet and US interventions in the region have paved the way for the creation of a strong philosophy of independence. As long as no one takes cover under a neo-Ottoman image, a ground of shared happiness can be established in the Middle East with Turkey’s leadership,” he said.
Atatürk Research Center President Professor Cezmi Eraslan said scholars have a greater responsibility than politicians for friendship and brotherhood to prevail in Middle Eastern countries and added that they will organize more symposiums in cities close to Syria and Iraq.
Traffic increases across Syrian border after visa requirements lifted
Kanbolat, a founder of the symposium, recalled that visa restrictions between Turkey and Syria were still in effect at the time they decided to organize the symposium, saying: “We are living in a period where boundaries are dissolving. We are in a period where we are solving our problems with neighbors. Our goal is to develop cooperation through dialogue and understanding whilst protecting our differences. Prior to the removal of visa requirements, there were around 50,000 vehicles passing through the Cilvegözu crossing between Turkey and Syria. Now this figure has reached 100,000. There has been a rapid growth in traffic between the two countries. We are obliged to improve the dialogue between not only businessmen but also scholars because when scholars come together peace will start to take root.”
Kanbolat also recommended forming an alliance similar to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) organization that could be called the East Mediterranean Cooperation organization and establishing a center called the “Middle East House” in Hatay to bring together scholars, artists and cultural leaders.
Pointing out that countries and peoples in the Middle East have always focused on their differences until now, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Rector Şeraffettin Canda said that if common values were brought to the fore, every country would benefit immensely from this. He explained that friendly relations between Turkey and Syria would not only benefit the region but also make valuable contributions to world peace and emphasized that they are always ready to contribute to these kinds of meetings.
Hatay Governor Celalettin Lekesiz noted that recent developments have discredited claims that peace and cooperation in the Middle East is a mere fantasy. “Peace, friendship and cooperation in this basin is not a fantasy. The efforts of the people to live in peace and prosperity are putting pressure on the administrations. The most important road to wealth now passes through friendship and cooperation,” he said.
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