The Great Success of the Marmara Group Foundation – the 19^th Session of the Eurasian Economic Summit has been finalized successfully 

"Dr. Akkan SUVER evaluates the 19^th Eurasian Economic Summit"

Having started with the participation of six countries in 1998, the Eurasian Economic Summits have now seized the nineteenth year in 2016 along with the ever-increasing high level attendances of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Speakers of Parliaments, Ministers, MP’s, businessmen and academicians from different countries.

Dr. Akkan Suver – the President of the Marmara Group Foundation – , describing the Eurasian Economic Summits as a tradition, considers the esteemed positioning of a civil organization having been achieved within the period of nineteen years not as a success story, but as the sustainability of a widely-acknowledged event designated as a responsibility project.

Easier said than done; 19 years of time...

Dr. Akkan Suver says that

"We have come a long way. Some of our friends have become tired and left us. Some of them could not find what they have been looking for. Some, unfortunately, were not able to comprehend what we devoted ourselves to and they disappeared. During these nineteen years of time, I have had the great honour of having been granted a degree of Honorary Professor and several Honorary Doctorates. I also seized the opportunity of acting both as journalist and diplomat. The Government of Montenegro appointed me as the Honorary Consul General of Montenegro to Istanbul in 2008. I was honoured by the Republic of Azerbaijan with two significant medals. The Government of Mongolia presented three different medals. The Gagauzia Autonomous Region of Moldova bestowed with three medals as well as with the highest medal of Gagauzia. I have been deemed worthy of the Saint Benedict Medal, which was represented by the Former Pope of Vatican. Moreover, I have received various medal of dignity and honor.

Ultimately, I held in high esteem with the Medal of "Honorary Worker of Energy" during the 19^thEurasian Economic Summit by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In addition to these, I was granted the "Balkan Charter of Peace" by the Balkan Club of Peace; the Diploma of "Ambassador of Knowledge" by the Life Learning Academy –a Ljubljana based organization. The reason why I make mention of these points is that the next generations ought to be advised that if one works unrequitedly for his country, accepts and loves others as they are and serves for the peace; he will definitely be able to achieve such successes.

I would like to state that me and my colleagues composing the Marmara Group Foundation since the beginning, and those new friends joining the team of the Foundation continue to work in unity for the Eve of the 20^th Eurasian Economic Summit.

For 20 years, we have been defending peace and dialogue patiently, carefully and diligently. We have always kept co-existence and prosperity on the agenda. We structured the basis of our work to put an end the suffering of humanity with our belief of overcoming the global scale issues through dialogue. Humanity can only be develop in peace. Peace will lead to prosperity and freedom and the key element is dialogue. This is the philosophy that the 20-year-old Eurasian Economic Summits. The essential component that holds us together is serving for peace and the importance attached to dialogue. For a better future, we need more dialogue and understanding. We believe that the road of peace passes through from dialogue and the efforts put forward for this matter is necessary.

          Dr. Akkan Suver

The Summit started with the President Ilham Aliyev`s congratulatory message to the summit participants read out by H.E. Nazim Ibrahimov – the Minister of Diaspora of Azerbaijan.

The 19^th Eurasian Economic Summit was opened with the message of H.E. Ilham Aliyev, the acting President of Azerbaijan

The Marmara Group Foundation realised successfully the 19^th Session of Eurasian Economic Summit.

During the 19^th Eurasian Economic Summit, which brought together in Istanbul the presidents, parliamentary speakers, ministers and religious leaders from all over the world, the world threatening terror, refugee drama and uncertainties related to the global economy were laid on the table.

At the Summit, which is opened with a traditionally delivered message of H.E. Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, the following messages read out to the participants;

‘Azerbaijan has made great contributions for the deepening the economic cooperation and provision of European Energy Security by having fulfilled its liabilities in a great responsibility.’

‘Our country has remarkably strengthened its efforts for the implementation of the projects such as Shah Deniz-2, TANAP and TAP within the framework of South Gas Corridor’ and the restoration of the historic Silk Road, on the other. It should then be appreciated that we have been at the last phase of the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway aiming to connect Asia and Europe. On account of hostile approach of Armenia regarding the issue of the Upper Karabagh, which has left the conflict unresolved so far, the subject Upper Karabagh has remained as the main obstacle hindering the enlargement of cooperation possibilities among the region states and folks. Armenia relying on its diaspora supports is not willing to leave the territories it occupied, intends to prolong the status quo and avoids solving the problem by disregarding the peaceful means and putting forward various excuses. Undoubtedly, regional development and peace cannot be ensured unless such conflicts are justly solved in compliance with international law. 

Message of the Pope

At the opening ceremony of the Summit, Mgr. Yusuf Sağ, the deputy patriarch of the Turkish Syriac Catholic Church in Istanbul read out the letter authored by the Pope Francis.

‘We are faced not with two separate crisis, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature’. Ecology and energy are becoming more and more pivotal themes for any sustainable economy, but, since the deep interconnection and ‘relationship between the living organisms environment in which they develop’, it’s fundamental that they should be considered and mastered in an integral framework, jointly with the human and social dimension. 

Deputy PM Tuğrul Türkeş Istanbul, Ankara as safe as D.C. Attending a panel session at the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit, Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş said yesterday that as far as terror was concerned, Istanbul and Ankara were as safe as London, Paris, Brussels and Washington D.C. “Terror is different. Being terrorized is different. We reject terror groups’ occupation of our agenda. Of course we will continue to fight against terror, but we will never allow [ourselves] be terrorized,” said Türkeş, as he delivered a speech at the “Silk road with Dialogue, Economy, Energy, Involuntary Migration and Terrorism” panel as part of the summit. Saying the Eurasian region had become an important competition platform due to its natural resources, Türkeş added it was impossible for Turkey to remain indifferent to the developments there, both concerning its historic, cultural and geographic closeness and deep-rooted ties with the region and due to the fact that it was a crucial region for world politics. Türkeş also touched upon Turkey’s historic and cultural ties with the Eurasian people, saying the country was sharing the sorrows of the region’s people as well as their joys, with an historic, humanitarian and moral responsibility that came from living together in the same geography and therefore Turkey was “supporting its Azerbaijani brothers’ righteous fight in every platform and will continue to support it.”

Turkey needs to be more predictable, transparent to attract investment: Turkish Deputy PM Şimşek

A more predictable and transparent Turkey will succeed in luring more foreign investors, according to Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek, responsible for economic issues in the Turkish government.

“Turkey needs to compete for capital and investment in the world. That won’t happen just by saying it. We need to make Turkey attractive. We need to make Turkey predictable,” Şimşek said, speaking at the 19th Eurasia Economic Summit held by the Marmara Group Foundation in Istanbul on April 6. “There is plenty of money and capital in the world and places to invest [this money and capital] are being sought,” Şimşek added.
Stating that they would make a major effort to enhance Turkey’s investment environment, Şimşek said a “significant” reform study concerning the aforementioned subject is being worked on and will be brought to parliament.
“Why shouldn’t 200 or 300,000 firms with global capital operate in Turkey? This is the reason why we will work harder,” Şimşek said, adding that the number of businesses with international capital rose from 5,000 to 47,000.

Stressing the significance of transparency and a state of law, Şimşek said the rise in the quality of institutions is “critical” and that currently they are not at the level that they “wish to be.”

Şimşek noted that in Turkey, they have to enhance corporate capacity and quality.

When we examine the last 20 years, we see that the focus of Eurasian Economic Summits has been the rich opportunities and cooperation possibilities that are emerging in the region in areas including economics, trade, transportation and energy.

These opportunities and possibilities are still valid today. However, in recent years we cannot ignore the fact that there are serious obstacles to benefiting from these with full capacity.

We see from the examination of the agenda of the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit that this time, unlike earlier summits, the risks and threats come forward more than the opportunities.

Unfortunately, the obstacles we face today neither stem from causes that are out of our grasp such as natural disasters, nor come from remote geographies outside of our control.

Political problems caused by negligence, lack of political foresight or capabilities that emerge from time to time, or the sometimes selfish, irresponsible behavior of political figures in the Eurasia region – us - create these obstacles.

We need to see that the positive and prosperous economic cooperation atmosphere that we created together after the start of the 1990s in the region is breaking down as a result of these obstacles.

Therefore, finding a solution to political problems will ensure that Eurasia gets back to the prosperity and development track, and is prevented from falling behind the global developments.

You all know the political problems I’m talking about
 

Hikmet Tanrıverdi, the president of Istanbul Ready-Made Garment Exporters’ Association (İHKİB), which has lent many years of support to the summit, also delivered a welcome speech.  “This new global situation will shape the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit to be held on April 5-7, 2016 in Istanbul and render this summit different than its counterparts. Apart from this, the refugee drama will be discussed at the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit. The whole of humanity is encountered by a huge tragedy of migration; the displaced families have been searching for a safer region desperately,” he said.

H.E. Asaf Hajiyev, the secretary general of PABSEC, underlying the dialogue is the most significant tool we possess in the 21th Century, ‘Without dialogue a future, welfare and peace cannot be facilitated. This Summit presents us a crucial dialogue platform within this framework. It gives an idea of how we build our common future’. Hajıyev emphasizing the importance of fight against terrorism, ‘since terrorists are coward people, they act collectively’.

Mr Yu Hongjun of the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament made mention of restoration of the historic Silk Road; the Silk Road along the way it passes will contribute to the development of all countries involved. This will be in the interest of all of us. With a strategy including all countries, we want to have this Silk Road, our development project, implemented. The role Turkey to play is crucial on the Silk Road Project’.

From the important persons at the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit, Hon. İbrahim Çağlar, the president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, starting his address on the geostrategic position and economic infrastructure of Turkey, stated the Silk Road was an artery and progress of Turkey would be an opportunity for all Eurasian geography.

On behalf of the Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, Prof. Dr. Erman Tuncerunderlines the fact that economic crisis have transformed into social ones, thus the regional cooperation is required to be further improved. Eurasia is a great opportunity. Though the advantages are likely to be transformed into disadvantages. The heartland of the Eurasia is the Silk Road. Our main aim is to revive this. Because this way is the one leading to global peace and wealth.

Cemalettin Özdemir, the Vice-Governor of Istanbul, stating that Istanbul is the most important city of Turkey that enjoys a great attraction for foreign investments and he also states that not the countries, but the cities compete one another all over the world. 
 

H.E. Marinko Cavara, President of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation, who gave the first address during the salutation speech, says that civil society should work hand in hand related to the issues of warfare and migration. ‘We should together respond the questions. Forced migration, waves of migration affect the whole Europe closely. Though, we cannot solve the problem only focusing on those who have been exposed to the forced migration. At this point, the matter is to develop various models and provide with the cooperation among the nations. The economic stability depends, first of all, on the political stability. The important thing is the prevalence of win-win situation in creating international value’.

H.E. Mustafa Akıncı, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, In the event that a permanent federal solution has been achieved in his country, both folks will be able to walk together to the future and this will also pave the way for the regional cooperation. The natural gas energy supplies of the Eastern Mediterranean will provide not with tension but with welfare for all. 

Mladen Ivanic, Co-Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina The security is the pre-condition of the economic development, real investments and inter-human communication. We are required to work together and side by side to overcome the issue of security. At the end of 1960’s 15 millions of people immigrated to Europe, no problem was faced at that time. But the migration of one million people last year caused a huge problem due to security worries’.

The president of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, People live in an age of economic, technical and cultural problems. If no cooperation takes place among the countries, the cooperation among the bad parties will give a rise. Human trafficking escalates. That what should not be forgotten about is refugees or migrants are not composed of numerical figures. They are human being and have a dignity of human. We are bound by duty to approach these people humanly.