Thank you, Ambassador Indyk, for the generous introduction and the kind invitation to this important gathering of the U.S.-Islamic World Forum. I would also like to thank our hosts, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy of the Brookings Institution and also the State of Qatar and particularly to Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr for organizing this event.

My kindest regards go also to President Karzai and my fellow panelists and Ambassador Khalilzad, as well as to the Excellencies from the Diplomatic Corps in Doha, and distinguished participants.

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This meeting comes at a time when the entire world, not just America, is closely watching the evolving race for the President of the United States later this year.

In fact, the world having shrunk to only a few nanoseconds of delay in live transmissions from anywhere in the globe, the human race is increasingly evolving into a single civilization. Our issues affect each other, and our aspirations are reflected on one another.

The world needs and wants an anchor, a stabilizing force that allows us believe that we will be evolving towards the better, not sliding towards chaos.

Such an anchor can only derive from a sense of community that is bound by a sense of justice and morality, respect for human rights and international law, dialogue across cultures, empathy across differences, celebration of similarities, and solidarity in the face of threats, risks and opportunities.

These are, no doubt, lofty ideals and may not always be practical policies. Yet, they provide a moral and philosophical compass to those who are entrusted to make decisions and lead. Because we cannot always know what the immediate consequences of our actions will be, having the right compass is necessary.

Ibn Khaldun is known to have said: “He who finds a new path is a pathfinder, even if the trail has to be found again by others; and he who walks far ahead of his contemporaries is a leader, even though centuries pass before he is recognized as such.” Truthfully, that sort of a timeline may be hard to swallow for democratically elected leaders of today who need to face their electorate with results every so many years. Yet, it is a lesson we all would do well to follow.

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New directions will at any rate have to answer the persisting challenges and the new.

On the more global side, these challenges include adjusting to the shifting global economic and financial balances and demands of globalization; fending off the terrorist threat; revitalizing international arms control; empowering the people; closing the gap between the have’s and the have not’s; and strengthening our energy security.

For the specific purposes of this conference, and also on their own merits, however, I would like to focus on four concrete emphases.

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The first emphasis: the need to resist the emerging phenomenon of Islamophobia.

When terror struck America, the world united with the American people regardless of their race, gender, or religion. That’s because terror knows no religious, racial, ethnic or cultural boundaries. Terror is a crime against humanity and cannot be justified on any grounds.

That said, one sees visible and unmistakable signs around the world of growing perception that Islam and the Muslim are inextricably associated with terror. I trust we all agree that this crude and imprecise generalization is unacceptable, and it is surely detrimental to any effort to engender dialogue and cooperation across religious, cultural and national lines. The best antidote to Islamophobia is education, first hand engagement and increased familiarity.

Islam is a religion of peace. Peace is the object of Islam and the purpose of the Muslim.

The twin sister of this cautionary note is the need for the Muslim world to clearly and unequivocally dissociate itself from extremists who purport to speak on Islam’s behalf and who use it as an excuse for hatred and terror. Violence in the name of any religion should not be tolerated. No religious authority, whether it is a church, a synagogue or mosque, should preach hatred. With these principles in mind, Turkey co-sponsors the “Alliance of Civilizations” initiative with the Government of Spain. Recently this Alliance is taken under the auspices of the U.N. Secretary General. The U.N. Secretary General has appointed a Special Representative for this Alliance. The Alliance addresses the polarization between Muslim world and the West in an effort to increase mutual understanding between the two great cultures. Every Government is coming with their National Plans and their concrete action plans.

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Secondly, there must be a renewed vigor to manage and peacefully resolve continuing conflicts, particularly in the Middle East. I speak especially of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which has repercussions for the relationship between the U.S. and the Muslim world and which we must do everything possible to resolve.

In the particular case of the Palestinian issue, the work has already begun in Annapolis and needs to be taken forward towards the realization of a two-state solution.

Turkey is keen to make its own contributions and maintain good relations with both sides of the conflict. Our engagement in the issue found its symbol in November 2007 when the Israeli and Palestinian Presidents jointly addressed the Turkish Parliament. The idea is now agreed by all sides in the area.

As I underlined in Annapolis, the period following that Conference “will be crucial and sensitive. There will be challenges and efforts to block the road towards peace. We must never give up and prove that peace can be achieved through political dialogue.” I cautioned, therefore, that “it is vital that all sides must refrain from taking unilateral steps that can lead to renewed tensions. On the other hand, the Palestinians must overcome the challenge of divisiveness within their own community. The current situation in Palestine is harmful to the Palestinian cause and it may impede the implementation of any future decision that might be reached in the negotiations.”

Turkey will remain engaged. In addition to our political efforts we will continue to promote cooperation around economic reconstruction. We have recently pledged 150 million dollars to the Palestinians for three years to be spent through various projects. And, Turkey has initiated a tripartite platform, referred to as the Ankara Forum, to promote economic and commercial relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The idea is now agreed by all sides in the region.

However, the Israel-Palestinian dispute is part and parcel of a broader set of conflicts and issues in the Middle East that await attention, commitment, engagement and resolution. Efforts to resolve these manifold issues will find no truer supporter than Turkey. Our engagement is real on all fronts, as symbolized by more than a dozen high-level visits I have made to the countries of the Middle East only in the last few months.

This includes Lebanon, where Turkey is the only country from the region to take part in UNIFIL.

Our relations with neighbors such as Syria and Iran also continue to develop positively. We believe in the merit of engaging these countries in international cooperation.

In this regard, we have been encouraging Syria’s full cooperation with the international community in Iraq, Lebanon and the Annapolis process.

Likewise, in respect to the question of Iran’s nuclear program, Turkey has assumed the role of a facilitator and used every opportunity to encourage Iran’s compliance with the requirements of the international community and Turkey has been advising the international community to address the issue with diplomatic ways.

I would be remiss, of course, not to mention Iraq. Iraq’s political unity, territorial integrity and co-ownership and joint exploitation of its resources are vitally important. Turkey has stepped up its efforts to help Iraq in its time of need. In the political field, our efforts were concentrated on encouraging the broad participation of all segments of Iraqi society in the political processes, as well as on achieving compromise solutions to potentially explosive issues such as we face in Kirkuk.

To foster a regional and international approach, Turkey pioneered and hosted the neighboring countries initiative, which has since grown to include the P-5 and G-8 nations.

I would add in this rubric the efforts to stabilize and reconstruct Afghanistan, where Turkey invests heavily, and which must be a common cause of the entire international community.

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My third emphasis is on encouraging a common resolve and renewed vigor to pursue international justice. We can only win by upholding international law and developing it further in tandem with our common interests and purposes. Nothing reassures the international community more than an equitable international political and economic order governed by the rule of law. That reassurance in turn translates into increased security and prosperity for all. Strengthening the existing body of regional and global organizations is a component of this overall emphasis. *

Last but not least, the promotion of democracy, good governance and the domestic rule of law in a way that strengthens the mosaic of states must continue to be a goal for all of us.

* Distinguished guests:

I want to conclude my remarks by pointing to the importance of a strong bilateral relationship with the United States. Turkey and the United States have been two strategic partners whose collaboration over the past many decades has culminated in countless important advances on a broad array of issues in a vast geography ranging from Europe to Central Asia and the Middle East.

At the crossroads of continents and cultures, and as a country which is also a part of the Middle East and enjoying good relations with all the parties in the region, Turkey has unique role to play.

The cycle of violence and despair is not and should not be the destiny of the people of this region. Turkey will remain committed to contribute to establishing peace, security, stability and prosperity in its neighbourhood as well as becoming a landmark in global diversity and co-existence of different cultures.

Thank you.