This week Istanbul will host two separate but related international
conferences on mediation. One will be devoted to the state of play in the
conflict map and capacity for mediation within the membership of the
Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The second one will adopt a
broad scope and discuss the connections between sustainable development,
peace and mediation; the ways to increase gender and youth inclusion in
mediation processes; and a thought provoking session on the role of big
data and artificial intelligence in conflict and mediation analysis. It may
be thought that conferences are conferences but the Istanbul Mediation
Conferences have proven rather influential in cultivating a shared
understanding of issues and an agenda for action in the field of mediation
and peaceful conflict resolution. As the host of these conferences and the
only country that co-chairs the Friends of Mediation Groups in three
distinct important international organizations, namely the United Nations,
the OIC and the OSCE, Turkey has the ability to share the findings of these
conferences in these international organizations.
The fact of the matter is that humanity is facing a distinct challenge in
the 21st century. Just when many people thought that the glass
is half full in terms of the achievements in international law,
institutions, democracy and the rule of law, accountability, free trade,
gender equality and others, the empty half of the glass has begun to
reassert itself. The symptoms are known to all of us and need no reminding.
Trade wars, new forms of international exploitation, geopolitical
competitions, great power proxy wars, disintegrating nation states,
terrorism, xenophobia, animosity against Islam, raging inequalities and
injustice count among the contemporary trends that make up the glass half
empty. The challenges of humanity are eating away the achievements and
opportunities of humanity. Which side will prevail? The answer depends on
how we respond to challenges, including on how much we humans can work
together towards positive outcomes. One point is clear: unless we take
initiative and be enterprising and humanitarian, the bad will prevail.
Wait-and-see attitude is no longer tenable. Policy options differ from
mediation to actual use of force against terrorists.
Take the situation in Syria. Turkey’s enterprising and humanitarian
approach cleared a total of 4000 square kilometers from two terrorist
organizations, DEASH and PKK/PYD/YPG. Had we not intervened, our people
would have been under continued assault from these terrorists and a
political solution to the Syrian tragedy would have been unreachable.
Turkey is doing utmost to relieve humanitarian suffering, hosting the
greatest number of refugees worldwide, spending more than the biggest
economy in the world as the world’s top humanitarian spender. Turkey is
also brokering agreements that save tens if not hundreds of thousands of
lives and promoting a political solution based on the territorial integrity
of the neighboring Syria.
I gave the example of Syria for a reason. Syria demonstrates to us once
again that prevention is important because once the fire of conflict
engulfs a nation, then the only thing that remains predictable is that
there will be unpredictable consequences on that state. One generation of
citizens will be wasted in one way or the other; the future will also be
bleak. Everyone, including those who are thousands of kilometers away will
come to suffer, either in the form of terrorist threat, economic shock,
irregular migration, or wounded human conscience.
If prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts are of paramount
importance, then we must take it seriously. This appreciation is driving
Turkey’s efforts in the field of mediation as the co-chair of the UN, OSCE
and OIC friends of mediation groups and the host to a capacity building
mediation training program and the two mediation conferences that we will
organize in Istanbul this week.
*This article has been published in Daily Sabah, 29.11.2018