25th Eurasian Economic Summit

Centennial of the Republic

THE MARMARA GROUP FOUNDATION

SINCE 1985

th

ANNIVERSARY

“Devotion, Good will, Persistence”
1998-2023

2023

Centennial of the Republic

th

ANNIVERSARY

“Devotion, Good will, Persistence”
1998-2023

The Marmara Group Foundation
would like to thank for their invaluable
efforts in the preparation of the book.

Editor in Chef: Mrs. Müjgan SUVER, Mr. Sezgin BİLGİÇ ,
Contributors:
Prof. Dr. Akile GÜRSOY, Prof. Dr. Ali Kemal ÖZDEMİR, Prof. Dr.
Deputy Editor:
Layout/Print Production: Alovsat AMİRBEYLİ, Prof.Dr. Elçin İSKENDERZADE, Prof. Dr.
Photos:
Preparing to print: Figen YILDIRIM, Prof. Dr. Halid NIYAZOV, Prof. Dr. Nedret

KURAN, Prof. Dr. Özgür ÇENGEL, Prof.Dr. Turhan ECE, Prof. Dr.

Uğur ÖZGÖKER, Mr. Ahmet POLAT, Att. Belgin TANRIVERDİ,

Mr. Göksel BİLGİÇ, Mrs. Gülçin GÜNGÖREN, Att. Murat

KEÇECİLER, Mr.Mustafa ERGİN, Mrs. Nimet ULUBAY,

Mr.Rahmi DİLEK, Mr. Mahmut SAKLI

Mr. Gazi Osman ÜNAL, Ms. Laura MAULENOVA,

Ms. Hatice Zeynep ŞEN, Mr. Barış GÜLEN, Ms. Yaren KORUK

Mr. Faysal KARATAŞ

Archieve of photos from Ms. Deniz YANIKTAŞ,

Mr. Cenk TÜRKEZER, Ms.Yasemin TOPOĞLU

Mr. Hasan YEDİYILDIZ

2

KEMAL ATATÜRK

“Peace at Home, Peace in the World”
The Republic of Türkiye is 100 Years Old
Marmara Group Foundation is 38 Years Old
Eurasian Economic Summits are 26 Years Old

As an international civil society that assimilated diversity, the Mar-
mara Group Foundation has adopted loyalty to the rule of law, mo-
dernity, participatory democracy, secularism, the republic and Great
Atatürk as a principle in its 38-year philosophy of existence, which has
been passed down from past to present.

3

Centennial of the Republic

AT ATATÜRK'S MAUSOLEUM

Our Republic is 100 Years Old

As the Marmara Group Foundation, we are in the presence of Atatürk, the founder of our Republic, Great Soldier and Great Statesman.
The principles and ideals of the great Atatürk that transcended his time have always been a source of strength and inspiration for the
work of the Marmara Group Foundation.

We believe that his legacy will be preserved forever as the Republic is carried to the future on the shoulders of generations. With this
belief, as the Marmara Group Foundation, the rationality and progressiveness of Great Statesman Mustafa Kemal Atatürk guides us in
our services in the field of civil society. Marmara Group Foundation Chairman Akkan Suver wrote the following in the Official Anıtka-
bir Memorial Book after his visit to Anıtkabir: “We are walking on the path you show, and with the enlightening inspiration we get from
your thoughts, we continue our work as the “shining face” of Türkiye. The torch of civilization you lit will never be extinguished, and
the Turkish Nation will protect and watch over your works until eternity. Rest well. “

4

Centennial of the Republic

WE REMEMBER

On the other hand, the birth of
Azerbaijan’s National Leader Haydar
Aliyev, who proclaimed the existence of
free and independent Azerbaijan to the
world, laid the foundations of unity and
solidarity in the Turkic World, brought
stability to the Caucasus geography, and
was one of the shareholders in the for-

mation of the Eurasian
Economic Summits in 1998. We realize it

is his centennial this year. We, as the
Marmara Group Foundation, wish him

many more centuries.

RESPECT TO THREE LEGENDS

Eurasian Economic Summits are 26 Years has a priceless contribution on the Marmara Presidency” certificate.
Old. Some of our valuable companions Group Foundation. In 2002, the Marmara Group Foundation
who have a share and contribution in the for-
mation of the Eurasian Economic Summits, Süleyman Demirel is a person who has al- presented Haydar Aliyev with the “Head Te-
which is a consecutive think tank formed ways been involved in the activities of the acher Atatürk Award” for changing his co-
with modest means, are not with us today. Marmara Group Foundation. untry’s Alphabet to the Latin Alphabet.

We do not forget our valuable companions. Süleyman Demirel, who has always sup- These relations continued until the passing
We will remain faithful and loyal to the che- ported us in the formation and development of Haydar Aliyev. 2023 is the 100th anniver-
rished memories of all of them. Among them of the Eurasian Economic Summits and sary of Haydar Aliyev's birth. As Marmara
we consider it our duty to mention three im- never left us alone, has honored us countless Group Foundation and Eurasian Economic
portant statesmen who have left their mark times sometimes as a guest of honor and so- Summits, we will bring Haydar Aliyev's
on history. President of Türkiye Süleyman metimes as a guest-speaker. By participating Birthday to the agenda in our events.
Demirel (1993-2000), President of Azerbai- in our activities and supporting us, he always
jan HaydarAliyev (1993-2000) and President guided us. ZHELYU ZHELEV
of Bulgaria Zhelyu Zhelev (1990-1997), each
of them have a great share and right in the In 2006, the Marmara Group Foundation Zhelyu Zhelev, the first President of Bul-
existence of the Eurasian Economic Summits presented Süleyman Demirel with the “So- garia elected after the end of communism, is
and their success. If the Eurasian Economic cial Responsibility Award” and in 2007 the a person who cared about the work of the
Summits have been held for twenty-six years, Marmara Group Foundation presented the Marmara Group Foundation and ensured that
this has been done with the help of countless “Medal of Honor”. Turkish-Bulgarian relations reached today’s
personalities. It is worth noting, with a sense high level. Zhelyu Zhelev, who made great
of loyalty and appreciation, the contributions As the Marmara Group Foundation, we are efforts to bring Peace and Stability to the Bal-
of these three departed people to the Marmara grateful for his cherished memory and lofty kan geography with the Balkan Politics Club
Group Foundation and the Eurasian Econo- attention. which he founded, ensured Dr. Akkan Su-
mic Summits are more than the others. ver’s acceptance as a member.
HAYDAR ALIYEV
These three statesmen are unforgettable be- Zhelyu Zhelev, who had unforgettable ser-
ings who believed in us, paved the way for Honoring the Marmara Group Foundation vices in the promotion and reception of the
us and prepared the circumstances for the in Istanbul in 1998, Haydar Aliyev conclu- Marmara Group Foundation in the Balkan
continuation of the Eurasian Economic Sum- ded his words to the guests in the hall after a geography, was awarded with the Honor
mits with us. long meeting with “Make me a member of Medal of the Marmara Group Foundation in
this Foundation”. 2007. As Marmara Group Foundation, we
SULEYMAN DEMIREL will always remain faithful to the cherished
The Marmara Group Foundation, conve- memory of Zhelyu Zhelev, one of the most
Türkiye's 9th President, Süleyman Demirel, ned upon this request of Haydar Aliyev, gave well-known figures in the world of his tho-
them the title of “Honorary President”. Af- ught and philosophy.
terwards, our members who went to Azer-
baijan presented them with the “Honorary

5

TWO SIGNIFICANT

The Late President Bujar Nishani gave the LOSSES
Albanian State Merit Medal to Dr. Akkan Suver
The Late President Bujar Nishani The Late Chancellor Dr. Erhard Busek We lost two prominent regulars of the Mar-
mara Group Foundation and the Eurasian
Economic Summit in 2022. Dr. Erhard Busek,
one of the Austrian State Chancellors, who hono-
red the Eurasian Economic Summits for many
years and was awarded the “Medal of Honor” by
the Marmara Group Foundation in 2015, was a
well-known personality as a “peace man” as well
as a statesman. We will always abide by the high
memory of Chancellor Dr. Erhard Busek, who
came to Ankara for the “Golden Medal of Honor”
ceremony presented to Dr. Akkan Suver by the
Austrian State in 2019 and spoke at the Medal Ce-
remony.

The second biggest loss of Marmara Group Fo-
undation in 2022 was Albanian President Bujar
Nishani (2012-2017). Bujar Nishani, one of the
important peace people of the Balkan geography,
presented the Albanian State Merit Medal to Dr.
Akkan Suver in 2017. Bujar Nishani, who has
also honored Eurasian Economic Summits since
2013, would have been awarded our “Honorary
Medal” at the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit
had he lived. As Marmara Group Foundation, we
will always remain faithful to the high memory
of Bujar Nishani, who will be remembered as one
of the important sons of the Albanian nation. As
the Marmara Group Foundation, we will not for-
get the great friendships of Dr Erhard Busek and
Bujar Nishani.

The Late Chancellor Erhard Busek joined Austrian Golden Medal of Honor Ceremony for Dr. Akkan Suver at Ankara
6

H. E. RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN

President of the Republic of Türkiye

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF TÜRKİYE

H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu H.E.Yavuz Selim Kıran
Minister of Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

7

GOVERNOR OF ISTANBUL

Hon. Ali Yerlikaya

MAYOR OF ISTANBUL

Hon. Ekrem İmamoğlu

Mayor of Avcılar Hon. Att.Turan Hançerli Mayor of Beylikdüzü Hon. Murat Çalık

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Centennial of the Republic

THE MARMARA GROUP FOUNDATION IS 38 YEARS OLD
EURASIAN ECONOMIC SUMMITS ARE 26 YEARS OLD

WE PROCEED PROUDLY ON OUR WAY

The Executive Board of the Marmara Group Foundation of 2022-2023:
Dean Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu, President Dr. Akkan Suver,

Members of Executive Boards:Yüksel Çengel, Engin Köklüçınar, Cafer Okray, Sezgin Bilgiç,Lale Aytanç Nalbant,
Turan Sarıgülle,Att. Serhat Tabanca, Ümran Köksüz.

Chairman of the Academic Council: Prof. Dr. Uğur Özgöker, Chairwoman of EU and Human Rights Platform Müjgan Suver.
Members: Att.Murad Keçeciler, Mahmut Saklı, Mustafa Ergin, Nimet Ulubay, Gülçin Güngören, Att.Belgin Tanrıverdi,
Oğuzhan Ceylan, Bilal Bilici, Rahmi Dilek, Hasan Yediyıldız, Att. Murat Ali

CENTENNIAL OF THE REPUBLIC

The Republic of Türkiye is 100 Years Old

(1923-2023)

26th Eurasian Economic Summit

“The Importance of Peace in Global Cooperation”

The year 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the founding philosophy, basic principles, and the most valuable treasure of the future
the Republic of Türkiye. The Marmara revolutions and economic structure of the of the honorable Turk, we say “To many
Group Foundation will address the 100th an- Republic of Türkiye, which with the visio- more centuries!” as the Marmara Group Fo-
niversary of the Republic of Türkiye and its nary leader Atatürk, has been a civilization undation.
national and international aspects at the 26th project.
Eurasian Economic Summit. At the 26th Eu- While discussing the importance of peace
rasian Economic Summit, we will discuss With the determination to protect the Re- in global cooperation at the 26th Eurasian
through contemporary meeting with history public of Türkiye, which is the product of Economic Summit, we will also bring up
sophisticated Turkish culture and heroism the rightness of Great Atatürk’s saying

9

Centennial of the Republic

“Peace at home, peace in the world” at the lic will always rise and live forever in the sing graph today. Once again today, we
26th Eurasian Economic Summit, both na- hands of modern, educated, self-sacrificing are witnessing the formation of a struc-
tionally and internationally. young people who know the value of free- ture that moves away from peace, justice
dom and independence. and societies that embrace everyone.
Democracy is the basic principle of the
Republic of Türkiye, which Atatürk intro- Long live the republic! It is not just war that threatens socie-
duced as “My greatest work is Republic”. ties! Murders, human and child traffic-
HAYDAR ALIYEV 100 YEARS OLD king, organized crime, arms trafficking,
The Republic of Türkiye was established black money, incitement to violence, ir-
in the light of reason and science. On the other hand, this year is the 100th regular migration and discriminatory
anniversary of the birth of Azerbaijan’s Na- laws affect our planet.
The foundations of the Republic of Tür- tional Leader Haydar Aliyev, who proclai-
kiye, as a modern, contemporary and civili- med the existence of free and independent In addition, infectious diseases pose a
zed state composed of democratic, secular, Azerbaijan to the world, laid the foundati- separate threat to countries.
social and legal principles, were laid a cen- ons of unity and solidarity in the Turkic
tury ago. World, brought stability to the Caucasus ge- Our need to build societies that will
ography, and was one of the shareholders in embrace everyone is gaining more and
At the 26th Eurasian Economic Summit, the formation of the Eurasian Economic more importance with each passing day.
we will try to explain the magnificent past Summits in 1998. The Marmara Group Fo-
of the Republic of Türkiye to our foreign gu- undation will live up to his expectations. At the 26th Eurasian Economic Sum-
ests who will visit our country with care and mit, we will open to discussion with ex-
attention. THE IMPORTANCE OF PEACE IN perts on the subject, our belief that we
can only address our need for a dignified
As the Marmara Group Foundation and GLOBAL COOPERATION life in peace, a just and respectful order
the Eurasian Economic Summits, we attach for all only through global cooperation.
great importance to the 100th anniversary of The need for peace for sustainable sta-
the Republic of Türkiye. We believe that bility and development draws an increa-
Türkiye’s 100-year-old republican philo-
sophy is a philosophy of peace. The Repub-

AN UNDIVIDED HOMELAND, A GREAT AND STRONG SOCIETY,

A CONTEMPORARY AND GREAT STATE…

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE LAST CENTURY

A century has passed since the estab- tics of an Asian, European, Caucasian, lived with an increasing need and neces-
lishment of the Republic of Türkiye. Middle Eastern, Balkanian, Black Sea sity in Anatolian Turkish people and so-
During this time, important develop- and Mediterranean country in terms of ciety.
ments occurred in the thoughts and li- its geographical location, geopolitical,
festyle of the Anatolian Turkish Society geo-economic characteristics, national The foundation of all this was laid a
that would not fit into centuries. power elements, international ties and century ago by a leader in the land we
relations. The World State began to live in.
Depending on these developments, progress rapidly towards realizing its as-
despite all the external and internal bloc- pirations and expectations. In order to save the destiny of the Tur-
king attempts, changes towards innova- kish nation from extinction like the des-
tion, prosperity and future continued. Against the meaningless words and tiny of the Ottoman Empire, he set out
actions that do not take into account the with his nation and started the National
The integrity of the homeland, the thoughts and tendencies of the nation, Struggle for full independence.
unity and solidarity of the nation was their conscience and beliefs, and their
preserved. emulation of foreign political and eco- Our republic is the product and inevi-
nomic approaches, the consciousness of table result of this struggle. This struggle
The modernization efforts of all state “State” and “having the State” and the determined the founding philosophy of
institutions and organizations with their idea of “ the Greatness of the State” the newly established Turkish Republic.
interests and relations gained continuity. The Anatolian enlightenment, the unity
of the nation, and the civic conscious-
Türkiye has acquired the characteris-

10

Centennial of the Republic

PRESIDENTS OF THE

REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE

Marmara Group Foundation has
shown great care and attention to
the Presidents of Türkiye. Simi-
larly, Presidents of Türkiye have
always contributed to the services
of the Marmara Group Foundation
in the field of civil society. As
Marmara Group Foundation, we
are grateful to our Presidents.

The 9th President of Türkiye, Sü-
leyman Demirel, started the Con-
temporary Sagacious Men
sessions, a prestige event of the
Eurasian Economic Summits.
Today, 11th President Abdullah Gül
continues this beneficial event.

ness began with that great struggle. idea of establishing a modern state since troyed and new republics were establis-
Without knowing that era, we cannot his youth. Atatürk was born in a histori- hed. In the changing European adminis-
cal time. There were two major events trative system, the future of the Ottoman
understand today, we cannot see tomor- that determined that. Empire was one of the most emphasized
row. issues. Of course, Turkish intellectuals
One of them is the French Revolution, were also paying attention to this issue
The founding process of the modern the other is the disintegration of the Ot- and were looking for various solutions.
The Republic of Türkiye begins with toman Empire and the acceleration of its However, all of them were looking for a
the date of 19 May 1919, when Mustafa collapse. Mustafa Kemal got the first in- solution around the Ottoman Sultanate.
Kemal Pasha landed in Samsun. As formation about the French Revolution
himself stated, the idea of establishing a during his student years, and then, Apart from this, no one was able to
modern state was in his mind while he thanks to the wideness of his field of in- openly express the idea of creating a
was going to Samsun. terest, reading pleasure and the foreign new state structure.
language he learned, he had the oppor-
He applied this thought step by step tunity to follow the main lines of thought For the intellectuals of the Ottoman
and kept this thought to himself as a sec- of that time and what was happening in Empire, who lived under the economic
ret.In this respect, the establishment of the world. and political pressure of the great po-
The Republic of Türkiye took place in wers for the past fifty years, the principle
two stages; In addition, as a young military offi- of full independence was an important
cer working in different regions and con- problem that needed to be resolved.
-First, the signing of an agreement that ditions, he saw with his own eyes how a
will ensure the liberation of the occupied whole empire collapsed. This historical The idea of full independence came to
lands and independence, turn led Mustafa Kemal to consider the the fore during the armistice period due
establishment of a new Türkiye to rep- to the pressures of the minorities and the
-The second was to abolish the old lace the collapsing Ottoman Empire and victors. Full independence meant full in-
state structure and establish a new and formed the basis of his thought. dependence and full freedom in all areas
modern state. of politics, finance, economy, law, mili-
Meanwhile, developments were alre- tary and culture.
These two stages are not strictly sepa- ady taking place in Europe that put this
rated from each other. Mustafa Kemal idea into action and encouraged Mustafa Mustafa Kemal Pasha reviewed the
Pasha, who is the architect and imple- Kemal. initiatives and scattered ideas that had
menter of this idea, and his friends star- started two hundred years before him
ted the transformation since the With the First World War, the Russian and created a new system that would en-
liberation process and laid the foundati- Tsardom, the German Empire, the Aus- sure the realization of change.
ons of a new state with their work while trian and Hungarian Empires were des-
the wars were still going on. Mustafa Kemal Pasha successfully

Mustafa Kemal had developed the

11

Centennial of the Republic

fulfilled a very important historical task today is not real liberation. Our savior in Economy Congress, convened in İzmir
between end of an era and beginning of the political, social and cultural life and with the participation of 1135 delegates
an era, he carried out and implemented a intellectual education of our nation will selected from the agriculture, industry,
liberation program he followed with de- be science and enlightenment”. trade and workers groups of all of Tür-
termination, without making a slightest kiye, necessitated the human will to be
concession in its main lines. More concrete steps were taken in this the basis of all kinds of social, econo-
regard before and especially after the mic, political and legal formations.
The new system to be created; proclamation of the Republic. Before the
-The primary purpose is to modernize. proclamation of the Republic, a national Atatürk stated that in order for the
-The second aim is to develop, thus to education circular letter was published. Turkish nation to attain real and defini-
reach the level of contemporary civili- This circular is also known as the Unifi- tive liberation, it is necessary to rely on
zation. cation of Education. two principles.
-While doing these, national unity will
be ensured, state authority will be estab- The most important provisions of the The first of these, National Borders,
lished, and equality among the people National Education can be summarized is a principle that ensures the full inde-
will be protected. as follows: To bring national and mo- pendence of the nation and therefore
The Republic of Türkiye, which was dern education to the farthest corners of eliminates all the reasons that prevent
founded with these thoughts, brought, the country by eliminating ignorance, to the development of its economy and
above all, a very comprehensive and raise new generations according to the stops them from happening again.
solid peace to the region where it was fo- needs of the future, to equip young pe-
unded. It gave an example of the transi- ople with a very strong intellectual and The second one, the Constitution, is
tion from a single party to a multi-party unshakable character in terms of science the law that states that the sovereignty
democratic regime, perhaps the only and morality, to prepare minds that will will remain in the hands of the nation
example in the world. not leave the country economically en- throughout the life of this new state.
It established and operated its political slaved, to endow the youth with the idea
institutions in a Western sense. While of work and the means of production, to On the basis of full independence, it
these were being done, it was frequently raise nationalist, democrat, revolutio- establishes an absolute connection bet-
emphasized that the most appropriate nary and secular republic citizens, to en- ween “national sovereignty” and “eco-
form of government for the Turkish Na- sure that those who leave secondary nomic sovereignty” and says “The
tion was the Republic and that the newly schools, which are life schools, can look sovereignty of the nation should be
established state was a people’s state. at life with confidence, to be strong and crowned with sovereignty in the eco-
Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s most used determined everywhere, and to raise res- nomy”.
word was “Civilization”. Civilization, ponsible, self-confident citizens who
“being civilized” is his starting point. He know how to protect their rights. The Republic of Türkiye, which was
reveals the reality of civilization with the founded with these thoughts, has been
following words in 1924: “Civilization Bringing education policies to a mo- fighting to maintain its existence as a
will raise the Republic. The Turkish Re- dern level was the most important issue democratic state of law while increa-
volution will ensure the position we de- for the Republic of Türkiye. It was only sing its importance day by day in its ge-
serve in the world of civilization.” possible for the young generations to ography without compromising its
According to him, the main reason for comprehend the logic of the newly es- national independence.
our suffering is our foreignness to the tablished republic only if the education
course of the world. system was created in line with the same The instability of the Middle East and
For this reason, it was necessary to views. Education was also a necessary the political and economic experiences
bring the nation to the blessings of civi- element for the survival of the young re- of the states established in this region
lization as soon as possible. The civili- public. clearly show the success of the foun-
zationism of the Turkish Revolution is a ding philosophy of the Republic of Tür-
change in structure. Another important document sho- kiye. Turks are determined to keep the
Mustafa Kemal described teachers as wing the character of the newly estab- philosophy of “everlasting state” alive
“respectable pioneers of our future libe- lished state is the decisions of the with the Republic of Türkiye.
ration”. He told the teachers who came Economic Union, which were unani-
to visit him in Bursa right after the Great mously accepted by the delegates at the We have established the Republic of
Victory, “The point we have reached Izmir Economy Congress held between Türkiye in line with these principles
17 February and 4 March 1923. and these goals. Despite all the internal
and external obstacles, we are determi-
The principles of the Economic ned to walk toward the same goals.
Union, accepted by the first Turkish
Happy Republic Day in the 100th An-
niversary of the Republic!

To many more centuries!

12

Centennial of the Republic

PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD

Nobel Prize-winning Physicist Frederic peace and just discuss the problems. There many. Japan followed the same strategy in
Joliot Curie’s quote “Peace is everyo- is a need for an organization that will con- the Pacific. It was essential for Britain to
ne’s business” reminds us that we must start tribute to world peace, prevent conflicts, cri- reach the Middle East, where oil was found,
change from ourselves. A person must first ses and wars, and quickly stop the in order to fuel its navy. The main goal of
be at peace with himself, then be at peace outbreaks. the German strategy in both world wars was
with his family, environment, society and to reach the Middle East and the Caspian re-
the world. They need to want this and take Unfortunately today, some members of gion, where they could find the oil they did
action. international organizations cannot go be- not have. Today, the basic axis of German-
yond being unions that serve their national Russian relations is the same. The threat
According to this worldview, all states interests. NATO, an alliance built on the de- perception of developed powerful countries
and nations can form voluntary association adly consequences of the Second World is the same.
in a nonviolent world. They can live in War and aimed at preventing larger wars,
peace on the basis of equality and human has evolved into an organization in which According to them, anything against their
rights regardless of ethnicity, language or re- the national interests of the United States interests is a threat. What was the US doing
ligion. Issues of conflict can be resolved come to the fore, as it pays most of the fi- in Iraq and Afghanistan? Because the reso-
with diplomacy, not with weapons. Howe- nancial burden. The same can be said for the urces to survive are there. As long as the
ver, when we look at 14 thousand years of Organization for Security and Cooperation energy resources do not change, it is im-
human history, we see that we live in a in Europe (OSCE) and even the European possible for states not to conflict.
world in constant conflict, crisis and war… Union (EU).
As long as 15% of the world’s people
Even now, we are in the middle of the Although there are UN, Security Council have 80% of the world’s income, peace and
Ukraine-Russia war that has been going on and many civil organizations, none of them all efforts will be temporary and rootless.
for three months. The pain of watching can provide the desired peace. Why? Be- Ataturk says: While the nations are the real
those who lost their lives in the conflict, cause everything is primarily about meeting owners of the land they occupy, they are
children and women fleeing war and death, the physical needs of human beings who are also on that land as the representatives of
destroyed homes and extinguished hearths smart and living organisms, such as hunger, humanity. While they are making use of the
on the screen make their mark on our hearts shelter, reproduction and then the fulfill- wealth and resources of that land, they are
and minds. ment of their spiritual needs such as power, also responsible for making all humanity
greatness, superiority, selfishness, fame and benefit.
As we experienced at the outbreak of this acceptance, having the best and the most of
war, the causes of war can be both very sim- everything. So are there world leaders who will im-
ple and very complex. Because the human plement this?
being, who decides on war and peace, is a States have two main tasks. To protect
creature with the most complex biological, and maintain their independence and to en- The international financial system is built
chemical and spiritual structure in the sure the welfare and happiness of their na- on people’s ambition to earn more. For this
world. tion. It is also possible to interpret Atatürk’s reason, multinational companies never
phrase “Peace at Home, Peace in the World” allow the establishment of a human-orien-
1999 Nobel laureate Gunter Blobel anno- as states that fail to fulfill these two basic ted universal system. They even have a role
unced that, in recent research, there is a Vio- duties are a potential danger to the world. in determining political power in the Uni-
lence Gene in living things and an Wars cannot be qualified as moral, legal and ted States and in governments pursuing pro-
aggression center in the brain that works humanitarian unless they are based on ne- capitalist policies. Of course, it is not a
with it. When this center is activated, the cessary reasons. coincidence that the US is so interested in
creature becomes aggressive. Just like this, Israel in the Middle East and the risks it
people are pushed into action under the Colonialism in the 16th century regarded takes for its security.
mask of radical nationalism and ideology, wars as normal in order to seize someone
religion, race, gender and partisanship. For else’s resources that Western industrializa- For the Finance-Capital System, it does
example, while Hungarian Prime Minister tion and capitalism needed. not matter whereand how many people die
Victor Orban said that “Hungarians do not and why. Only the goal matters. As Jean
want to be mixed races, arguing that by In the 19th century, German geopolitici- Paul Sartre said, “The rich make war, the
2050 people of non-European origin will be ans were promoting expansion for Ger- poor die.” In Iraq in 1996, then-US Secre-
the majority in Europe’s big cities,” it is not many’s habitat. Colonialism, which started tary of State Madeleine Albright was asked
enough to declare a day as a world day of with Spain and Portugal, continued with the following question: “We heard that
England, the Netherlands, France and Ger- 500,000 children died in Iraq. Fewer men

13

died in Hiroshima... Is the achievement Middle East include quotations from the Violence and crime rates increase in so-
worth the price?” Albright replied: “That is Bible? Is it a coincidence that Türkiye is cieties with poor income distribution. This is
a tough question. But yes, we think the kept away from the EU? a kind of civil war. This war is waged by the
gains are worth the price.” state’s security forces on behalf of the well-
Today, anti-Americanism has been repla- to-do, up to a point. Wars waged on behalf
The Global Economic System is the work ced by Salafist thought and jihad in the of the entire nation are fought between the
of multinational corporations. Profit mar- Middle East region. Religion has become security forces of both states. Sometimes
gins are very high. For example; When the politicized and radicalized in Indonesia, wars are a source of income for some. They
price of a barrel of oil, which costs 6 dollars Malaysia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Altho- do not want it to end. For example, arms
in the Middle East, rises to 150 dollars, the ugh the methods of religious people today companies. What are oil-rich countries
profit margin rises to 4000%. It is frighte- vary from country to country, they all have doing for world peace today? They are
ning to even imagine what brutal policies a common goal: to break the influence of trying to spread their own regimes and ideo-
this rate of profit might lead oil-producing the West, to build a primitive state model logies. They want to impose a regime,
countries like the US administration, influ- instead of a Western-style democracy and which is against human habitat, with money
enced by oil companies, and Russia, which life order. and guns.
seeks to use oil as a weapon.
As a result, it is understood that Europe Unfortunately, as it was a century ago, we
For world peace, it is necessary to ma- does not care much about which regime go- are again in a period where those with the
nage energy with a human-oriented appro- verns in Muslim countries. However, they strength to attack will win. Therefore, sta-
ach, not with monopolistic policies, but with cared about the racist attitude of Austrian tes should have a strong economy and mili-
an international system that includes pro- Hayder, who came to power with the elec- tary power in accordance with the proverb
duction, marketing, distribution, security tion, and they eliminated him. As long as “If you want peace, be ready for war”. A
and sanctions against those who violate the Europe tolerates dictatorships and religious strong country means a strong economy. If
rules. Energy, like water, is not a commo- states in the former colonial countries and there is to be world solidarity, world security
dity that those with resources can use as the Middle East, borders that are thought to cannot be achieved without human security.
they wish. It should be considered as a be distant today may one day stand in front It is not possible to prevent armed war un-
world heritage of humanity. Just like the sea of them. less we wage war on poverty. The only lo-
and airspace, whose rules are set by UN sers in a war are women and children.
Conventions. In terms of world peace, it is very impor- Therefore, the decision of war must be
tant for women to enter politics in our age made by the people. Because war is the des-
If this cannot be achieved, it is inevitable and for decision-making bodies at all levels truction and ruination of lives, property, cul-
that the pipelines of thousands of kilometers to take part in administrations. A mother is ture and civilizations.
in length, built by spending billions of dol- much more peaceful and tolerant. Where
lars, will fall to pieces when the conditions there are women, there are rules. Our world would be a little calmer if each
are met. country accepted to sacrifice a little from the
In Europe, which we take as an example living standards of its own people for the pe-
While hoping for World Peace in the 21st today, the social structure is gradually deg- ople of a poor country and transferred them
century, the religion factor revived and ap- rading with the effect of globalization. Ri- to a system that would be shared around the
peared on the world stage again. sing retirement age, insurance premiums, world. Unfortunately, the world and the re-
falling wages and benefits began to affect gions are not left to the states and nations in
The introduction and use of religion in people’s living standards. Internal peace in their own geographies. Women are the main
politics is very dangerous for humanity. Europe is deteriorating. Strict measures are factor that ensures the existence of huma-
There is nothing that people cannot do in the taken against immigrants. Ethnic minorities nity on earth since creation. In 10 thousand
name of Allah. Sectarian-based religious are oppressed in the fields of language, cul- years of 14 thousand years of human his-
wars that caused deep wounds in Europe ture and religion. tory, people have lived in peace since
went down in history as the 30-year and women who produced and raised world so-
100-year wars. Unfortunately, today’s China has a people-oriented development cieties ruled. In the last 3 thousand years
Middle East, where borders and adminis- model. The Japanese model preserves its so- ruled by men, the greatest wars and disasters
trations have not yet settled, seems to be a cial and sharing character for now, and high- have been experienced.
candidate for Muslim sectarian wars or con- lights cultural and historical facts. What if
flicts. The religion factor, which has come to modern, traditional and humane Japan finds The millennium we live in seems to be
the fore in the USA and Europe since the itself in difficult situation? Who can gua- the year of the youth. We hope that a world
2000s, affects the policies and decisions of rantee that they will not resort to guns? Our ruled by women and youth will be much
the administrations, even though it cannot most basic aim and goal on the road to better than the previous ones, allowing us to
penetrate the solid social fabric of the West. peace should be preventing situations where live in peace.
How else can it be explained that US Sec- people and societies are compelled to vio-
retary of Defense Rumsfeld’s plans for the lence

14

A SUCCESS STORY FOR 25 YEARS…

As Marmara Group Foundation, we are which has been passed down from past to the 20th century, intertwined with the con-
thirty-seven years old today. The Eu- present as an international civil initiative temporary issues discussed by the world.
rasian Economic Summits, which we or- that has assimilated the difference and ex- Having traveled 400 thousand kilometers,
ganize without interruption, are on the eve ceeding thirty-seven years. I gave nearly two hundred speeches on
of its twenty-sixth year. various platforms in my country and in
Years later, our well-known business- the main countries of Europe and Asia,
The Marmara Group Foundation, of man Jak Kamhi would write the follo- and conducted as many interviews. In ad-
which I have been the chairman for wing in his book: dition, nearly a thousand of my articles
twenty-five years, is not only a nationally have been published in various newspa-
and internationally recognized non-go- “Özal stayed close to the Turkic Re- pers and magazines at home and abroad.
vernmental organization that is recogni- publics that emerged in Central Asia I had the opportunity to be together with
zed as a strategy and lobbying center that after the end of the Soviet Union and the major leaders of the world, to talk
goes beyond the borders of the country, contributed greatly to the adaptation of with them on the same platforms and to
but also a movement of love and peace. the Turkish Republic model by countries befriend them.
that left the Soviet Union despite Iran’s
When I had a say in the Marmara attractive offers. He tried to resolve the I received honorary diplomas from four
Group Foundation, I had a great ideal. Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan different universities. I received an hono-
and Armenia. In order to protect the he- rary doctorate from three universities of
It was the ideal Eurasian Union. I reali- alth of our relations with these so-called Azerbaijan and Romania, and an hono-
zed my ideal of Eurasian Union with a Turkic countries, the Marmara Group rary professorship from the University of
project called Eurasian Economic Sum- Foundation was established and Akkan Kyrgyzstan.
mits. This was my biggest dream. Suver assumed the presidency. Thanks
to the work of Şahap Kocatopçu, Ertuğ- I was honored with two great medals of
Great Atatürk, in his speech on October rul Kumcuoğlu, General Necdet Timur the State of Azerbaijan, three medals of
29, 1933, said exactly the following: and the conferences organized every the State of Mongolia, the Medal of Pope
year by Mr. Akkan Suver, he achieved Benedict of the Vatican, three medals and
“Today, the Soviet Union is our friend, success.” one grand order of Gagauzia, the Golden
our neighbor and our ally. We need this Medal of Honor of the Austrian State, the
friendship; but no one can predict what The ability of a non-governmental or- Medal of Merit of the Albanian State and
will happen tomorrow; it can breakup ganization to continue its work is thanks the United Nations Gold Cross Medal.
just like the Ottomans and Austria-Hun- to the dedication and attention of a hand- The State of Montenegro showed great
gary; the nations that it holds tightly in ful of committed volunteers. If we have favor and provided me with a diplomatic
its hands today, can slip from its palms. overcome obstacles on behalf of my co- status, and I was the Honorary Consul
The world may reach to a new equilib- untry, if we are able to continue a difficult General of the State of Montenegro in Is-
rium. At that time, Türkiye must know struggle that is focused on the target, it tanbul from 2008 to 2020. When the Of-
what to do. Under the governance of this would be incomplete and wrong to attri- ficial Consulate General was opened, this
friend, we have our brothers whose lan- bute this only to the strong will of my fri- time the Montenegro State appointed me
guage and essence are the same. We ends and me. Because both my friends as the Honorary Consulate in Balıkesir
must be ready to support them. Being and I have walked under the guidance of and granted me Montenegro citizenship
ready is not just waiting for that day; we the “reason and science” suggested to us and also honored me with the Monte-
need to be prepared. How do nations get by the Great Atatürk during the years we negro State Merit Medal. I was elected as
prepared for this; by keeping the spiri- have left behind, and we have come to the President of the Black Sea Caspian
tual bridges firm and sound. Language this day by displaying a stance that does Sea International Foundation, headquar-
is a bridge, faith is a bridge, and history not get caught up in changing political tered in Romania, and I performed this
is a bridge. We must go down to our roots currents. In 2022, I realize my twenty- duty in 2012 and 2013. In addition, I have
and must unite around our common his- fifth year under the presidency of the received numerous awards from Azerbai-
tory, which is interrupted with incidents. Marmara Group Foundation. jan, Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Aus-
We cannot expect them to approach us, tria, South Africa, Mongolia, and of
we need to approach them.” I have been at the helm of a civic ini- course Türkiye, especially the Balkan
tiative for twenty-five years. I represen- Peace Prize. The Marmara Group Foun-
Based on this idea, I and my friends ted our country at national and dation provided me with all this.
realized the Eurasian Economic Summits, international events in Türkiye and ab-
inspired by the high thoughts of Great road. We have held the Eurasian Economic
Atatürk. In short, we adopted loyalty to Summits with my friends for twenty-five
western values, the rule of law, modernity, In the first quarter of our new century, years, as an international event of honor
participatory democracy, secularism, the I brought the Marmara Group Founda-
Republic and the Great Atatürk as prin- tion, which I took over in the last days of
ciples in our philosophy of existence,

15

for Türkiye. Suver, the President of the Marmara nia, Iraq. We participated in various acti-
Within the framework of these sum- Group Strategic and Social Research vities or worked with them.
Foundation, on dialogue: On dialogue,
mits, I have put forth work for the reali- the Marmara Group Strategic and So- In the twenty-five years we have left
zation of important ideas and projects in cial Research Foundation met the behind my friends who stood beside me,
twenty-five years. I made an effort. clergy, including myself, with Mehmet Şahap Kocatopçu, Jak Kamhi, Hadi
Nuri Yılmaz, the President of Religious Türkmen, Vagif Kasımov, Osman Özbek,
One of these works was the Baku Tbi- Affairs of the time, in 1998. It has been Mithat Yümlü, Zühtü Hacıoğlu, Ogan
lisi Ceyhan Pipeline project. Every year, instrumental in creating a bridge in the Soysal, Ahmet Samsunlu, Sabahat Da-
the main agenda of the Eurasian Summits field of Intercultural Dialogue since rendeliler, Mustafa Öncel, Orhan Çetin-
has always been Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan. At then. kol, Engin Ansay and Nurver Nureş.
its opening, the authorities, showing great They are no longer with us.
appreciation, invited me on behalf of civil The importance of the Intercultural
society and took me among them. Dialogue studies, organized by the Mar- Thank God for Engin Köklüçınar, Yük-
mara Group Strategic and Social Rese- sel Çengel, Şamil Ayrım, Fatih Sara-
In recent years, I have been bringing arch Foundation in 1998, was çoğlu, Cafer Okray, Necdet Timur,
forward the importance we attach to the demonstrated with Dr. Akkan Suver and Müjgan Suver, Lale Aytanç Nalbant,
Belt and Road Project. I believe that the his friends by Pope Benedict XVI in Leyla Tavşanoğlu, Nezihe Timur, Ertuğ-
Silk Road Economic Belt philosophy will 2006, with his acceptance at the Vatican, rul Kumcuoğlu, Serhat Tabanca, Sezgin
leave its mark on this century as a project and then the Commemorative Medal of Bilgiç, Barlas Doğu, Turan Sarıgülle,
of peace, prosperity and stability. His Holiness was presented to Dr. Akkan Tunç Erem, Nedret Kuran, Abdülkadir
Suver by me in 2007. Akkan Suver at- Eriş, Ahmet Doğan Arıkan, Ahmet Polat,
Another important event we held at the tended this visit with a delegation con- Alaaddin Koçak, Atilla Dicle, Cengiz
Marmara Group Foundation was our in- sisting of Leyla Tavşanoğlu, Cafer Okray Güldamlası, Cengiz Balkan, Yalçın Sön-
tercultural dialogue work. and Prof. Dr. Ilter Turan from the Mar- mez, Sedefhan Oğuz, Uğur Özgöker,
mara Group Foundation. Dr. Akkan Cahit Karakullukçu, Ülkü Söylemezoğlu,
Following the philosophy of Religions Suver and his friends, who have been Nigar Sargan, Nuri Artok, Ali Rıza Ars-
and Intercultural Dialogue; My friends continuing their careful and self-sacri- lan, Ümran Köksüz, Belgin Tanrıverdi,
and I have taken part in dialogue studies ficing work for the philosophy of our pe- Mahmut Saklı, Nimet Ulubay, Murat Ke-
with UNESCO today, with the peace of ople in our country to move away from çeciler, Bilal Bilici, Oğuzhan Ceylan,
being able to bring the sound of the azan, the logic of “the other”, to understand Mustafa Ergin, Gökhan Humbaracı, Gül-
the sound of the bell and the sound of the and accept each other better, and to live çin Güngören, Rahmi Dilek, Mustafa Ka-
cantor side by side, probably because we together in peace and tranquility, was ragül, Erman Tuncer, Ümit Çoban and
have made it a mission for ourselves. accepted for the second time in the Vati- Turan Hançerli all of which have been at
can in 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI as a the United Nations in New York, Baku,
When we organized a line stretching result of my personal initiatives. Brussels, Paris, Bled, Sofia, Bucharest,
from Greek and Armenian Patriarchs to Chisinau, Tbilisi, Tehran, Belgrade, Ti-
Chief Rabbis to Vatican Cardinals and The second committee of the Mar- rana, Beijing, Comrat, Vatican City, Da-
Monsignors with our Presidents of Reli- mara Group Foundation consisted of mascus, Tashkent, Ashgabat, Astana,
gious Affairs in 1998, I cannot forget the Necdet Timur and Dr. Fatih Saraçoğlu Skopje, Ulan Bator, Bishkek, Barcelona,
concern of intelligent and respected pe- under the chairmanship of Dr. Akkan Warsaw, Podgorica, Nicosia and Mins-
ople of our country, “what do they want Suver. Dr. Akkan Suver, who is one of kin. They meticulously and carefully pre-
to do”. I am in the peace of seeing that the architects of the Love and Peace if- sented papers on behalf of the Turkish
those who considered us objectionable in tars in our country, displays an exemp- civil society and with their papers they
those days and could not accept our fast- lary and exceptional attitude with his presented the values of Türkiye, which
breaking meal today respect similar iftars behavior in every field, showing his res- has caught up with the era
and meetings with Christians and Jews in pect for the clergy, including myself. All
hundreds of places. these are magnificent signs that show Thirty-seven years of Marmara Group
the importance of “DIALOGUE”, Foundation!
Syriac Catholic Deputy Patriarch Kore- which reflects the universal dimension
bis Yusuf Sağ would write the following of the work done on behalf of huma- We brought it here! I hope that after us,
about the intercultural peace dialogue we nity.” Here, our intercultural dialogue it will be carried forward, to higher levels
organized in the Marmara Group in her works, which Monsignor Yusuf Sağ des- and to greater prestige, and as the history
book titled “The Fruits of Dialogue”, cribed in his book, aroused great interest of civil society is being written in the fu-
which she wrote years later (2013): not only in our country, but also in the ture, the Marmara Group Foundation will
world. It was accepted. In this field, in take its place as Türkiye’s honor. If it is
“Some public institutions, some foun- our country, Azerbaijan, Vatican, Spain, emphasized that we have a share in this
dations, such as Marmara Group Stra- France, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Rus- place one day, we will be happier and
tegic and Social Research Foundation I sia, Bulgaria, Syria, Macedonia, Roma- more peaceful where we are with the lo-
would like to thank President Mr. Dr. yalty and appreciation of being remem-
Akkan Suver and his friends for their bered that day.
sincere work on this issue and would like
to convey their views and work on the
dialogue. First of all, I would like to talk
a little bit about the work of Mr. Akkan

16

12 PRESIDENTS FROM
43 COUNTRIES ATTENDED

TO THE 25th EURASIAN
ECONOMIC SUMMIT

“BUILD
BACK
BETTER”

17

25TH EURASIAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT

A quarter-century of great success
“Dialogue, more dialogue”

We experienced a first at the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit this year. This first was the
performance of the young people of the Love and Peace Platform (FOWPAL) from the United
States. The FOWPAL Family, which was highly appreciated by the participants, added to the
diversity of the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit. In the photo you can see FOWPAL Family and

President Dr. Hong Tao-Tze together with Dr. Akkan Suver from Marmara Group
Foundation, Att. Belgin Tanrıverdi, Gökhan Tanrıverdi, Att. Murat Keçeciler, Gülçin Güngören,

Nimet Ulubay, Yüksel Ulubay, Nispet Aşkın, Dilek Aşkın, Murat Ali and Rahmi Dilek

At the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, sible to maintain peace in the world wit- just to European conditions is actually one
the position, acceptance and recogni- hout eliminating poverty. Stating that the of the duties of Europe.
tion of the Marmara Group Foundation in world will be pushed into a redevelopment
the international arena were brought to the after Covid-19 and this redevelopment At the Summit where it was reminded
agenda. It was stated that non-govern- should be in peace. that important trade movements such as
mental organizations such as the Marmara the Silk Road came to life in these lands
Group Foundation are platforms that are The Speakers emphasized that Europe and that cultural riches spread to the world
“indispensable” for developed democra- and Asia have been together throughout from these lands it was pointed out that the
cies, and that they have a “progressive” as- history and described the revival of the trade between Eurasian countries was not
pect with their framework and discussion Silk Road as a return to this while expres- at the desired level.
environment. It was also emphasized that sing that Europe and Asia are inseparable
these frameworks are open platforms and complement each other in every res- It was emphasized that an initiative that
where everyone expresses what they want pect. Stating that there has been a lot of de- started with the UN Development Prog-
without fear and worry.; It was especially velopment in 30 years, how Europe has ram is trying to encourage investments.
stated by the participants that Eurasian become integrated as a whole and that Speakers who took the floor at the Sum-
Economic Summits are a communication Eastern Europe and the Baltic regions mit also wanted to strengthen the coope-
platform where people can freely discuss have become part of Europe. ration between the countries and to
themselves, their countries and world strengthen the friendships by leaving aside
problems. They talked about how Balkans, Slove- the historical hostilities, especially the
nia, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia are conflicts between Ukraine and the Russian
The speakers mentioned that the Eurasia EU members, whereas other countries in Federation. With the promise of 100th an-
incident created a new political balance the Balkans are not. Saying how a Europe niversary of the Republic of Türkiye being
due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war that does not take the Balkans is like a bird on the agenda of 26th Eurasian Economic
and the tensions between China and the with one wing, unable to fly. They were Summit, which will take place in 2023, the
USA; They pointed out that it is not pos- united in the idea that Türkiye is also in- work of the 25th Eurasian Economic Sum-
cluded in this and that helping them to ad- mit has been concluded.

18

25th EURASIAN ECONOMY SUMMIT

JUNE 7, 2022

“BUILD BACK BETTER”

A Welcome Cocktail, a Fashion Show and a Gala Dinner
called ’Rain’ by Designer Özlem Erkan for 25th Eurasian

Economic Summit was hosted by IHKIB, which was
opened by Nejdet Ayaydin and Avcılar Mayor Att.
Turan Hançerli.

FASHION SHOW

25th EURASIAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT STARTED WITH ÖZLEM ERKANS FASHION SHOW

The Eurasian
Economic
Summit, which was
organized for the
twenty-fifth time this
year by the Marmara
Group Foundation,
began with a Fashion
Show called ‘Rain’ by
Designer Özlem
Erkan hosted by
İHKİB. Özlem Erkan’s
fashion show was
opened by Nejdet
Ayaydın on behalf of
İHKİB and Avcılar
Mayor Att. Turan
Hançerli.

19

The Opening Speech of the
Mayor of Avcılar, Att. Turan Hançerli, at the Gala Dinner

Dear Guests; First of all I want to express how happy I am to be expected. Countries started to look for ways to secure their energy
with you in a period that we hope to be post-pandemic. I wel- supply.
come you all to the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit organized by
the Marmara Group Foundation. I hope this- We as policy makers from all levels have a responsibility to
Summit will host very important discussi- consider our effects on the environ-
ons that will be very fruitful for everyone. ment when we devise these plans.
Many important issues will be discussed in This is the only way for us to be able
the Summit that will affect not only today to look in the eyes of the youth, who
but also the future; not only us, but also our will come together in the “Knowing
children and maybe even our grandchild- the Human” panel in this event. I be-
ren. I wish that we didn’t have to discuss lieve that we need to bear in mind
here today the issues like conflicts between one point when we discuss food se-
countries; global climate crisis; the pres- curity and energy supply security:
sure on the economies caused by the pan- We need to leave our children, our
demic; and social, economic and political future, cities that they can live in
results of wars. peacefully.
Our grand children should be able
Unfortunately, this path we took with a to enjoy eating an orange that they
dream and purpose to leave a world to fu- just pulled off of an orange tree; kno-
ture generations in which they can live is wing that they can plan their future
questioned today. without being afraid of the war or
poverty threats.
In a period when many countries are Let me end by sharing the eternal
drafting plans and programs towards hope I carry within myself.
“energy transformation” and announcing I believe in all of you, all of us,
their zero-emission targets to minimize and the young people most of all. I
the effects of the global climate crisis pri- think today we will have achieved a
orly indicated by the extreme weather great deal if we manage to make
conditions, we woke up to a world of only even one more person to look to
wars. the future with hope. Because as
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, “There
All these plans were delayed as if there
was another planet we can live on. Nuc- is no desperate situation, only desperate people. I never lost my
lear power plants and thermal power plants that run on coal were hope.”
commissioned again even in Northern Europe, which we never

After the Gala Night Concert; Istanbul Deputy Şamil Ayrım, former President of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye
Att. Turan Hançerli and Dr. Akkan Suver thanked the Istanbul Metropolitan City Orchestra

20

OPENING CEREMONY

JUNE 8, 2022

The 25th Euroasian Economic Summit started with the reading of the message of the
President of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by MP Şamil Ayrım

President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “We will continue to work to-
wards our goal of a more prosperous Türkiye in every field”

Message from Turkish President Recep and Member of the Board of Trustees of I would like to thank the Marmara
Tayyip Erdogan was presented by Marmara Group Foundation, Şamil Group Foundation for their kind invita-
AK Party Istanbul Deputy, TGNA Chair- Ayrım. The message is: Dear President, tion and wish this year’s Summit to be
man of the Parliamentary Friendship Dear Guests, I greet you with my most successful. I congratulate all stakeholders
Group between Türkiye and Azerbaijan heartfelt feelings and respect. who contributed and supported the Sum-

At the opening of the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, the Reporters are Hon. Prof. Dr. Necdet Kuran, Hon. Prof. Dr.
Halid Niyazov, H.E. Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu, Hon. Prof. Dr. Uğur Özgöker and Hon. Ms. Gülçin Güngören

The Representative Committee was consisted of Hon. Mme. Müjgan Suver and M.P. of İstanbul Hon. Mr. Şamil Ayrım
21

At the Opening of the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, the Rostrum was composed of Hon. Dr. Akkan Suver,
H.E. Aziz Rasulov, Representative of the Presidency of Uzbekistan, H.E. Milan Rocen, Foreign Affairs Minister of
Montenegro (2006-2012) H.E Werner Fasslabend, Minister of Defence of Austria (1990 – 2000), H.E. Teodor Meleşcanu,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania (2017-2019)

mit, especially the management of Mar- food supply security. all the uncertainties in the global economy.
mara Group Foundation. In particular, food prices, which have The growth figures for the first quarter

I welcome the comprehensive agenda of seen historical peaks, pose the threat of of 2022 and the export figures for May,
the 25th Eurasian Summit, which aims to starvation for millions of people around the which were announced recently, point out
address today’s major challenges such as world, in addition to the risks they pose in that we have a bright future ahead.
energy, climate change, migration and food the context of macroeconomic balances.
security, together with the impact of the This year, with the dynamism and dedi-
Russia-Ukraine crisis on all these areas. The latest estimates of international or- cation of our private sector and the deter-
ganizations reveal that the risks regarding mination of our state, I believe that we will
I hope that the valuable ideas and sug- the global economic outlook will continue achieve the export target of 250 billion dol-
gestions that will be declared within the for a while. In light of this background, we lars.
framework of this agenda, which is impor- are taking the necessary steps to minimize
tant for our country, our region and the in- the negative effects of the instabilities in We have the will and the strong infras-
ternational community, will be utilized on our region and the risks regarding the glo- tructure to become the winner of the recent
the widest possible basis. bal economic outlook on our citizens. transformation in global supply chains.

As we leave two years behind in the On the one hand, we implement the In line with our goal of a more prospe-
fight against the global epidemic, we see measures for the food safety of our co- rous Türkiye in every field, we will conti-
that the global economy is still going thro- untry, on the other hand, we take an active nue to work to make the most of our
ugh a difficult period. role in the fight against the global food cri- current economic potential and capacity.
sis and lead international efforts.
The war that broke out in Ukraine at a With these thoughts, I hope that the 25th
time when the negative effects of the epi- With the effect of the decisive steps we Eurasian Economic Summit, organized
demic began to ease and the recovery gai- took, we became the country with the hig- under the leadership of the Marmara
ned momentum, puts pressure on the hest growth rate among the G20 countries Group Foundation, will lead to fruitful re-
global economy, especially on energy and with a rate of 11 percent in 2021, despite sults, and I greet you with my most heart-
felt feelings.

Those who worked on 25th Eurasian Economic Summit: Att. Belgin Tanrıverdi, Lale Aytanç Nalbant, Yalçın Sönmez,
Engin Köklüçınar, Att. Serhat Tabanca and Oğuzhan Ceylan together with Dr. Akkan Suver

22

DR. AKKAN SUVER

Humanity is almost face to face with Shakespeare’s phrase “to be or not to be”

Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, respectfully welcome you. However, in order to save our planet from
Welcome to the 25th Eurasian Economic Eurasian Economic Summits are a free these meaningless wars, two important pro-
Summit, which you honor with your pre- jects of peace, stability, prosperity and coo-
sence. platform that respected the opinions of the peration were implemented in the west and
participants and benefited from listening to east.
Today, together, we are experiencing the them.
joy of an event that is not possible for many Belt and Road Initiative and the European
non-govermental organizations.. It is an open platform. We have always Union project.
been happy to learn the thoughts of our spea-
We leave 25 years behind us today. kers who honor and add value to the Eura- Despite these two thoughts, two formati-
You have honored our exceptional part- sian Economic Summits. ons that draw the road map of peace, stabi-
nership. I would like to express my gratitude lity and prosperity, today humanity is in a
to you on behalf of myself and my friends. For twenty-five years, the Eurasian Eco- circle of fire and blood.
Since I am a citizen of their country, I will nomic Summits have been a platform that
greet Montenegro first. President of Monte- has served the formation of sincere views This is a wrong road, a wrong course.
negro Milo Dukanovic and former President and thoughts on peace, democracy, transpa- War is an inheritance that leaves no le-
of Montenegro Mr. Filip Vujanovic Wel- rency, women’s and human rights. gacy. So today, from this podium, I would
come sir. like to repeat what Lloyd George said a hun-
President of the Federation of Bosnia and However, the events we are experiencing dred years ago: “Someone must start peace,
Herzegovina, Mr. Marinko Cavara. Wel- today are dragging us to a road map that we just as they started war!”
come, sir. do not want at all. On the 25th anniversary of the Eurasian
Former Presidents, The Honorable Emil Economic Summits, I would like to make a
Constantinescu, The Honorable Mladen Iva- We wish our Summit, which started its speech about prosperity, stability and wealth.
nic, The Honorable Vaclav Klaus, The Ho- work today, to be a door to peace. However, the events that we live and ex-
norable Petru Lucinschi, The Honorable perience prevent this. We will talk about
Moncef Marzouki, The Honorable Stepjan Because, not only the war, but also the energy.
Mesic and the Honorable Fatmir Sejdiui, I economic crisis, food shortage, and thirst We will discuss the economy. We will
have started to create a structure that threa- raise the issue of involuntary migration.
tens our planet.

Humanity is almost face to face with Sha-
kespeare’s phrase “to be or not to be”.

23

We will listen to the contemporary ur-

banism of our municipalities.

We will learn about the importance of

procurement from statesmen, religious

leaders, and academics and business pe-

ople.

And finally, with the wise people of our

age; we will reach the road maps of going

from the dark days of drowning in trouble

and problems to the bright days of clarity

and peace.

Let’s not forget that tomorrow will start

all over again. This thought alone should

carry us to hope and confidence.

By the way, on our 25th anniversary, I

am also in the agony of living the painful

and sad events we shared among oursel-

ves. We lost Dr. Erhart Busek, one of the

regulars of the Eurasian Economic Sum-

mits, a former Vice-Chancellor of Austria At the opening of the Summit, cello artist Suna Konuş and violinist Bilge Surlu,
and a President of the Austrian Christian one of the musicians of the Istanbul Municipality City Orchestra, performed
Democratic Party. Known for his democ- our National Anthem with viola and violin.
ratic personality and high belief in free

thinking, Dr. Erhart Busek was a regular sident of Albania, Bujar Nishani. Bujar will always be loyal to the memory of the
at Eurasian Economic Summits, and we Nishani, who we lost at a young age, was late Bujar Nishani, who served for the
will always remain loyal to the memory a regular at the Eurasian Economic Sum- existence of peace and democracy in the
of Dr. Erhart Busek, who also holds the mits. During his presidency, he honored Balkans. On the other hand, I hereby ex-
Marmara Group Foundation Medal of me with the Albanian State Order of tend my best wishes to the former Presi-
Honor. Merit. I express from this podium that we dent of North Macedonia, the Honorable
Gjorge Ivanov, and the former President
Another important figure was the Pre-

of Croatia, the Honorable Ivo Josipovic,

who announced that he wanted to be with

us today but could not due to the health

conditions that developed at the last mi-

nute.

Dear Participants! In the light of this

thought and hope, I greet your esteemed

delegation and welcome valuable perso-

nalities from Asia, Africa, America and

Europe to the work of the 25th Eurasian

Economic Summit. I welcome the work

of the Economic Summit. Twenty-five

years, it is easy to say! For a non-govern-

mental organization, leaving 25 years be-

hind is not an ordinary event. Carrying an

international event for 25 years with an

amateur spirit, sincerely and without

compromising our principles, is a sign of

determination as well as success. On the

25th anniversary of the Eurasian Econo-

mic Summits, I am proud to start the

work of a civic thought movement, which

is highly valued by opinion leaders, here

today. I respectfully greet your esteemed

delegation and open the 25th Eurasian

Among the participants of 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, you can see Economic Summit, with the hope that our
Yalçın Sönmez, Abuzer Sarı and Mme. Zerrin Abaz from Macedonia
together with Former President of Kosovo H.E. Fatmir Sejdiu work will be the gateway to peace, pros-
perity and stability.

24

H.E. HİKMET ÇETİN

Minister of Foreign Affairs – Türkiye (1991-1994)
Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (1997-1999)
NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan (2003-2006)

A great priest, Desmond Tutu, from South Africa, has a phrase that goes like this: “If you want
peace, you will not talk to your friends. If you want peace, you must talk to your enemies”

Good morning everybody. I am really this soon disappeared. Because the dissolu- a new world, thus Russia must be in it. As a
happy to be here. I see a lot of old fri- tion of Yugoslavia was not peaceful, the dis- result, the NATO Russia Council was es-
ends here at this conference, but I am sorry solution of Yugoslavia was bloody. For tablished. The aim was to include Russia in
I will speak Turkish today. I will give my many years blood have been spilled. Like- the new security and peace of Europe.
speech in Turkish. wise, Iraq occupied Kuwait, Armenia occu-
pied Azerbaijan’s Karabakh, and similar For many reasons this did not work as it
Honorable President, we are celebrating unexpected events took place in many parts should. Especially after Putin came to
the the 25th successful year of the Eurasian of the world. At that time, the question was power this became even more difficult. Be-
Economic Summit together. You have ac- whether NATO should continue or not, be- cause Putin said from the beginning that the
complished this 25 years with great success cause the existence of NATO was in ques- dissolution of the Soviet Union was a stra-
and it is very important to do this again in tion after the Warsaw Pact had disappeared. tegic mistake, big mistake. He argued that
this period, the timing is very important, the But it was seen in a very short time that the it was a disaster. So he did not accept the di-
issue is very important. I respectfully greet world needed such an organization, because sintegration of the Soviet Union. Over time,
gentlemen, esteemed former presidents, in the Bosnia incident there was a war for as a result of this, he began to invade regi-
current presidents and ladies. two and a half years, and 250 thousand pe- ons, especially the regions where the Rus-
ople lost their lives. Europe, especially the sian Minority is very large. First he started
We are looking for peace, the people of European Union, thought that this issue from Georgia, besieged Ossetia and Abkha-
the world are also looking for peace. When would be resolved peacefully. And in the zia, took them. Then the Crimea incident
we look back, at the beginning of the nine- end, a ceasefire could only be achieved with started, he occupied Crimea and unfortuna-
ties, the Soviet Union was bloodlessly dis- NATO’s intervention and NATO’s air cam- tely the world is watching a very bitter war
solved, the two were united again paign. right now.
bloodlessly, the Warsaw Pact came to an
end, and all the people of the world had a That was the talk at the time, especially It is watching because unimportant steps
dream at that time. A dream of a world in NATO and in many parts of Europe. It are taken for peace, the West is actually
where peace, development, prosperity and was thought that without Russia, peace and trying to solve its responsibility by cons-
cooperation can exist. stability could not be achieved, especially tantly giving arms to Ukraine, by providing
in Europe. In other words, we have entered weapons aid. At the moment the only win-
I felt that dream everywhere as the Mi- ners of the war are arms manufacturers and
nister of Foreign Affairs of that period. But

25

arms dealers. Of course, civilians die there, Mayor of Avcılar Att.Turan Hançerli with H.E. Hikmet Çetin and Mr. Yalçın Sönmez
children die, women die. Six million people
began to leave the country’s territory. War peace. All countries have a great responsi- he saw that the West could not do anything.
is very common especially in the geography bility in this regard, so it is extremely wrong He saw it in Georgia, he saw it in the Cri-
where Türkiye is located. The Ukraine-Rus- to expect the Ukraine war to conclude just mea, and now he is trying it in Ukraine.
sian War in the north, Syria next to us, Iraq by watching. We can not end that war just
and between Armenia-Azerbaijan where a by giving money, just giving weapons. I think, this is what I think, if the West in-
lasting peace has not yet been achieved. tervenes in this, it will be the beginning of
The world is at such a critical point, a third the 3rd World War.
I sometimes think that if the money spent world war could break out at any moment.
on weapons and armaments since the Se- Russia has close to six thousand nuclear The third world war will unfortunately be
cond World War had been spent on peace, warheads, mainly located in Eastern Europe. a nuclear war. It is necessary to see that such
the world today would be a much different Close to six thousand and these are medium a war will bring the end of the world. There
place. It is a matter of armament to wage a range missiles, nuclear missiles. About 1500 should be an effort on this issue not only to
war whose money can be expressed in of these are now ready to be fired. There is ensure peace, but also to get rid of nuclear
quadrillion dollars. All countries, both Wes- always such a danger. This needs to be seen weapons. Huge efforts have been made, but
tern and Eastern, entered into a great arms because war is never something smart pe- today there is still a significant amount of
race. If they had been provided for peace, ople do. It is necessary to think that a person nuclear warheads on both sides. In America,
the peace and welfare of countries, we who does not have any problems can wage in NATO, and of course in Russia, China,
would not have reached this point today. such a war. Because Putin tried many times, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel even
if they do not admit it. So we are surroun-
Right now we should all really be asking Hon. Mme.Müjgan Suver extended ded by nuclear weapons, all around Europe.
ourselves the question, what can we do to the gratitude of the Marmara To get rid of nuclear weapons, to destroy
end the Ukraine war. No one asked about Group Foundation to Former them, we have to dream of a world without
any serious, responsible peace program. It Minister of Foreign Affairs of nuclear weapons. Not only dream, but all co-
has been going on for months and it is not Türkiye H.E.Hikmet Çetin untries should make an effort to make it
clear how long this will continue, there is an come true.
uncertainty. A great priest, Desmond Tutu,
from South Africa, has a phrase that goes The end of the world would be a nuclear-
like this: “If you want peace, you will not armed war. It is not clear who will go that
talk to your friends. If you want peace, you far, how long will it take before one destroys
must talk to your enemies.” the other? I am one of those who believe that
the most important danger in this period are
Yes, right now there are very important nuclear weapons, everyone and the whole
statements, very important communiqués, world should strive for a world without nuc-
very important calls, but the war is going on lear weapons.
at a fast pace in this geography right next to
us. The rivers flow into the oceans and we I do not want to take any more of your
are waiting, hoping that the human mind time. I wish the human mind, the human
will somehow flow towards peace. I since- imagination, to actually turn to peace instead
rely wish the human mind to flow into of war. I hope that this summit will make an
important contribution to this as well, and I
greet you all with respect.

26

Hon. MUSTAFA GÜLTEPE

President of IHKIB (Istanbul Apparel Exporters’Association)

We want to make our beautiful Istanbul a Fashion Center and Anatolia,
the cradle of Civilizations, a production base

Distinguished Presidents, Prime Minis- and wish him success in their future endea- tiful Istanbul a Fashion Center and Anatolia,
ters, Ministers, esteemed Participants, vors. We are also very proud of our coope- the cradle of Civilizations, a production
dear members of the press, I greet you with ration that has been going on for twenty base.
respect and warm on behalf of myself and years.
the “Istanbul Apparel Exporters Associa- We are leading the digitalization of the
tion”. Our guests from abroad are welcome Dear Presidents, valuable Participants, sector, making it more sustainable and en-
to our country, you have given us honour. Ready -Wear is a strategic sector of the Tur- vironmentally friendly, and increasing the
kish economy with its export contribution production of design-oriented, high value,
The Eurasian Economic Summit is one of of more than 20 billion dollars in added trend-setting and branded products. In this
the most prestigious civil society events in value production and employment. At the process, we make and develop our coope-
our country. It brings together political lea- same time, I would like to state that we are ration with International Stakeholders and
ders, diplomats, academics, religious lea- a global player in Ready-Wear. We are the the European Union.
ders and business people from more than World’s 5th and Europe’s 3rd largest ready
forty countries every year. Global questions wear supplier. We distinguish ourselves Dear Presidents, esteemed Participants,
are examined at the summit. Solution pro- from our competitors with the speed, quality The theme of the Eurasian Economic Sum-
posals are being sought for a more livable and production of the Turkish Fashion In- mit this year is “Built Back Better”. Our
world where peace, justice and tranquility dustry in accordance with European Union world, humanity and of course our children
dominate. Standards. We have updated our strategy deserve much better. Although we always
and targets according to the latest develop- wish for peace and stability, unfortunately
We are all together for the 25th Summit ments in global trade. We aim to increase we may face new crises. We fought the pan-
this year. It is easy to say, It has been a quar- our annual export, which is currently 20 bil- demic for two years. The pandemic, which
ter of a century, the biggest share in the sum- lion dollars, to 40 billion dollars. We build cost six and a half million lives, has thank-
mit coming to these days is undoubtedly all our work and our action plan according fully been brought under control, but unfor-
belongs to Dr. Akkan Suver. I congratulate to these goals. We want to make our beau- tunately, many problems such as regional
Dr. Akkan Suver and the Board of Directors conflicts, irregular migration, poverty and

27

hunger are waiting for solutions. In particular, we attach great importance In a sense, we are planting trees under
In addition to all these, global climate to the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal. which our children will cool off in the fu-
Türkiye makes approximately 65 percent of ture. We work together in cooperation to
change and the food crisis worry us all. We its ready-to-wear exports to European leave a country with a high level of prospe-
believe that the climate and food crisis, Union countries. Therefore, the Green Deal rity and a more livable and peaceful world
which is a global problem, can be solved in is of great interest to us. We lead the Green for our children. Ways to build a better
the field with global policies. By the way, I Deal and Digital Tech market vendor pre- world will be discussed at the Eurasian Eco-
would like to share with you some of the paration process of our industry. Headlines nomic Summit. There will be a full Summit
data announced by the United Nations. By such as low carbon emissions, circular eco- for two days. I believe that the opinions and
2020, at least 155 million people in the nomy, and sustainable production open the suggestions of the valuable participants will
world will face a food crisis. With the pan- door to new International Collaborations for enlighten our way. In this context, I hope
demic, this number increased to 265 million us. There is a proverb that says, “Future ge- that the Summit will be beneficial to Tür-
in 2021. Currently, 35 million people aro- nerations will rest in the shadow of a tree kiye and the world, and I extend my love
und the world are starving or dying of hun- planted by our generation.” and respect to all of you.
ger. A great tragedy is happening.

Hon. İSMAİL GÜLLE

President of the TİM (Turkish Exporters Assembly (2018-2022)

We saw huge states, huge countries, fighting and colliding with each other for a mask.
When you need it, you have to produce it yourself to own it

Distinguished guests, President of the Summit, which has been held with great sta- year, then it was done as a hybrid, and today
Marmara Group Foundation, esteemed bility by the Marmara Group Foundation for it is a great pleasure to be together physi-
management, esteemed members of the years. Esteemed attendants, continuing an cally.
press and guests. Ladies and gentlemen, I organization for 25 years is really a great
greet you with respect and affection on be- success. That is why I congratulate President I hope these speeches, which are based on
half of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and Akkan and the management. We are about the theme of “Build Back Better”, will serve
myself. I am very pleased to be with you on to go through a very important period, we their purpose. In order to do better, it is ne-
the occasion of the 25th Eurasian Economic did this summit in digital environment last cessary to analyze the past well, to deter-
mine the situation, and to construct it better

28

in the place where wrongs were made. seen a period when self-sufficiency was so Hon. Şamil Ayrım
Yes, the pandemic has been one of the meaningful as this period. extended the
gratitude of the
breaking points in history, human history, For this reason, we have seen how impor- Marmara Group
and the world. 2020 is an unforgettable year. tant and meaningful it is to be self-sufficient
We are talking about a global disaster in in this process, and that countries that do not Foundation to Hon.
which 6.5 million 7 million people lost their produce themselves during the pandemic İsmail Gülle
lives, shutting everyone to their homes and period saw that they can not get that supply
shutting down the economy. The point from their supplier when necessary. We saw exports to a closure that day, we would talk
where this comes from needs to be analyzed huge states, huge countries, fighting and col- about very different things today. Maybe
well. As a result of this, the findings will lead liding with each other for a mask. When you some of the parameters would have been
us to a place to do better. need it, you have to produce it yourself to different, but we could never talk about such
own it. a production export power.
For years, we have ignored the fact that
we turned a country into a center of cheap Yes, such a period has occurred and con- We gained a very serious advantage as a
production, bought at very cheap prices, pol- tinues to be experienced. The result of this is country because it was not closed that day,
luting the world, ignoring all commercial global inflation, the last result that all coun- because the will was shown on that day and
conditions, ignoring human health, polluting tries are currently in and these results are di- because others stopped their production. A
the world and the environment, just for the rectly reflected in global inflation. As the tremendous increase of 60 billion dollars in
sake of cheapness. But the pandemic in Turkish Exporters Assembly, we, the produ- our exports that year. In 2021, that advan-
2022 gives us two results. One of them is cers and exporters of this country, have tage took us to 225 billion dollars in exports,
green production, production that respects never stopped our production and exports by and it continue to do so. Our exports from
people and the environment, and sustainable analyzing these views and staying within May 2021 to May 2022 are 242 and a half
production. So, in the future, price is no lon- this process. It was our greatest luck that our billion dollars. You can easily see from here
ger the first criterion, production that res- country’s production and exports continued that we will go beyond the 250 billion dol-
pects people and the environment is now a during the period when the global supply lar target next year, and it showed us that the
criterion. The costs will be made based on chain was broken. For this reason, the lea- 300 billion dollar target we set is no longer
this. It is no longer very important to give dership approves these decisions by staying a problem, not an unreachable target, but a
cheap. Production with high quality, res- behind the decisions in such critical times. target that we can easily reach in the 100th
pectful to people, environment, air and na- year of our Republic.
ture is now the most important value. Did Our Honorable President was the reason
this have to happen? If this is a result, yes, if for the period that we announced and crow- Determination and will produce results
we are to do better than what we have expe- ned with records, by not stopping our pro- behind the decisions taken in critical periods
rienced, we should see them. duction and exports during the period where These results, within the framework of the
many countries stopped and closed their decision you have taken, gives a period of
Digitization and the technological level production at. This is the cause-effect relati- success, as in our case, our country and our
reached are another result of this. But this onship, if we had brought production and production are in record numbers and enric-
process did not end abruptly. We all drea- hed by success. We are happy in the name of
med that the world would change after the agriculture, as our country has a serious pro-
pandemic. We accepted that many things duction advantage. We have 55 million tons
would change, our lifestyle, our habits, the of fresh fruit and vegetable production. We
world, but frankly, we did not expect this only sell ten percent of it. Same thing with
much change. Because the process has upset other products. This is a very important ad-
the entire logistics balance of the world. vantage. We see that at that time and today,
First, logistics prices increased dramatically
and serious problems began to be experien-
ced in transfers. Naturally, we saw great in-
teraction in commodities as a result of these.
The last chain of these was energy and na-
tural gas. But when starting 2022, no one ex-
pected a war between Russia and Ukraine in
the heart of Europe. And those who expec-
ted it, always saw this as a war that would
last for a week and ten days, and made us
watch what would happen as a result. We
saw this while listening to our precious elder
brother Hikmet Çetin But the result is here,
this is not a 7-day war, it has been 3 months.
Now we see that it is moving towards a re-
sult that affects not only the parties but the
whole world. So far, agriculture has never

29

the world is facing a serious danger in many significantly to the results of the Eurasian But it is our country’s greatest goal, as in all
products such as cereals, wheat, corn and Economic Summit. Hopefully, these contri- other countries, that none of us wish for the
soybean. butions and results will lead to results in consequences of this to grow much larger
order for our country and the world to live and go elsewhere. I am very pleased to be
Therefore, it is necessary to do better, not better, so that we can see everything objec- together with you, I offer love and respect to
just short-term policies. I congratulate my tively, identify the error, produce a solution. all of you. I would like to thank my brother
esteemed President and his team. It is ne- This solution will ultimately be the solution Akkan and his team, the board of directors
cessary to make the analysis correctly, to de- for all of us, I hope. Our wish, of course, is and all of you, who have held this success-
termine correctly and to implement the that this war ends as soon as possible. ful Summit for 25 years, and greet you with
decisions to be taken later. All of our estee- love and respect on behalf of the Turkish
med guests are experienced and highly ran- Here, we all naturally have some question Exporters Assembly and myself.
ked people, and their views will contribute marks about how open and transparent it is.

Hon. DANIEL DULCA

Deputy Secretary General of PABSEC (Parliamentary Assembly of Black Sea Economic Co.)

The Black Sea Region is a bridge between Asia and Europe, being situated at the crossroads of major
transportation routes from the East to the West (Silk Road) and from the North to the South (Viking Road)

Dear Mr. President, Distinguished Parti- gards on behalf of Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, the from thirteen Member States of the Black
cipants, Ladies and Gentlemen Secretary General of the PABSEC, who Sea Economic Cooperation, including 81
It is an honor and a privilege for me to could not participate today, being involved MPs, together and shows itself as a unique
address you on behalf of the PABSEC and in another important meeting. political forum of inter-parliamentary dia-
to express my gratitude to H. E. Dr. Akkan logue in the Black Sea Region.
Suver, the President of Marmara Group Also, I want to underline the exceptional
Strategic and Social Research Foundation, cooperation along the years between the The main objective of the PABSEC is to
for inviting us to take part in such a presti- PABSEC and the Marmara Group Founda- achieve a high level of regional economic
gious meeting, attended by distinguished tion and to thank personally, Dr. Suver, for cooperation and to transform the Black Sea
personalities and to have the privilege to his dedication, involvement, constructive Region into a zone of peace, stability and
address this gathering at the Opening Cere- work and valuable contribution to our As- prosperity.
mony. sembly.
The Black Sea Region is a bridge bet-
I would like to convey to you the best re- The PABSEC, which was established in ween Asia and Europe, being situated at the
1993, brings the members of Parliaments crossroads of major transportation routes

30

from the East to the West (Silk Road) and ticultural values. 20 people, one is a refugee.
from the North to the South (Viking Road). Our main aim is to create peace, stability The damages brought to the world eco-
At the same time, this region is rich in
energy resources and important energy rou- and prosperity for the people. nomy are estimated to more than 500 bil-
tes from Central Asia and the Caspian Re- Unfortunately, the Black Sea Region is lion USD (half a trillion).
gion along with being an outstanding source
of oil and gas for the Mediterranean Sea and faced with serious problems which have a This problem must be solved in the near
the world markets. negative impact on its development. future and in this respect, the parliamentary
diplomacy should play a crucial role in pre-
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the Our organization includes 13 Member venting conflicts, organizing normal living
life around the world and the normal eco- Countries and today there are several con- conditions and for this, it is necessary to
nomic activity unprecedentedly, being a real flicts among them, which affect the regio- have an effective legislation which can lead
global challenge, which has affected all the nal economic development. We are to the implementation of huge projects in
world countries. witnessing today the problem between Rus- the region.
sia and Ukraine and in the near future, we
The COVID-19 is a global health crisis, all have to find a common solution to such I think we have the duty to prepare the
but at the same time, a profound socio-eco- issues, since they entail the innocent peop- young generation for the challenges of the
nomic and political challenge that caused le’s sufferings. future and to assure them the best conditions
the harshest economic recession in nearly a for a better life.
century, triggering enormous damage to pe- These conflicts lead to wars among co-
ople’s health, jobs and wellbeing. untries and increase the number of refugees, The logo of our Assembly “Peace, Coo-
considering that a lot of Ukrainians left the peration and Reconciliation” should con-
It has posed severe threats to the world country. clude my remarks, by emphasizing that we
economy and to the countries’ economic are all one family, and we must bring our
growth, as well as to the normal functioning In the last few years, the Black Sea Re- contribution to build a common future,
of societies. The importance of our region gion and Europe in general have been con- where peace, health, prosperity and stability
is not just because of its energy resources fronted with the refugees’ problem. should govern, not only our region, but the
and its geographical position. whole world.
Today there are around 80 million refu-
The main value of the Black Sea region gees in the world, i.e. (that is) out of 100 History showed that confrontation yields
consists in its different nations, with diffe- persons, one is a refugee. In the Black Sea to nothing positive for the world, and in this
rent traditions, cultures and religions. This Region, the amount is almost two times hig- respect, the Black Sea should not divide, but
is our wealth and we are proud of these mul- her, out of 50 people, one is a refugee. unite us all. Thank you for your kind atten-
tion and success in your work.
Türkiye has the biggest number of refu-
gees, around 4 millions, it means that out of

GREAT PERFORMANCE OF FOWPAL - FOWPAL, headquartered in the USA, performed highly acclaimed
performances at the opening ceremony, reception and works of the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit
31

H.E. LAZAR COMANESCU

Secretary General of BSEC (Black Sea Economic Cooperation)

(I quote) “to ensure a stable investment environment for the rehabilitation of existing facilities
and construction of new energy facilities, taking into consideration the efficiency
and environmental protection criteria”

Excellencies, Distinguished Participants, nomic Summit has asserted itself as a uni- zation that I have the honor to represent.
I am honored and pleased to represent que framework where current and former Founded 30 years ago, almost to the day,
the Organization of the Black Sea Econo- high officials, top-level private decision-
mic Cooperation (BSEC) in this 25th Eura- makers and leading experts exchange views BSEC has become an important economic
sian Economic Summit, a major event on the major challenges and changes in the cooperation platform bringing together the
organized by the Marmara Group Founda- world economy and outline possible soluti- states in the wider Black Sea area. And this
tion and I thank the organizers for kindly ons there to both at national level and thro- is by itself a significant achievement all the
inviting me. ugh multilateral cooperation. more so as we know there have been and
continue to exist political differences and
I take this opportunity to wholeheartedly This year most relevant topics for the eco- sensitivities (to say the least) among these
congratulate Dr. Akkan SUVER, President nomies of our countries have been chosen states. Unfortunately, the current situation
of the Foundation, and his team for their ste- under a very inspirational motto “Build and developments in parts of our region,
ady work over the last 25 years dedicated to Back Better” and, yes, to be successful in more precisely the war in Ukraine, is the
the development of multilateral cooperation such an endeavour, requires first of all, coo- proof of this and affect us all, including the
and the promotion of international dialogue peration – both bilateral and multilateral. activity of our organization, in 2022 which
and understanding in Eurasia. is the year of the 30th anniversary of BSEC.
Please allow me to say, from such a pers- We continue to hope as it is a matter of ur-
Indeed, over the years, the Eurasian Eco- pective, a few words on the BSEC Organi-

32

gency that wisdom and reason prevail and a criteria”. Hon. Şamil Ayrım extended
solution fully compliant with the internatio- We pay special attention to encouraging the gratitude of the
nal law is found so that we can turn back to
a so needed atmosphere of cooperation in Green Energy investments in the BSEC Re- Marmara Group Foundation
the region. gion, with a vision of creating a modern to H.E Lazar Comanescu
energy infrastructure, which include areas
Our Organization which, by the way, is with poor access to energy, and to encoura- as the way towards securing energy which is
the oldest and institutionally well-establis- ging local entrepreneurship in green energy vital. Even before the COVID-19 crisis an
hed intergovernmental regional initiative, production. action on the energy efficiency was requi-
would thus be enabled to continue to act in red. It has also become clear that Green
full for the promotion of the economic coo- We offer great support for our Member Energy is crucial not only for the moderni-
peration and dialogue among its Member States in implementing the BSEC Green zation of the energy sector but equally and
States and beyond. Energy Network strategy, which our Orga- more generally, for economic growth, job
nization created in 2015 for exchanging in- creation and increasing energy security. For
Now, as I have already mentioned, I find formation and sharing experiences among that to be achieved, the BSEC Member Sta-
the topics to be discussed in this conference the administrative bodies mandated to pro- tes should create the appropriate adminis-
as well chosen and also of great interest and mote Renewable Energy Sources and trative and legal framework for facilitating
concern for all of us. Energy Efficiency, and research and acade- such investments.
mic institutions active in these areas.
Though each one of them deserve being Research and Development of Clean
carefully considered and given the time The activities of the Network are coordi- Energy technologies in the BSEC Member
constraints allow me to limit my interven- nated by the Energy Policy and Develop- States also need to be further encouraged
tion to just one, namely the “New Energy ment Centre of the National and and, to this effect, advantage should be
Economy”, not least because Energy has Kapodistrian University of Athens, under taken of the possibilities of communication
been one of the most important areas of the supervision of Permanent International and of sharing professional expertise, avai-
cooperation among the BSEC Member Sta- Secretariat of BSEC (PERMIS). lable through the BSEC Green Energy Net-
tes. work.
In close cooperation with PERMIS, the
The key priorities for BSEC activity the- Coordinator of the Network regularly orga- To summarize: through all its activities in
rein– including issues such as energy secu- nizes BSEC Green Energy Investment Fora this area, our Organization endeavors to ca-
rity, sustainability, the possibility of bringing together high-level officials, policy pitalize the significant potential of our
harmonization of the national legislation of makers and market players, with the pur- Member States to develop a sustainable
the BSEC Member States, strengthening of pose to boost investments in Green Energy energy future.
the cooperation between BSEC and other sector in our Member States and stimulate
international organizations and agencies in regional cooperation in the promotion of We will follow with interest the discussi-
the field of energy – are defined by Goal 4 Green Energy. ons of the Summit.
“Sustainable Energy and Development of
the Black Sea Energy Market”, set by the The last such Forum – the 8th one – took The assessments and the ideas of action
BSEC Economic Agenda adopted in 2012. place on 13 October 2021 in Athens and that need to or should be taken to respond to
another one is planned for October 2022. the new challenges will be – I am confident
“New Energy Economy” requires a radi- - very useful for the activities of our Orga-
cal transformation of the energy systems of The participants in this Forum have been nization, providing food for thought as to
our Member States, all the more so as the extensively discussing the possibilities of where and on what BSEC should further
current energy model of extraction and exp- investments in the BSEC Member States for focus on, so that it could bring added value
loitation has had significant negative effects the green transformation of their economies and act really in support of the needs and in-
on our climate, on the health of communi- terests of its 13 Member States.
ties and on local economies.
I express my best wishes to all the parti-
This is why, in terms of “New Energy cipants for productive exchanges and a fru-
Economy”, our Organization focuses on itful Summit.
Green Energy.

Our activities in this regard are guided by
the BSEC Green Energy Strategy, adopted
in June 2018 by the decision-making body
of our organization – the Council of the Mi-
nisters of Foreign Affairs.

Through this strategic document, the
BSEC Member States committed themsel-
ves inter alia

(I quote) “to ensure a stable investment
environment for the rehabilitation of exis-
ting facilities and construction of new
energy facilities, taking into consideration
the efficiency and environmental protection

33

THE ONE HUMANITY WORLD

H.E. MIGUEL ANGEL MORATINOS

High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations

The challenge we face now may be encountered here in the context of ideals of fraternity and one
humanity so that we can develop a culture of dialogue and friendship in international relations

Your Excellency, Dear Friends, 25th Eu- with extremism, racism, xenophobia, anti- condition for peaceful coexistence here.
rasian Economic Summit Semitism and Islamophobia. This alliance Dialogue in all its forms is necessary to
I would like to thank you all with my sin- also brings much-needed dialogue, and at a create such a culture of mutual living. Dia-
cere and warm feelings and congratulate time when the international community is logue is not just a way of discovering and
Marmara Group Foundation and its chair- dealing with global challenges such as the talking about problems, but also a way of
man Dr. Akkan Suver for this consistently covid-19 pandemic, all these crises have generating common solutions there. And
successful event. Now I want to talk to you faced global indifference, again with cli- here is the approach of knowing each other
about the United Nations Alliance of Civi- mate change, challenges with immigration, as brothers together, which brings us to the
lizations Initiative, and how it is also a con- armed conflicts and growing economic and concept of alliance of civilizations. We are
flict prevention tool. As you all will social inequalities. Contrary to this, the con- all here for one humanity, and here we serve
remember, the Alliance of Civilizations was flicts and crises here should actually raise this idea. In other words, the alliance of ci-
launched between Spain and Türkiye as an the consciousness of a single humanity. And vilizations operates in line with these ideas
antidote to the Clash of Civilizations and at we, as the United Nations Alliance of Civi- and principles, where it also implements
the same time to achieve peaceful coexis- lizations, must involve the entire United Na- programs for international mediation and
tence in a difficult age. This is of great im- tions family in the important challenges and conflict resolution, designs projects and net-
portance in a time of constant polarization struggles here. The challenge we face now works.
and escalating ethnic and religious conflicts. may be encountered here in the context of
ideals of fraternity and one humanity so that Now that this is an economic summit, I
Many things have happened since the we can develop a culture of dialogue and would like to tell you how peace and eco-
clash of civilizations and the war of terror friendship in international relations. nomic prosperity cooperate in the economic
occupied the international agenda. My fri- sphere with the concept of one humanity on
ends, as part of the redefinition of the role We can increase this awareness by crea- one side. Now there are ongoing armed con-
and practice of the United Nations today, the ting dialogue and education and a peaceful flicts in the current global situation, as in
Alliance of Civilizations has now become environment in all cultures. It is global, re- Ukraine, and their impact on lives, econo-
an important tool in peacemaking and con- gional, national, and more importantly, mies and even the environment demonstra-
flict resolution, while in doing so we clash local. Dialogue, my friends, is a necessary tes the importance of putting our prejudices

34

aside here. Here, economic prosperity can sources and, worst of all, destroys human prosperity, peace and global citizenships is
only come with cooperation and peace. Our lives for a long time. All these consequences chosen and people can choose their own
shared prosperity is also based on mutual are now felt globally. fate.
understanding and social culture based on
diplomacy and dialogue. And especially as Whether we want it or not, we have crea- I want to warmly welcome you all. Tho-
we pursue cultural and economic excel- ted a singular world of humanity, and now ught leaders and representatives are here
lence, we will be one humanity and we will this is the time. We are aware of this in order today, and I would like to thank the Mar-
all have the same human rights, the same re- to operate appropriately. So here is the mara Group Foundation for bringing them
quirements. To live in peace in a sustainable human potential, we can see valuable alter- together. Here people are witnessing that
way and to seize economic opportunities. In natives, solutions and new horizons. But un- dialogue and cooperation has a chance, and
our interconnected world, violent conflicts fortunately, we exclude these sustainable I can see the future of one humanity at a cul-
block supply chains, posing a threat to glo- gains, such as the digital economy and tural, political, diplomatic and economic
bal food security. And poverty here brings green energy, and in the long run we wea- level. And if we do not give up our efforts,
misery, destroys infrastructures, depletes re- ken ourselves. We have seen a particular they will come true, so thank you. I wish
point through history. When there is greater you all success.

H.E. YAVUZ SELİM KIRAN

Republic of Türkiye, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador

Therefore, as the Republic of Türkiye, we have channeled the basic principles of Turkish fore-

ign policy into the solution of these common issues that concern

all humanity in the axis of our national interests

Distinguished Presidents, my esteemed our President of Marmara Group Founda- ons to the peace and independence efforts of
Prime Minister, my esteemed Ministers. tion, Mr. Akkan Suver, and his management, Turkish foreign policy. On this occasion, at
Very valuable state officials from our region which has continued on its way with success the beginning of my speech, I would like to

and all over the world, very valuable repre- and growing stronger day by day with such convey the greetings of our Minister of Fo-

sentatives of our non-governmental organi- an exceptional event. reign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, to our es-

zations, esteemed Participants. As the Ministry of ForeignAffairs, I would teemed statesmen and all our participants.

May the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit like to express that we have always gladly The geography of Eurasia represents a ge-

bring blessings to our region and to all hu- benefited from the work of our Marmara ography that produces 65 percent of the

manity. On this occasion, we would like to Group and that we have witnessed closely world’s gross product today. We are talking

express our gratitude to our Marmara Group, that these efforts make invaluable contributi- about a geography that hosts seventy-five

35

percent of the world’s energy resources, we crossed. Of course, as a result of our Presi- hold, when the Organization of Turkic Sta-
are talking about a geography that is home to dent’s insistent offers to both Mr. Zelenski tes achieved such a great momentum today.
5 billion people. Therefore, together with all and Mr. Putin, the meeting of the negotiation Ending the occupation in Nagorno-Kara-
these statistics, we represent an understan- delegations in Istanbul, which become the bakh. The fact that Azerbaijan ended this oc-
ding of the importance of realizing these ac- center of peace, was again a very critical cupation, which lasted for 30 years, in 44
hievements and channeling these riches to stage for our exceptional city to host these days, achieved by the unconditional support
the welfare and stability of all humanity. Ho- negotiations. But at the point we have reac- of the Republic of Türkiye, in order to end
wever, we know that in the intervening pe- hed today, unfortunately, we see that the war this occupation, and liberated its people and
riod, we are faced with very serious problems has not stopped, but we do not give up on our their own lands, had a great repercussion in
in channeling the riches of this geography, efforts to stop it. Today, Russian Foreign Mi- a wide geography. This showed us how va-
which is described as the heart of the world, nister Lavrov, as a guest of our Minister of luable the mechanism of the Organization of
to humanity. These tests undoubtedly con- Foreign Affairs in Ankara, this is a very im- Turkic States is, and we see that the Organi-
cern not only people living in the Eurasian portant stage of our diplomatic efforts to stop zation of Turkish States continues on its way
geography, but also all people. Therefore, we this war. We are currently dealing with the much stronger with the ever-expanding and
know that all issues concerning this region important meeting held by both ministers. growing influence. But of course we have a
are a common issue for all humanity, and in Again, Mr. President continues his efforts to- shortcoming. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, the very
order to solve each of these issues, as the Re- gether with all his allies. Just this week, we esteemed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
public of Türkiye, under the leadership of our have mobilized 7 Foreign Ministers to end Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, is with
President and under the direction of our dear the issues in our region, especially the Rus- us today. We have achieved very important
minister, we are in an effort to solve every sian-Ukrainian War, and we are hosting the gains in order to complete our family photo.
single problem with a principled foreign po- Foreign Ministers of 7 countries together this Hopefully, with the observer membership of
licy understanding, centered on peace and week. the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, we
dialogue, and approaches that give priority believe that the Organization of Turkic States
to diplomacy. Our distinguished speakers, Dear Prime Minister, dear Presidents, very will continue on its way much stronger by
each more valuable than the other, expressed valuable Participants. We are holding the 25. completing our family photo. But this belief
their valuable views before me. One of the Eurasian Economic Summit today. The 25 is crowned with the presence of our very va-
issues that concern us all today is the Russia- years have shown us that we can channel the luable and experienced statesmen. Our es-
Ukraine War. It has turned into an issue that common wealth we have in our region as teemed Prime Minister, Binali Yıldırım,
concerns not only Russia, not only Ukraine, long as we act in common solidarity. None Elder of the Organization of Turkic States, is
not only the countries of the region, but also of our problems concern us alone. We have among us. All the countries of the region
all humanity and the whole world. It is not recently experienced that as long as we wait were so excited about the services he rende-
only the Russian-Ukrainian war, but the issue for others to solve our own problems, those red to our country and the services he rende-
of migration today, the new threats posed by problems become much deeper and that new red to all humanity with his calm and prudent
the new world order for us, global climate ones are added to the very big issues we face approaches that today our Council of Elders
change, and migration. Again, the ongoing today. Therefore, we have the will, capacity within the Organization of Turkish States is
instability and conflicts in our nearby geog- and power to solve our own problems our- mobilized to carry all these achievements to
raphy. Again, the Russia-Ukraine War and selves. Let’s be together, cooperate. The in- future generations and to channel them to all
the Covid 19 epidemic, which emerged as a tervening 25 years have shown us this and humanity. Based on this example, these ric-
new problem that none of us knew before. proved it. Whenever we have acted together, hes we have as the Eurasian geography also
Along with all this, the narrowing of global there are many valuable corporate and eco- cause a great excitement for all humanity.All
supply chains day by day, the rise in com- nomic outcomes of this act together, there are this potential, all this wealth contained in the
modity prices, the endangerment of global many valuable regional and global interna- Eurasian geography, while facing very intri-
energy supply.All this has gained a relevancy tional organizations that we have built toget- cate issues and deep tests, is a source of en-
that concerns not only us, not only the people her. It is possible for all these organizations to couragement for all of us. In this respect, it
living in this region, but also all humanity. contain meaning only if they have common is a source of pride for all of us that our Mar-
Therefore, as the Republic of Türkiye, we results for the whole of humanity. Therefore, mara Group brought these riches of the Eu-
have channeled the basic principles of Tur- as the Republic of Türkiye, we attach great rasian geography to the attention of the
kish foreign policy into the solution of these importance to all efforts to transform all these whole world and successfully hosted these
common issues that concern all humanity in efforts into a zone of regional stability and efforts in Istanbul for 25 years. With these
the axis of our national interests. prosperity, and especially the Black Sea Eco- thoughts in mind, I would like to express my
nomic Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation gratitude to the Marmara Group Foundation
In this understanding, we take great pride Organization, the Organization of Turkic Sta- for continuing to strengthen such an excep-
in being the country that leads diplomatic ef- tes among regional organizations. See, the tional event with each passing year for 25
forts for the solution of the Russia-Ukraine momentum that the Organization of Turkic years, and for turning it into a large-scale ow-
issue, to bring it to an end. Of course, the fact States has gained today also shows how nership today. I would like to welcome our
that our Honorable Minister brought toget- much momentum and motivation we have esteemed guests and state dignitaries from all
her the Foreign Ministers of the two coun- achieved when we show the will to solve our over the world, whom we are honored to
tries in Antalya and hosted this meeting own problems by ourselves. There was a host, and present my respects.
meant that a very important threshold was very important sign, a very important thres-

36

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

H.E. MILO DUKANOVIC

President of Montenegro

Again, certain conflicts can only be resolved through dialogue. We also need

tolerance and mutual respect for dialogue here

Mr. Suver, the head of Marmara Group are well aware of the difficulties experienced We cannot offer a definitive view on global
Foundation, dear Participants, I would in the supply of simple general food materi- relations here. There seems to be a new geo-
like to welcome everyone. Hello to all inter- als, especially for Ukraine and the region, es- political architect now, a new marginaliza-
national (economic) participants, ladies and pecially in the world. These conflicts in the tion here. We are in a new era that will

gentlemen. It is my pleasure to have this spe- Eurasian region have endangered sustainable particularly affect small countries. What will

ech to you here. I am very happy to attend economy and green transformation. be discussed in this forum today and tomor-

the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit here The very bad effects of Covid-19, which row, our conversations here will identify spe-

right now. I congratulate all of you for seeing is still not past between us, the effects of this cific opportunities and contribute very well

the challenges faced by our particular coun- pandemic are also quite fresh. to some very hot topics here. National/inter-

tries and the region over the years, and for Solving international global problems and national optimism and I believe we will ful-

coming up with specific solutions to them, creating new solutions to new challenges and fill certain expectations here. Here again, I

and I wish you success in your future busi- dangers, the pandemic has also affected us would like to talk about our expectations as

ness. This year, we had a very different pe- badly. Montenegro.

riod geopolitically. Again, certain conflicts can only be resol- Montenegro went through quite serious

At the moment, we see quite a lot of on ved through dialogue. We also need tolerance developments after gaining its independence

going conflicts on European soil. Again, and mutual respect for dialogue here. in 2008. It is currently a NATO member and

these conflicts between east and west mani- Here again, the seriousness of this current a candidate to join the European Union. Fo-

fested itself most recently with the war bet- situation requires more cooperation, more reign investments are particularly focused on
ween Ukraine and Russia. Millions of people responsibility and more togetherness. Again, infrastructure and construction of new facili-

in Ukraine are currently migrant, thousands we are now witnessing a new geopolitical ties, especially in the field of tourism.

of people lost their lives and we are talking cycle. Of course, no one can say anything Of course, these investments improve our
about an incredible economic damage. We about what this will look like in the future. welfare level, but we still have a long way to

37

go to reach the European Union level here. contributions to Montenegro’s reaching a zations, we continue to work for the conti-
Montenegro has developed highly democra- higher civilization level. Again, Türkiye and nuation of peace, sustainability and coexis-
tic institutions. Again, the most important other countries in the region continue at very tence. We are in a geography where interests
point of Montenegro is the stability and important points. clash, we hope that peace prevails over war
multi-ethnic democracy after the Balkan War and tolerance overcomes hatred. Again, our
in the 1990s, here Montenegro and the co- The difference here and the coexistence of countries continue to work in a specific,
untries in the region have made very serious people from different religions is very im- constant and ongoing way.
portant. Together with international organi-

THANKS TO H.E. MILO DUKANOVIC

The speech of Montenegro President Milo Dukanovic, who attended the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit as the
Guest of Honor, met with great interest from the participants. In photos you see President Milo Dukanovic toget-
her with Montenegro Ankara Ambassador Perisa Kastratovic, former Montenegrin Foreign Minister Milan Rocen and
Dr Akkan Suver at Atatürk Airport. After the speech of President Milo Dukonavic, Istanbul Deputy Şamil Ayrım pre-
sented him the thanks of the Marmara Group Foundation. At Atatürk Airport, you see Montenegrin President Milo

Dukanovic together with those who welcomed him.
Marmara Group Foundation is grateful to the President of Montenegro for his exceptional participation.
38

H.E. BİNALİ YILDIRIM

Prime Minister of Türkiye (2016-2018)
Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (2018-2019)

Head of the “Aksakallılar” Council of the Turkic States

Let’s look at the geography of Eurasia, civil wars, terrorism, immigration, all events
take place in this region. We do not think that this is a coincidence

H.E. President of the Republic of Monte- said, we are talking about 90 countries, mea- events take place in this region. We do not
negro, Excellency Presidents, Prime ning that almost half the number of the Uni- think that this is a coincidence. The repeated
Ministers, Ministers, Distinguished Scien- ted Nations countries that are located in this occupation of Afghanistan, the occupation of
tists, Valuable Participants, All participated region. The numbers in terms of population Iraq, the civil war in Syria, the civil war in
Ladies and Gentlemen from home and ab- are even more significant; we are talking Yemen, the 30-year-long Armenian-Azer-
road, I greet you all with my sincere grati- about a population of 5 billion of the region baijani Conflict in the Caucasus, and now the
tude and respect. that represents more than half of the world’s war between Russia and Ukraine, all attract
population. The region has more than se- attention.
I strongly believe that Marmara Group Fo- venty-five percent of world’s energy resour-
undation itself has already proven itself many ces by itself. After the cold war in the Balkans, in the
times as a respected name; so this economic early 90s, with the disintegration of the So-
summit meeting has also became very well However, it does not get the recognition viet Union, the wars with their sufferings
known internationally. We have been holding that it deserves; not the mention receiving the took place in the region. Does all this have
this event about a quarter of a century in his- fair share in global prosperity. We need to to happen? Of course not, but unfortunately
tory. Regardless of global circumtances, this identify this fact first. This is the region we have a beautiful organization called the
forum brings together senior executives and where civilizations have crossed over centu- United Nations. God bless, they do not bring
experts from different countries of Eurasia; ries. In fact, these routes that we call them as up any solution to anything.
has done it continuously without any inter- historical Silk Roads, Spice Roads, King’s
ruptions for a long time. It also pulls up a vi- Roads that all shows its richness of Eurasian Because the United Nations was establis-
sion for the future. In this regard, I would like geography as for the fact that the civilizations hed after the Second World War, it is an or-
to extend my special thanks to Dr. Akkan have developed here. Religions emerged in ganization that was set up according to the
Suvver and his team. If we are talking about this region, in this geography. The biggest conditions of those days. The victors of the
an Eurasia today, it is because they hold on to conflicts have taken place in this geography, war dictated their terms in its establishment.
this precious tradition and sustained it for de- and they currently continue to do so. The founding states have given themselves
cades. privileges; those five permanent members
Let’s look at the geography of Eurasia, now decide for everything. Around those
Speaking of Eurasia, just as our minister civil wars, terrorism, immigration that all five, there are more than 190 countries, they

39

cry and stress on issues but regardless at the end. If we are late in ensuring the justice in under the name of Turkic Council. Today, it
end of the day when any one of the five does distribution of prosperity and wealth; no co- proceeds on its way as the Organization of
not give its consent, all efforts disappear untry can sustain in peace by itself. We see Turkic States and has a total gross domestic
when it comes to solving any conflict or examples of this all the time. If there are 280 products of around one and a half trillion dol-
problem. In such structure, which was estab- million stateless people migrating today. If lars, a population of 170 million, two obser-
lished with the pains of war, was useful those the global refugee population reaching 90 vers and 5 main members, and the total
days but nowadays the world we live in is not million, we have to carefully focus more on foreign trade of all these countries reaching
an unipolar nor a bipolar world. In fact there the sociological facts lying behind of these. over 600 billion dollars. We are talking about
is a multipolar world with much complicati- a union consists of many critical countries of
ons. What I want to say is that there are many the regions in the Caucasus, Central Asia,
regional, local and global organizations in the Anatolian geography and the Balkans. The
We are experiencing a completely diffe- Eurasian geography or other geographies. aim of the union is to eliminate the conflicts
rent geo-political and geo-economic proces- Let’s not think that any of these organizations in these regions and the problems that have
ses, especially with the collapse of the Soviet are competitors to each other. The task of all eventually became gangrenous over decates.
Union and the inclusion of fifteen newly in- of them is to provide better opportunities for It has the goal for devoting resources for the
dependent states in the global system. The their regions, the geography that they belong strengths and opportunities on the path of re-
most important feature of this process is that to. To contribute to local, regional and glo- gional development. In this organization,
in the past, during the cold war years, the we- bal peace. There is no doubt about it. there is the Council of Elders in which there
alth migrated from east to west. Nowadays is a member of each country and a president
the wealth migrates from west to east. In But can any success be achieved at this among them. During the period, the organi-
other words, countries that have completed point? I do not think so. Why? The reason is zation has graciously granted me the lea-
their prosperity and no longer have any op- clear, as I have just stated, that the global dership duty and we are trying to fulfill this
portunity to further pull themselves richer system does not serve a population of 8 bil- responsibility. As I said, our aim is the con-
now have to sacrifice in fact from their cur- lion of 194 countries fairly and equally. This vergence among these countries in areas of
rent welfare after losing exploitation chance is where all the problems come from. So culture, communication, infrastructure, trans-
of the others. what do we need to do? More dialogue, less portation.
conflict. We will talk and enter dialog more,
All these made the geography of Eurasia instead of fighting. I believe by talking we When it comes to transportation, it is use-
much more Significant. The geography of can overcome many problems. ful to say this. During the pandemic, the Eu-
Eurasia has always been important throug- rasian geography was shown itself once
hout history, and now it is a geography that I would like to express with regret that again as what it was an indispensable logis-
will feed the world’s population with its some countries that sided with Ukraine do tics geography for the world. Especially, for
energy resources, other natural resources, not pursue any task in ending the war; in fact example, suppliers in Europe could not get
with its agriculture and food supply. Of co- they are covertly triggering the war. I think the goods they wanted from China, from the
urse, the region deserved to be recognized this is terribly wrong. The main thing in the Far East during the pandemic. One reason is
certainly not with wars, terrorism, immigra- region is to stop the bloodshed as soon as that the cost of shipping a container increased
tion, but with increased prosperity, fruitful- possible and to ensure that innocent children to 15,000 USD. However, in the Eurasian ge-
ness. peace and brotherhood. and civilians do not pay the price. Otherwise, ography, in Türkiye, Ukraine, Azerbaijan,
thoughts and initiatives such as providing Armenia, Iran or the Balkan countries, it was
Immediate access to this region’s resour- weapons to Ukraine thus trying to balance possible to deliver this, a 20-foot container, to
ces shall be granted to the people living in against Russia will never serve the region or the final consumer for a price equal to one-
the region, to its citizens; that certainly will the people of these two countries. tenth of that.
minimize the conflicts. Russia and Ukraine
in particular provided more than one-third of In this respect, Türkiye stands at a delicate Therefore, it is a subject that must be wor-
the world’s grain needs before the war. In the situation. We indicate that there is no winner ked over in order to ensure the integration of
pandemic, the supply chain has already been in this war, in fact there has been no winner logistics and infrastructure systems as to eli-
interrupted; the increase in prices has been at none of the wars of the history. With the minate the obstacles in customs clearance,
very high. And when the Russia and Ukraine understanding the fact that even the worst and to increase regional trade and prosperity
crisis came into play, this food supply issue peace is better than war, we are making great in the region.
took precedent over many other issues. efforts to bring both countries together and
end this problem as soon as possible. Espe- Especially the corridor we call the Middle
Today, the world is on the eve of the glo- cially our President, the heads of state of both Corridor forms the backbone of this geog-
bal food crisis. The energy price increases, countries, our ministers and technical com- raphy. Today, because of the Ukraine-Russia
especially in natural gas and oil last year mittees are fighting this struggle. Of course, war, the North Corridor does not work. The
overturned the economic indicators of all the we would like to thank everyone who con- South Corridor is not attractive; it is not pre-
authorities of countries. Today, no country tributed in that sense. We have no interest in ferred because it is long and costs are high.
has the opportunity to implement its planned that sense as we try our best with no hesita- Only the Middle Corridor remains as an op-
budget that was calculated a year ago. There tion. tion.
are high deviations over a hundred percent.
Countries with energy and oil rich countries I would like to briefly talk about the Orga- You also know the route of the Middle
may benefit from this. But in the end, we all nization of Turkic States and its role, with Corridor. We are talking about the corridor
live in one single world as we all lose at the your permission. The Organization of Turkic that starts from the Far East, passes through
States is an organization formed in 2009

40

Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, in- people and country. No matter how much Thinking for only our own benefits under
cludes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Tür- they contribute, we will match it with seve- such circumstances is not appropriate for us
kiye, and extends from the Balkans to ral times more in contribution. This should as a nation. We have a beautiful tradition of
England. This corridor is the corridor that has be useful to know. helping everyone in need. In this regard, we
already served humanity for centuries. The- came to the rescue of 160 countries in the
refore, considering this corridor as the route In the Middle East, we pay the price. Now pandemic, and tried to provide health sup-
of prosperity, global and regional peace; not we would never want such a thing happening port. We cooperated greatly with them.
as sources of wars, terrorism, and internal in Ukraine. When this problem between Rus-
turmoil will be the key goal of ours. sia and Ukraine started, European countries With all this, when we were about to say
began to concern more about immigrants, re- that the pandemic has just come out of our
There are there are many inititatives, many fugees, and the problems they bring about. agenda, we are faced with another problem.
evaluations for this. This Eurasian Economic But we have been experiencing this for ten Therefore, our biggest goal should be to
Summit, which we are holding here for the years and unfortunately we did not receive commemorate our region with more oppor-
25th time, is one of the most important acti- the necessary support in this regard; we were tunities rather than more problems, and for
vities in this direction. Therefore, for two left alone. this, we should seek for dialogue and coope-
days, the subject will be discussed in all ways ration; the differences of faith, differences in
possible, and in this way, messages for the But we are a powerful country, we over- civilizations as a wealth, a richness, not a
future, for the peace of humanity, for regio- came these in the past. We had similar prob- threat for this. If we remove religions, in the
nal and global prosperity will be revealed and lems in Bulgaria, we had similar problems in Balkans or Pakistan-India or Arab geog-
targets will be determined. Iraq. Therefore, we are overcoming with raphy, people are always the same. Why sho-
them and we will handle them with care in uld religion be so divisive? Why should
Of course, as Türkiye, we are a country future. I want to say this, you cannot protect religion be an instrument of conflict? Religi-
that pays a very serious price for the preser- your country with high walls, electronic de- ons come to humanity to inculcate peace,
vation of regional and global peace. We been vices. Technology, digital technologies have prosperity and brotherhood.
fighting against terrorist organizations for 40 developed so much that it is not possible to
years to ensure our territorial integrity and to protect the country with any physical protec- In this respect, instead of the clash of civi-
ensure the safety of life and property of our tion. lizations, we need to place much more im-
people. But unfortunately, our friends, whom portance on the concept of the meeting of
we consider them as allies, are acting directly We saw this in the Arab Spring, we saw it civilizations and the unification of civilizati-
or indirectly together with terrorist groups, in other events, there is such a thing as social ons. We need to focus on this. We are not all
instead of staying on our side. media communication. Therefore, the task the same, some of us have different eye color,
that needs to be done is simple, we need to some have different skin color, some have
This both upsets and disturbs us immen- use our minds not on weapons, not on fortif- different hair, different religion, different lan-
sely. There is a need for honesty here, and we ying the borders, but on bringing the level of guage; but let’s not forget that the color of the
tell this to our allies at every opportunity. So global and regional prosperity closer toget- drops falling from our eyes is always the
does this region have to live in a ring of fire? her. We need to increase our efforts in that di- same. In this respect, we say, Let people live
In Syria, in Iraq, we solved the Caucasus, but rection. so that humanity can survive. So we will
they still do not sit idly by. We see that there trade more with each other, talk to each other
are sponsors for the rekindling of the spark If the welfare gap between the regions for more dialogue, more peace, more pros-
there. The Armenian people, the Armenians does not close, the refugee influx will follow perity, and thus eliminating injustice.
living there, paid the price for 30 years. Our and immigration will continue. No one can
Azerbaijani brothers had to leave their land, shame these people. It is the right of every The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
1 million refugees. For 30 years, the United human being to go to better places and to has been in isolation for years. It has been
Nations and regional organizations kept tal- seek a future in better living conditions. The- under an embargo for years, unable to obtain
king and talking without doing anything. refore, the way to keep people in the region its rights. Other countries usurp their rights.
is to provide them the personal safety, pro- Therefore, it is our greatest hope that these
But finally, this problem has been resolved perty security, and to grant conditions where injustices will come to an end. Hopefully, we
and from now on, the task of Armenia, Azer- people can realize their future dreams. would like to see Northern Cyprus as an ob-
baijan, Türkiye, Iran, Georgia and Russia is server in the Organization of Turkish States
to close the welfare gap of the region and We are going through difficult years. For in a short time, and our efforts for this conti-
bring the region to a point where peace and the last three years, the whole world, whether nue. Dear Friends, I would like to thank Dr.
tranquility can be achieved. There are steps rich or poor, couldn’t pass the exam on the Akkan Suvver, the President of the Marmara
taken in this direction, it is not going badly. pandemic, so to speak. Unfortunately, these Group Foundation, and to all those who con-
Finally, an agreement was reached in the developed countries had difficulties in pro- tributed for bringing us together at such a fru-
Zangezur corridor. The infrastructure, roads, viding health services to their own citizens, itful gathering in Istanbul, in the center of the
communication infrastructures that have and we saw that their infrastructure was in- world, a beautiful open-air museum with the
been neglected for years in Karabakh are sufficient. But thankfully we are one of the sea passing through it and with all these fee-
being built. So our position here is clear. We countries that survived this with the least da- lings, I would welcome you all to our beau-
say thatArmenia should not listen to external mage. Because we have invested heavily in tiful city. I hope we meet at the next meeting.
and foreign suggestions (its overseas dias- our health infrastructure in the last 20 years I greet you all with love and respect.
pora) and contribute to the peace and pros- with our city hospitals projects. Therefore,
perity of the region for the future of its own we have seen that they worked fine in this Thank you
pandemic.

41

MEDAL OF HONOR CEREMONY FOR OUR MEMBERS
WHO CELEBRATE THEIR 10th ANNIVERSARY

The Eurasian Economic Summits tur- a fidelity and an appreciation to those President of Moldova (1997-2001) H. E.
ned the 25th Age of Honor this year. who have participated in the Eurasian Emir Kır, Mayor of Saint Josse, Belgium,
In the twenty-five years that we have left Economic Summits for ten years conti- Hon. Mme Zeynep Peker, General Ma-
behind, the Medal Ceremony that the nued this year as well. Medals of Honour nager of WOW Hotels, and Hon. Att.
Marmara Group Foundation presented as were presented to Hon. Petru Lucinschi, Serhat Tabanca.

The Medal of Honor was handed over by President of the President of the Montenegro H.E. Milo Dukanovic presented
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina the Medal of Honour to Mr. Emir Kır, Mayor of Saint-Josse

H.E. Marinko Cavara to H. E. Petru Lucinschi

Former Prime Minister of Türkiye H.E. Binali Yıldırım presented Former Prime Minister of Türkiye H.E. Binali Yıldırım and Presi-
the Medal of Honour to Hon. Mme. Zeynep Peker, dent of the Montenegro H.E. Milo Dukanovic presented the Medal
General Manager of WOW Hotels
of Honour to Hon. Att. Serhat Tabanca

42

AWARDS GIVEN TO DR. AKKAN SUVER
ON THE OCCASION OF THE 25th EURASIAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT

Award from H.E. Jakhongir Artikkhodjayev Governor
and Mayor of Tashkent, Uzbekistan to Dr. Akkan Suver

One more Honorary Doctorate from Azerbaijan to Dr. Akkan Suver

Award from the delegation of Uzbekistan to Dr. Akkan Suver The Peace Medal from President of FOWPAL to Dr. Akkan Suver

Awards of the delegation of Gagauzia to Hon. Dr. Akkan Suver. H.A.H Yusuf Çetin, Deputy Patriarchal of Syriac
Orthodox Community of Istanbul
gave a gift to Dr. Akkan Suver
43

“A NEW ENERGY ECONOMY”

“Cooperation and Partnership Among the
Global Business Communities”
“Towards A More Digital World”
“Towards A Greener World”

At the Second Sesssion of the 25th Eurasian Economic Summit, the Rostrum was composed of
Hon. Mr. Engin Köklüçınar, H.E. Elvin Hasan Government Minister of North Macedonia , H.E. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of T.R.N.C., Hon. Att. Serhat Tabanca and Hon. Mme. Marjetka Kastner,
President of the Life Learning Academy of Slovenia

The Representative Committee of the Marmara Group Foundation was consisted of H. E. Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu, Dean
of the Marmara Group Foundation, Hon. Mr. Mahmut Saklı. The Reporters are Hon. Prof. Dr. Ali Kemal Özdemir,
Dean of Gelişim University of Faculty of Dentistry, Hon. Prof. Dr. Alovsat Amirbeyli, Academician from Azerbaijan,
H. E. Sadii Qodirzoda, Chairman of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of the
Republic of Tajikistan, Hon. Mrs. Nimet Ulubay, Member of Marmara Group Foundation, Hon. Mr. Mustafa Ergin,
Member of Marmara Group Foundation

44

Hon. ELSHAN RAHMAN

Legal Manager at Alat Free Economic Zone, Azerbaijan

AFEZ is located at the intersection of international transport corridors in vicinity of the Baku
International Sea Trade Port

Since year 1958, when the Shannon lished in the free zone will be exempt from clusion that our Alat Free Economic Zone
Free Zone in Ireland was established, corporate taxes, customs duties and inves- project will be successful only if our cli-
thousands of free economic, industrial and tors immediately will come and compete ents will be convinced that we are doing
other type of free zones have been estab- to establish their businesses in that free everything necessary to ensure their suc-
lished around the world. zone. cessful and profitable activities in AFEZ.

But despite the efforts of governments a But reality confirmed that with all the And now, let me briefly inform you
large number of Free Zones fail to meet attractiveness of tax and customs incenti- about unique for entire post-Soviet area
many or any of their objectives. ves, this is not enough to attract investors. and surrounding countries project – The
Alat Free Economic Zone in Azerbaijan.
Why do a lot of Free Zones fail? For investors, it was also equally im-
Sometimes the value proposition was portant to have tempting legislation, inde- First reason for uniqueness of this pro-
not right, sometimes established Free pendent regulatory body, streamlined port, ject is an important part of the general po-
Zones were not competitive against regio- customs operations, simplified clearance licy of the President and the Government
nal peers, but mainly execution falters. procedures, modern energy, transporta- of Azerbaijan to develop a knowledge-
And main reason for the failure or un- tion, logistical infrastructure, industrial based and internationally competitive eco-
successful implementation of such pro- land plots with ready-to-use off-site and nomy with the goal to become a highly
jects is the lack of understanding of the on-site infrastructure and utilities; and competitive participant in international
essence of such projects by the state offi- other advantages that combine to create an economic relations; with diversified and
cials. enticing investors package. export-oriented economy, creating high-
To put it simply, the absolute majority added value based on a world class attrac-
of officials are convinced that it is only ne- And based on studies of the reasons for tive business environment with modern
cessary to announce that businesses estab- the successful or unsuccessful develop- energy, transportation, and logistical in-
ment of free zones, we came to the con-

45

frastructure. Second reason for this: As I said before, internal regulations, tral or local authorities;
AFEZ is located at the intersection of in- developed and approved by AFEZ Autho- • independent regulatory body;
rity are integral part of AFEZ legislation; • and other incentives;
ternational transport corridors in vicinity and main purpose of these internal regula- • and these incentives will also be avai-
of the Baku International Sea Trade Port. tions is to create best possible business en-
vironment for our investors. lable to support the subsequent expansion
Third reason for this: unique legal base and growth of our clients’ businesses into
of AFEZ. A list of these internal regulations is pre- the future.
sented on the slide shown on the screen:
The legal framework for the develop- AFEZ will serve the needs of investors
ment, operation, and governance of AFEZ Company Regulations, Licensing Re- who will engage in high-value added and
based on the “Law of the Republic of gulations, Real Property Regulations, In- export-oriented manufacturing and inter-
Azerbaijan on the Alat Free Economic tellectual Property Regulations, Anti - nationally traded services, using innova-
Zone” adopted by the Parliament and sig- Money Laundering Regulations, Ultimate tive technologies and approaches to work,
ned by the President of Azerbaijan as a Beneficial Ownership Regulations, Mig- in accordance with best international stan-
prevailing law of the Republic of Azerbai- ration Regulations, Insolvency Regulati- dards.
jan and internal regulations of AFEZ is- ons, Company Administration Regulation,
sued by the AFEZ Authority and these Tax Regulations, Employment Regulati- In addition to business-friendly legisla-
internal regulations are integral part of ons, Planning And Building Regulation, tion, fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, we
AFEZ legislation. Commercial Regulations, Financial Mar- will provide to our clients’ industrial land
kets Regulations, Customs Regulations, plots with ready-to-use off-site and on-site
And the Law of the Republic of Azer- Health And Safety Construction Regulati- infrastructure and utilities.
baijan on the Alat Free Economic Zone ons, Health And Safety Occupational Re-
declares that AFEZ legislation, which con- gulations, Health, Safety, Security and Based on approved by the AFEZ Aut-
sists of AFEZ law and internal regulations, Environmental Legislation, Dispute Reso- hority master plan, AFEZ initially will oc-
taking precedence over base economy le- lutions Regulations, Competition Regula- cupy a total site area of approximately 850
gislation. tions, Utilities Regulations, Fees Rules, ha, located next to the seaport of Baku and
Accounting & Financial Reporting Regu- global transport corridors.
To clearly demonstrate precedence of lations, Electronic Signature and Electro-
AFEZ legislation over base economy le- nic Transactions Regulations. Moreover, Government reserved more
gislation and exclude possibility of any than 7000 ha for future expansion of the
conflicts, misunderstandings, contradicti- In addition to that we will provide to our AFEZ.
ons in the interpretation of the provisions investors and to businesses, established by
of AFEZ legislation and base economy le- them in AFEZ a package of fiscal and non- I am sure that it will be very attractive
gislation, relevant amendments were made fiscal incentives, including: for our potential clients, that in accordance
and adopted by our Parliament in consti- with the Law of the Republic of Azerbai-
tutional law on normative-legal acts, in •exemption from value-added tax, with- jan on the Alat Free Economic Zone, the
tax, customs, licensing, labor, dispute re- holding tax and any other corporate tax; Government “granted the Free Zone Aut-
solution and other (more than 80) laws of hority an irrevocable, unfettered and per-
the Republic of Azerbaijan and these •exemption from customs duties and petual right of use over the Free Zone
amendments clearly acknowledge that taxes on import to the free zone and export Land and only Free Zone Authority is en-
AFEZ legislation takes precedence over from the free zone; titled to use, lease or otherwise dispose the
those laws of Base Economy. Free Zone Land”.
• personal income tax for local personal
In addition to that AFEZ law clearly (if the monthly salary does not exceed The development strategy being imple-
declares that Base Economy Authorities 8000 manat – approximately 4700$); mented by the AFEZ Authority is to build
out AFEZ infrastructure and facilities in
•Shall not have any jurisdiction in the • no social security payments and no phases.
AFEZ and other similar taxes and payments for fore-
ign skilled personnel; The first phase of the development of
•Shall not have any power to regulate or off-site infrastructure and utilities finished
oversee the activities of AFEZ Authority • no restrictions on foreign ownership. in March 2021 and in April 2021 we star-
or AFEZ Legal Entities (i.e., businesses • no requirement for a local partner; ted the development of infrastructure and
established by investors), owners, credi- • no restrictions on currency transacti- utilities of initial 60 ha area, and in July
tors, employees of these legal entities. ons or profit repatriation; 2021 we started construction of AFEZ Bu-
• investors’ property is immune from siness Centre.
In short, the legislation of Base Eco- any nationalization expropriation measu-
nomy is not valid in AFEZ and for sub- res or any other restrictions on private ow- The physical development program is
jects of AFEZ (except criminal law and nership; on schedule, and we are planning to finish
anti-money laundering law) and only • full protection of intellectual property development of on-site infrastructure of
AFEZ Authority – an independent regula- rights; Phase 1 and open it for business in July
tory body, is responsible, and will be res- • assistance in finding local skilled per- 2022.
ponsible for the exact implementation of sonal;
the legislation of the Alat Free Economic • on-site one-stop shop business apprai- When completed, this first Phase of in-
Zone in the interests of businesses estab- sal, licensing, permitting, etc. without any frastructure development will include:
lished by local and/or foreign investors in additional approvals or permits from cen-
AFEZ. • 60 ha territory with ready-to-use off-
site and on-site infrastructure and utilities,

•the Customs Plaza and main entrance

46

to AFEZ. What is the legal basis of AFEZ is being established
•AFEZ Authority building in which the AFEZ? The Law of the Re- in a total site area of approxi-
public of Azerbaijan on AFEZ mately 850ha, spread over
following will be placed: sets out legal framework for three sites, which is adjacent
• one-stop shop business centre respon- the establishment, operation, to high ways, railways and the
development and governance Port of Baku. Master Plan for
sible for issuing licenses, permits, visas, of AFEZ. According to the 850ha area was completed in
certificates without any base economy aut- Law on AFEZ, administrative 2020. Additionally, detailed
horities or agencies involvement; and legal relations between the design for 60ha area which is
AFEZ Authority and AFEZ the first stage of the develop-
• offices for our clients to lease; investors, as well as any other ment was ready. Construction
• offices for Customs officers, who will day-to-day activity at AFEZ and utility supply works have
serve our Customs Plaza. are regulated under AFEZ in- commenced in this 60ha area
And after the completion of construc- ternal regulations. Hence the and these works were comple-
tion works on Phase 1 60 hectares area, we legal basis of AFEZ is the ted in July 2022 . Thus, we
planned to start construction works on 84 AFEZ legislation which is provide our investors with
ha of Phase 2 development area, but due comprised of the Law on complete infrastructure and
to a high number of committed investors AFEZ and AFEZ internal re- ready-to-use industrial plots.
in our project who are ready to invest their gulations. The AFEZ legisla- Plus, customs point and cus-
funds and start building of their enterprises tion has been prepared from toms services center, AFEZ
on the territory of AFEZ, we had to in- the perspective of potential in- Authority building, one-stop
crease Phase 2 development area from 84 vestors and best international shop business center, advance
ha to 138 ha and start construction works practice. In case of any con- office accommodation for in-
on these 138 ha area immediately at the flict between the AFEZ legis- vestors and utility services
end of this year in order to provide our in- lation and Azerbaijani law, the center. All of which are ready
vestors additional industrial land plots not AFEZ legislation prevails. and in operation.
later than by the end of the next year.
And for the same reason, we are forced Zone. Economic Zone, please feel free to get in
to start detailed design of the territory of For those who are interested in getting touch with us via provided contact infor-
AFEZ 3 (designated for heavy industry) mation.
this year, so that we can provide inves- additional information about Alat Free
tors industrial land plots with ready-to-
use off-site and on-site infrastructure and
utilities not later than in year 2024.
Despite the problems arising from
COVID-19 restrictions we established
very productive contacts with potential
investors from different countries and the
list of potential investors is expanding
every week.
Finally, we have two goals and both of
them are crucial:
First, we will create the best possible
business environment for AFEZ clients,
so that they have all they need to suc-
cessfully establish and develop their bu-
sinesses in AFEZ and at the same time we
will support expansion and growth of bu-
sinesses of our clients into the future.
Secondly, we want to demonstrate to
the people of Azerbaijan what the transi-
tion to an internationally competitive and
knowledge-based economy means in
practice, to support and assist our entrep-
reneurs, our business entities to learn and
practice a new business culture, new
technologies, generate innovative enterp-
rises to create real value for the economy
and the people of Azerbaijan.
And of course, business enterprises
will be welcomed to Alat Free Economic

47

H.E. SADİ QODİRZODA

Chairman of the State Committee of Investment and State Property
Management of the Republic of Tajikistan

For Tajikistan, trade and economic cooperation with the countries of the world lies in the
plane of mastering the huge potential of the republic in the field of hydropower

Excellences, Dear Participants of the world development. multilateral and diverse cooperation and
Summit, Ladies and Gentlemen, In the current realities, only through collaboration of states provide real op-
First of all, I would like to express my portunities for solving many problems in
sincere gratitude for the invitation to par- consolidated efforts, integration interac- the region, deriving mutual benefits and
ticipate in the 25th Eurasian Economic tion of countries, it is possible to contri- ensuring a balanced and sustainable de-
Summit. bute to joint sustainable development. velopment of our countries.

I am confident that today’s Summit In this context, the initiative to hold Broad trade, economic and investment
will allow us to discuss the most impor- this event is very timely and relevant. partnership, mutual support and joint
tant issues of trade and economic deve- implementation of mutually beneficial
lopment, as well as outline new I am sure that such platforms will be- projects, ensuring uninterrupted trade,
opportunities and prospects for mutually come a traditional platform for the joint free movement of goods, capital, servi-
beneficial cooperation. development of measures to develop ces and technologies should remain
trade, economic and investment coope- among the priority areas of regional coo-
Ladies and Gentlemen, ration. peration.
Today the world is facing serious chal-
lenges and threats, the influence of crisis Dear Participants of the Summit, Of particular importance for the region
factors in the global economy remains, As you know, the Eurasian region is is the formation of a unified transport
which form certain problems of further located on a vast territory and has signi- system, the development of transport
ficant material and human potential.
Consistent strengthening of relations,

48

corridors and the effective use of the Hon. Mr. Mahmut Saklı extended the gratitude of the Marmara Group Foundation
transit potential of our countries. to H.E. Sadi Qodirzoda Chairman of the State Committee of Investment and
State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan
Dear Participants of the Summit,
Today, Tajikistan, as an independent vely working towards expanding the corridors have contributed to the growth
and sovereign state, is successfully im- hydropower sector of Tajikistan through of the country’s foreign trade turnover in
plementing institutional and economic the construction of new generating ca- the last decade.
reforms in order to create a favorable in- pacities and transmission networks,
vestment climate, business environment, which will allow exporting excess eco- There are also great opportunities for
expand the country’s export opportuni- logically clean energy in the future. expanding the export base and increa-
ties and improve the labor market. sing trade flows in the region in the
Throughout the years of indepen- We are focused on the further sustai- agro-industrial sector.
dence, we were able to reach a funda- nable development of the country thro-
mentally new level of development and ugh extensive industrialization and Complex processing of products of
achieved tangible results in the field of increasing the innovative potential of this industry in accordance with world
state and public construction. production in sectors of the economy, in- standards will allow us to realize the ex-
We have achieved significant success creasing the efficiency of the use of re- ceptional advantages of our countries in
in ensuring the sustainable development sources and opportunities in all areas the supply of environmentally friendly
of the country, building up its economic, and developing human potential. products to regional and other interna-
industrial, investment and trade poten- tional markets and will contribute to en-
tial, stimulating entrepreneurship and Within the framework of international suring food security in our countries.
strengthening the country’s position in cooperation, our main goal for the co-
the international arena. ming years is to increase the volume and We are confident that mutually bene-
As a result of the implementation of sectoral diversification of trade and eco- ficial regional cooperation in key sectors
reforms and measures taken to achieve nomic partnership through the joint im- will contribute to the expansion of in-
strategic goals, a stable average annual plementation of projects in such tegration and we hope to intensify new
GDP growth rate of more than 7% was high-tech areas as information and tele- initiatives and projects aimed at increa-
achieved. communications, collaboration in the sing collaboration between countries.
The growth of the national economy development of the fuel and energy
was facilitated by the support of entrep- complex, the agrobusiness and agricul- We call the participants of the Summit
reneurship and the development of the tural industries, and the transport net- to actively discuss the new ideas and op-
private sector, which in recent years work of the country, implementation of portunities for cooperation, and in the
have been actively involved in impro- joint projects on the territory of free eco- future - the practical implementation of
ving the pace of development growth of nomic zones of Tajikistan. the joint projects agreed today.
the main sectors of the economy.
One of the strategic goals in Tajikistan Four transport corridors pass through Our common goal should be to
was declared to be the implementation the territory of Tajikistan, connecting strengthen partnership for the long term
of accelerated industrialization. markets in the region and beyond. These and prosperity of our countries.
In this direction, large-scale work has
been launched and important programs I wish all of us fruitful work and thank
have been adopted for each area of in- you for your attention!
dustry.
One of the promising areas of our coo-
peration could be the creation of joint
ventures in Tajikistan, taking into acco-
unt the gradual introduction of the
“green economy”.
For Tajikistan, trade and economic
partnership with the countries of the
world lies in the plane of mastering the
huge potential of the republic in the field
of hydropower.
Tajikistan ranks as one of the leading
places in the world in terms of hydropo-
wer resources, its capacity is estimated
at 527 billion kWh.
The government of the country, with
the support of international financial ins-
titutions and partner countries, is acti-

49

H. E. THEODOR MELESCANU

Minister of Defense of Romania (2007-2008)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania (2017-2019)

President of the Senat of Romania (2019-2020)

It is clear that the need to work for a new international security in the

European system is necessary

After the Second World War, the in- does not mean that the USA, European Ukrainian war is not just another regio-
ternational arena and states did not Union, China, Russia, Great Britain, nal war; It represents a rupture between
re-think and act to defend the system. France, Brazil, India, Türkiye, Japan, Russia and the West that will have pro-
Different local wars started, ended or South Korea, Australia can set these found repercussions for Europe and the
swelled with the participation of Great rules. World. The arms race has been rekindled
Powers and different States. in recent years by Russia, China, the
The system of international law, prin- United States, the United Kingdom,
Globalization coincided with the end ciples and rules is quiet and modest. Mo- France and others modernizing their ar-
of the “Cold War” and the transformation reover, the United Nations adopted the senals. It is clear that the need to work on
of the United States into a superpower “Declaration on Principles of Internatio- a new international security in the Euro-
that openly assumed responsibility for nal Law on friendly relations and coope- pean system is necessary.
maintaining world peace and the wor- ration between States in accordance with
kings of international globalization. the United Nations Organization” based In 1994, a Memorandum was adopted
on sovereignty and national indepen- in Budapest, Ukraine and Belarus reno-
The “Cold War” era and the nuclear dence and non-interference in internal af- unced their nuclear weapons in exchange
balance between the US and Russia pre- fairs and others in 1970. for security guarantees from the US, UK
vented a world conflict that could des- and Russia. At that time, Kyiv had about
troy humanity as well as multiply The Russian invasion of Ukraine and 2,000 nuclear warheads and about 2,500
different local conflicts. Today’s interna- the global response of western states un- tactical warheads left over from the So-
tional system, dominated by the US po- derscore the real and tangible constraints viet era.
litically, economically, and militarily, is in our international system. Peace on this
evolving. The most likely future scena- matter will take time, it will kill people Europe’s wake-up call on February 24,
rio would be the return of a multilateral, and destroy infrastructures. 2022. The use of the “mass sanctions”
multi-actor international system based on package that allowed the EU to respond
clear, generalized rules and features. This This marks a decisive moment in the with unexpected speed. Strategic chan-
reshaping of the geopolitical order. The

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