Photo: Václav Klaus Institute
VÁCLAV KLAUS
Professor Suver, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you very much for bringing me back to Istanbul, and thank you very much for including me in this final session of the Forum, where I have the pleasure of being together with some of my former colleagues.
Last year's forum was influenced by two events - the devastating earthquake in this country and its neighbourhood on the one hand, and preparations for the 100th anniversary of modern Turkey on the other. As we are now seeing, both events demonstrated the country's internal strength, the effective functioning of its institutions and - not least - the country's cohesion in a radically changing international environment, particularly in your country's neighbourhood.
I always pay attention to the names of the conferences I attend. The title of last year's forum, 'Ending Mistrust, Building Cooperation', was particularly important to me. The general mistrust between nations, institutions and people, which grew significantly because of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict two years ago, has become the new dominant characteristic of today's world. I appreciate the role of your country and President Erdogan in the efforts to end the conflict.
However, much work remains to be done. We are not much closer to the end of this war than we were a year ago. The number of casualties has increased significantly, Ukraine is more devastated and more exhausted. The mood and state of mind in both the belligerent countries and the rest of the world suggest that we need to stop talking and making only strong but superficial statements. Actions are still lacking. I am convinced that the international community, and especially its main actors, share responsibility for the absence of much-needed action.
Unfortunately, four months ago, a new tragic conflict erupted near Turkey - Hamas' attack on Israel and - in retaliation - the merciless destruction of Gaza. Both the brutal attack on Israel and the annihilation of an entire city are qualitatively new phenomena in today's world. Both will not be forgotten for decades and will certainly affect relations between the countries of the Middle East region for many years to come.
The international community does not have to wait passively for a miracle. It must act, and act now. The search for a solution or a path to a solution should not be limited to the events of the first day of the conflict. The Arab-Israeli (or Israeli-Arab) conflict did not begin on 7 October 2023. The day before, there was no peace and friendship. We all know that. The conflict did not start out of thin air.
The title of this year's Marmara Forum, "Building Stability out of Crisis", is in many ways correct, but not in this case. We are still in crisis. We are far from out of it. The acute phase of the crisis needs to be resolved first. We in Central Europe are worried about the possible spread of the conflict and its not entirely imaginable consequences.
Again, the responsibility of the international community and its main actors is crucial. What is happening in Gaza is neither defensible nor excusable. It calls for a major peace conference to find a new model for resolving the Arab-Israeli dilemma.
I am talking about the international community, but I am aware of the crucial role that Turkey plays in it. Your country is the biggest and most important player in the region. Your country should not wait for the great powers to act. They do not belong in this region and do not feel and understand it very much. They promote their own solutions, their own priorities, their own interests. In this respect, I wish your country success.
Václav Klaus, 27th Eurasian Economic Summit, Istanbul, 22 February 2024.
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