Union of socio-economic cooperation, peace

ISTANBUL

Dr Akkan Süver, the President of Marmara Group Foundation, makes his speech at the 16th Euroasian Economic Summit held in Istanbul.

Over 30 countries have confirmed their participation in the 17th Eurasian Economic Summit, which is considered as a union of socio-economic cooperation. The prime minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina will also participate in the 17th Eurasian Economic Summit with Chinese and Bosnian businessmen rushing to Istanbul for the meeting. The President of Marmara Group Foundation, Dr. Akkan Süver, talk about 17th Eurasian Economic Summit, to be held on Feb. 4 - 6 2014 due to local elections.

First of all, could you inform us about the characteristic features of Eurasian Economic Summits?

As you would appreciate, it is not an easy task for a civil initiative to maintain an international organization for 17years. Eurasian Economic Summits, which are considered as a union for socio-economic cooperation by civil society centers around the world, are also known as a project of peace and dialogue.

As you know, Marmara Group Foundation’s Eurasian Economic Summits showed a marked improvement in the last 17 years, both in regional and global levels. So Marmara Group Foundation is keeping contacts in a global perspective from Asia to Europe, from America to Africa.

As Marmara Group Foundation, we embraced a multi-axis world view instead of a uni-axis world view for Eurasian Economic Summits.

Of course, European Union, which is one of the most effective system of values and economic power of the world, is still our main center line.

Even so, we attach importance to our relations with prominent global actors like China and India, while sticking to European Union culture.

We believe it is necessary to evaluate differentially global concepts like growth, technology, low-carbon economy.

In the view of such opinions, we will discuss regulation of financial markets, climate change, energy security, change of digital information society, commercial relations, cooperation for security in the 17th Eurasian Economic Summit. Certainly we will also evaluate modern slavery system known as involuntary migration or human trafficking. We will discuss peace. We will bring forward communication. We will talk over future of economy and energy. We will emphasize importance of development and design. We will make mention of change and development in local governance.

Today Latin America and Africa are represented in Eurasian Economic Summits.

Prominent civil think-tanks are also participating in our Summit. Twenty-seven worldwide civil initiatives, including international organizations like United Nations and UNESCO will convene in Istanbul on 4-6 Feb. 2014. Again we will bring together Turkish businessmen with Bosnian and Chinese businessmen and investors.

Who are prominent guests?

Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina Vjekoslav Bevanda, Former Prime Minister of Italy and Senator Lamberto Dini, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece and Member of Hellenic Parliament Dora Bakoyannis, Former Vice-Chancellor of Austria Erhard Busek and renowned economist Deputy Prime Minister Prof. Grzegorz Kolodko will be in the Summit. Chairman of Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikh-ul Islam Allahshukur Pasazade, Patriarch Bartholomeos and religious leaders in Istanbul will also be among us. Also UN High Representative to Alliance of Civilizations Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser and Director of Division for National Commissions and Civil Society of UNESCO Genc Seiti will be among us. This is a well-done accomplishment for a civil society organization.

In the topics, can you explain the subject of ‘The Future of Economy and Energy in Silk Road?’ What do you mean by the ‘Silk Road?’

We are caring about dealing with the developments lived in field of economy and energy, in frame of Silk Road philosophy. Silk Road, as a philosophy and prosperity sharing project, will bring together Pacific and Baltic Sea. If we accept the fact that permanent monetary expansion policies will not be able to continue perpetually and if we assume that rising energy values without economic recovery will cause a new crisis, then the importance of Silk Road will be understood.

The world grew up 2.9 percent in 2013. Nearly 3.6 percent growth is foreseen in 2014. EU countries decreased 0.4 percent in 2013. It is expected that this region, by recovering, will catch 1.0 percent growth rate. One of the indispensable subjects of Eurasia Economic Summits is Energy. We will discuss the future of Eurasia energies, new balance of powers in new western and multiaxial world order in roadmap of The Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). As Marmara Foundation, we attach great importance to TANAP and TAP projects.

At the 17th Eurasia Economic Summit, you are planning to discuss subjects of Involuntary Immigration and Human Trafficking. What will be your approach for these subjects?

In 17th Eurasia Economic Summit, we will give a speech about Involuntarily Immigration and Human Trafficking which are one of the biggest problems of our age. Globalization brought many problems as well as new opportunities. In other words, it increased transboundary mobility of human beings, products, capital and information. It also increased carbon dioxide emission and terror.

Problems are common! Interest areas are various! The fight against corruption, International Financial System, development, public health, energy, transportation, communication, cooperation against terrorism, climate change, human rights, justice and democracy! Nowadays, because of violence from east to west and south to north, poverty, othering logic, immigration mobilities are a reality. We believe that migration wave will increase year by year because of a worsening distribution of income. The migration wave will go to Europe by passing through Turkey. We will discuss this bad involuntary immigration and human trafficking.

You also have a session titled sustainable development and change in the local dynamics. Can you elaborate on this?

In today’s world where the conditions of competition is greatly increased, the importance of local/regional development models in parallel to globalization and the differences in governance with regards to the municipalities’ role in development often come to agenda. In the future: the concept of nation’s comparative superiority will be replaced by the concept of cities’ and regions’ comparative superiority.

Dialogue is not absent in this year’s agenda as well. We believe your thoughts of peace and dialogue will help in the great need for peace in our region.

Surely, the incidents of armed conflict taking place in our region are fencing off people from peace. The lack of dialogue creating a certain different support to those who are pro-conflict is another known fact.

If we accept that the source of disputes, conflicts and otherizations is the lack of dialogue, the importance of dialogue for our future is self-explanatory. Because of this, what we need for the local and global peace that awaits is dialogue, and more dialogue. We will try to voice the issue of dialogue, which we have addressed tirelessly for 17 years, from global to local this time.