Article by H.E. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Published in African Press, on 11 November 2015 Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the MERI (Middle East Research Institute) Forum, 4 November 2015, Erbil Full transcript of Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu’s interview to CNN International on 27 October 2015 Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the 8th Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit Meeting, 14 October 2015, Istanbul Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the High Level Meeting On Libya, 2 October 2015, New York Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the UN Security Council Open Debate on “Settlement of Conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa and Countering the Terrorist Threat in the Region”, 30 September 2015, New York Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the Re-thinking the International Response to the Biggest Crisis of Our Times – How to Respond Better to Growing and Evolving Needs”, 29 September 2015, New York Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum, 27 September 2015, New York Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, During the Victims of Ethnic and Religious Persecution in the Middle East – Conference, 8 September 2015, Paris
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Speech by H.E. Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the 8th Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit Meeting, 14 October 2015, Istanbul

Mr. Prime Minister, Honorable Ministers, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all, to Istanbul, a megacity that unites peoples, cultures and continents in peace and harmony.

Distinguished Guests,

While the scenic backdrop to our meeting may be apt, the strategic overall setting that we find ourselves in, is unfortunately far from ideal.

As the rest of the world watches indifferently from afar; wrapped in a false sense of security that has no basis in our globalized world; war, armed conflict, brutal oppression and intra-communal strife, are ripping apart the broader Middle East as we know it.

With countless ungoverned spaces around us, the state of chaos and instability that has emerged is breeding extremism, sectarianism and fundamentalism, which fuel the dramatic growth of terrorism we are witnessing today. If there is one lesson to be learned from the reprehensible terror attack in Ankara just four days ago, it is that no one is safe from such unjustifiable acts of terrorism.

Distinguished Guests,

The pressing need to address the plight of migrants and what we must do together, through enhancing international collaboration, cannot be decoupled from this prevailing reality.

That is why, as State actors, we also have an obligation to help move the policy debates in our capitals, and also at the international level, towards devising effective policies that will genuinely address the root causes that trigger the patterns of mass migration we observe today.

Until and unless we proactively push for and support peace processes to end ongoing conflicts; address the humanitarian suffering first and foremost where it is taking place; establish and enforce safe zones where we can protect civilians from indiscriminate acts of violence; and, aggressively and resolutely take the fight to the terrorists wherever they are finding havens, we cannot prevent the kind of spontaneous mass migration that has taken us all by storm.

This is by no means an easy task, but a combination of these four elements, applied together and with the right kind of international cooperation, can at least help us keep the numbers from growing exponentially, and ensure that we can more effectively focus on the already existing challenges.

Distinguished Guests,

The number of people on the move has increased dramatically in recent years. With a staggering 230 million migrants worldwide, and the image of toddler Aylan Al Kurdi, laying lifeless and all alone on a deserted beach etched in our hearts and minds, it is time to bolster our collaboration and take action to protect and assist migrants.

As a country that is at once an origin, transit and also target destination in terms of migration, Turkey is not only seized of this issue, we also know full well the ability of migrants to enrich and contribute to the societies they live in, socially and economically, and how they can also give back to their countries of origin.

Since its inception, the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) has enhanced the dialogue on migration and development, by bringing together a range of the most crucial stakeholders in migration, including most notably, migrants themselves.

Following the adoption of the 2030 sustainable development agenda, migration is officially among our goals and targets. Now we must implement these goals thoroughly, and achieve another success story before 2030.

This 8th GFMD Summit is crucial, as it is the first high-level international gathering after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. This is an opportunity we cannot squander.

As Chair, we look forward to taking the concrete outcomes of this Summit first to the G20 Summit in Antalya exactly one month from now, and later to the World Humanitarian Summit, which will also be held in Turkey in 2016.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the beginning of my remarks, I mentioned four elements that are crucial to curtailing the growing flow of migrants from our region. Nowhere are those elements more needed today than in Syria.

Five years into a conflict precipitated by a murderous regime bent on self-preservation at all cost, Syria lies in ruins, with hundreds of thousands dead, and half of the population, roughly 12 million men, women and children, displaced.

Turkey now hosts the largest group of refugees in the world, in excess of 2.2 million. While the amount we spend for their care is heading towards an eleven digit number in US Dollars, the total contribution received from the international community is less than half a billion Dollar. “Burden-sharing” has become an empty catchphrase.

Unfortunately, looking at developments to our South, it is not hard to predict that the number of Syrians and others that are seeking safety and refuge in Europe will only increase, and probably significantly.

What we have seen so far is likely just the tip of the iceberg. With many millions internally displaced in Syria and now new militarily aggressive actors on the ground with no clear strategy, it is only a matter of time before one lonely spark triggers another mass exodus. This is why we are advocating for a more holistic approach that addresses the root causes of conflicts not only its consequences.

Distinguished Guests,

Migration, as a global challenge, is very much on the international agenda. The time is ripe to mobilize our efforts.

Turkey is determined to spare no effort to protect human lives through the strengthening of cooperation, and reinforcing the partnerships that enable human mobility for sustainable development.

I hope this 8th GFMD Summit seizes the opportunity and takes significant steps that directly help address all the issues surrounding migration and development.

Thank you.