Dr. Akkan Suver offered a speech on strategies for the future of Europe in the 20th European Forum organized with joint sponsorship of the Austrian Institute for European Security (AIES) lead by the Austrian Minister of Defence Dr. Werner Faslabend, along with Diplomat Academy of Vienna (DAV) and Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies(WMCES).

During the forum, has co-hosts of the event DAV's Dr. Susanne Keppler-Schlesinger and WMCES's Tomi Huhtanen also offered speeches.

The list of guests that spoke included Slovakian Minister of Foreign Affairs Miroslaw Lajcak, Polish Senator Dr. Bogdan Klich, President of International Institute of Strategic Studies Fraçois Heisbourg, Latvian Deputy Secretary of State, Brussels Egmont Institute Principal Dr. Sven Biscop and Pakistani Minister of  Defense General Asıf Yasin Malik. On behalf of Austria, The Minister of  Internal Affairs Wolfgang Sobotka and Austrian President Prof. Dr. Heinz Ficher joined the list of speakers.

See below for the speech Dr. Suver gave during the 20the European Forum.

First of all, I'd like to extend my thanks to H. E Werner Faslabend, the AIES family and the Vienna Diplomatic Academy for organizing such a sensitive and meaningful event that enables us to do a tour of the horizons.

As some of you may know, I come from a country that experiences a significant amount of the problems in the neighboring region of The European Union. The terror and civil war in Syria and Iraq, and the issue around the refugees have become a leading concern in Turkey.

Prior to the delivery of the main frame of my speech, please allow me to make one remark about recent developments in Turkey.

On July 15, 2016, an attempted terrorist coup (d'état) was put on the stage in my country targeting the whole democratic system and the democratically-elected government; this terroristic coup attempt maliciously spearheaded by a fraudulent-cleric was repulsed jointly by our nation, our military and our police.

Today, my country maintains its existence in good standing within the framework of the democratic norms.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today what forms the most significant of the strategic challenges and what threatens peace most, is not international or intercontinental warfare, but terrorism. In our, now smaller world with greater transportation and communication networks, we are ever more close to each other.

Terrorism today single handedly is the most crucial factor standing in the way of peace and strains the integrity of any international strategy. Nation states are showing disapproval for terrorism but at the same time these very states, in an effort to undermine other nations show coveted support to such organizations, disregarding some crucial treaties they have affirmatively signed. This is something I presume we all know.

Of course, if Turkey were located in central Europe then my style would have naturally been different. As we know, neither Syria nor Iraq would have been among the bordering states. Histories and the geographies of nations obligate nations to live together albeit their challenges. One could only wish we lived in a world where we strived not to heighten the difficulty or strain these relations but sought to ease these essential ties.

As far as we are concerned, our history and our geography have confined us to live in the Middle East and the Balkans and we are fully cognizant of the fact that the neighborhood's problems are our problems. We have lived and learned that the series of events euphemized as the "Arab Spring" have brought along new dictatorships and new kind of strategic commotion.

Our experience also shows that this geography has brought us millions of refugees and a period of terrorism. In fact, we have even went as far as to contemplate if any of our allies may have been involved with these attempts.

Turkey now while combating terrorism is also left in a position to deal with the refugees. This responsibility must however be shared and we must partner in alleviating the consequences of this tragedy for humanity. I heartily invite you to stop this. What matters is human lives, peace and thriving. Turkey, with the resources it has available, is doing a whole lot for the more than three million refugees. While we are trying to help them leave the painful days behind them we also treat them as our guests and offer them ways to hold on to their lives and livelihoods by launching new unfettered education housing and health services for them. Throughout history Turkey has been a hot bed of migrations and Turkey is a safe place of refuge and asylum.

In short, we must find and define new ways of being all of these at the same time: a Balkan a Middle Easterner and a Turk. And due to the fact that we have managed this thus far we are confident of the future.

Unfortunately, the incidences we are encountering are forcing us to intervene beyond our borders. And in fact, Turkey is now realizing the need for a new understanding of National Security. In a manner of speaking we are now entering a period where we will have to contemplate that some matters threatening our National security may in fact be sourced by our allies in Europe and the US.  In turn, as a result of this new understanding, we believe waiting for someone else to step in and make things happen is inadequate.

Turkey, in response to the incidences at the border and in an effort to push the ISIS, PKK and PYD out is now organizing a military operation code named Euphrates Shield Operation. During this operation we have no intention to threaten or question the unity of Syria and Iraq.  We are completely in favor of protecting the unity of Iraq and/or Syria. Our intervention and activity in the region is solely an effort to prevent the formation of threats to our national security that are opportunistically forming in the political void of the region. Turkey is a country that has lead its foreign policy, always under the guiding principle inculcated by our founder Kemal Atatürk "Peace at home. Peace in the world". But, today we must act, thinking of the millions of people that the surrounding circle of terrorism has sent our way.

Today, I'm telling you all this because Turkey's predicament is greeted with an unprecedented insensitivity. The European and American allies are unmoved by the events we have encountered when evaluating the conditions of the nation.

Having said all these, I would like to bring up the process that Turkey has presented and continues to present, which is very well aligned with the norms of the European Union. The European Union reform process has always been a leading priority for Turkey and continues to be so. We endorse this process as an opportunity for the improvement of democracy, progress and greater prosperity. Turkey has throughout history been a strong European state. It is only a fact that we are close allies of the EU just like we are to the Middle East, Balkans, Caucasia, Mediterranean and Black Sea region states.

We also have a democracy for about the last 100 years. On the night of July 15 2016 our people have shown the world the high democracy awareness they possess. Today, Turkey makes a stance not outside of the European Union but has a voice from within. We are one of the nations that hold a great deal of political sway on the future of the European Union and have achieved higher standards in many fronts. From this standpoint, we would be more deserving to be a member, more so than some of the existing members.

The EU was able to address the impending refugee crisis through only a simple alliance with Turkey. These and similar incidences only speak to the power of potential partnerships. The matters that we encounter now have evolved from being Turkey's issues to being matters that are demonstrations of what kind of a future European Union expects to see. A vision for a healthy EU future is possible only with Turkey in the picture. EU can only make a stronger impact on the economic and political issues that it seeks to have a role in shaping with Turkey. It is because of this that issues like that of the visa-less entry are not just decisions that European Union is making about Turkey, but are decisions made about its own future.

Turkey continues to be steadfast and determined about the reforms. We aim to do this for the national interest of our people. We have always been well aligned with a EU that is non-subjective and free of ideological biases, and thus we will continue to be. However, we will never be able to accept a point of view with skewed prejudices, and we would like to emphasize that this issue is not just significant for Turkey but is not a stable foundation to build the future of EU either.

Today, Britain has made a decision about the EU. This, in fact carries a signal of caution the rest of Europe. European Union must re-evaluate its vision for the future and must reconsider the decisions where it erred when contemplating future decisions.

Turkey has, over more than half a century, continued its progress towards the milestones of EU membership. It has done more than the lions share of the work on this front. The rest of the progress fall on EU's and its officials' shoulders. They are free to will in favor or against the membership of Turkey in EU.

Turkey of course is not just a region of collateral value to EU's safety, but also to Caucasian and Middle Eastern region. Turkey is the primary reason why the threats of the region do not reach Europe and that the refugee crisis has only marginally influenced the larger continent.

I have hereby shared with you all of our challenges and how they pertain to Europe and its future. Of course, I know full well that that we will only be able to address the issue that threaten our future, with pristine collaboration, dialog, and mutual support.

I propose dialog as a solution, and then more dialog.