Istanbul conference begins to ‘generate new ideas’ to solve problems facing humanity

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Existing solutions and structures have failed to solve grave issues facing humanity, which demand “rethinking” and “generation” of new ideas and outlook, said a senior Turkish politician on Friday.

“We are going through times of war, inequality, poverty, terrorism, injustice,” said Numan Kurtulmus, vice chair of the Justice and Development (AK) Party. “All of these issues are manmade which do not belong to any single region or country … they are global in nature.”

Kurtulmus was addressing a two-day Politics and New Paradigms Forum, hosted by the AK Party in Turkish metropolis Istanbul.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to address the event on Saturday.

Many scholars, academics and practitioners are attending the forum which will conclude on weekend.

“As the new problems continue to emerge, this crisis and chaos demand we must generate additional ideas and solutions,” said Kurtulmus.

The AK Party has completed 20 years in power on Thursday, Kurtulmus said, regretting that current approaches, ideas and paradigms have “failed” to solve the existing and new problems facing the world.

“We are here to discuss and generate new issues,” he said about the conference.

- Mutual understanding, joint approach

Pointing out the proxy wars, trade and economic wars, as well as hybrid and conventional wars, Kurtulmus said the European and Western nations were facing “challenges of growing racism and nationalism rooted in xenophobia and Islamophobia, and rightwing politics.”

“This has clearly poisoned the politics,” he said.

On the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world since early 2020, Kurtulmus said the effects of the deadly infection will continue for a while.

“This pandemic brought to light what was invisible until recently,” he said, regretting that the existing international system has failed to solve these issues.

“As we haven’t used joint policies and approaches, we face such challenges,” he said.

Kurtulmus said the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has further deepened the crisis and chaos on security of food, energy and water.

“New ideas and outlook are needed to resolve these issues, even along with new institutional structures,” he said. “They can’t be solved by existing structures which have lost their functions.”

Kurtulmus added: “As no power has the capacity to resolve conflicts on their own, nor does the global system, therefore for the future of politics and humanity, solutions on the basis of mutual understanding and fairness are needed.”

- Istanbul grain deal ‘crucial lifeline for humanity’

Touching on humanitarian diplomacy approach adopted by Türkiye, Kurtulmus said it is “our nation’s priority area.”

“The successful grain deal really shows Turkiye’s importance in the global politics,” he said, lauding the role of the Turkish president who continued relations with Ukraine as well as Russia since the war began in February.

“The grain corridor is crucial lifeline for humanity,” he said.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 22 in Istanbul to resume Black Sea grain exports, which paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February. A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

Pushing back efforts to criminalize the challenge of migration, Kurtulmus said this challenge “concerns every corner of the world but it is not the basic reason.”

“Migration is result of poverty, occupation, inequality, unfairness. Migration is consequence not the basic reason,” he said. “And it is unavoidable in such situation.”

Calling for effective international organizations, the AK Party vice chair said the international politics “must generate new ideas and solutions.”

Putting forth how Türkiye sees the new paradigms in future international engagements, Kurtulmus said humanity, freedom, justice, and equality should form “core of politics.”

“Universe should be shared by all of the humanity and a fair economic understanding is the need of the hour.

“These ideas will help build world peace,” he said, stressing that only ideas will not work.

“Putting forth good and correct solutions and improved mechanisms are important part of achieving a fair world,” Kurtulmus said.