Director of Communications Prof. Fahrettin Altun made a speech at the opening of TRT World Forum 2020 organized online with the theme "International Order and Changing Dynamics in the Post-Pandemic World".
Referring to the lessons that the world learned from the pandemic with massive changes in our daily lives due to Covid-19, Director of Communications Altun stated this global pandemic established that no country could fully isolate itself from the world.
Noting that the way that the virus spread to the most remote corners of the world, within weeks, would have been unimaginable in the past, Director of Communications Altun said, "Another lesson of the pandemic was that people and nations are stronger together."
"Turkey delivered a message of hope to the world"
Stating that during this difficult time Turkey’s actions reflected the lessons learned, Fahrettin Altun noted the following:
"From the United States and Europe to Africa and Asia, we answered the call of our friends and allies. The Turkish people shared their surgical masks and ventilators and personal protective equipment with fellow humans around the world. Under the leadership of our president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we delivered a message of hope to the world: “There is hope after despair. There are many suns after darkness. On the home front, too, did the Turkish people rise to the challenge of COVID-19. Our medical workers, including doctors and nurses, have been on the frontlines against our invisible enemy. Our service sector, too, played an essential role in helping communities across Turkey to meet their needs.”
"The Turkish community in Europe too is facing aggressive discrimination"
Director of Communications Altun pointed out that throughout history, humanity tended to point fingers, rather than come together, in the face of crises and said:
"From the Inquisition to World War II, people told themselves that others were responsible for their problems. We face a similar danger today. Some societies blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrants. Others used the public health emergency to target, intimidate, and alienate minorities – starting with Muslims. We witness similar efforts in countries like France, whose government is allegedly creating a register of Muslim children. Elsewhere in Europe, we see far-right extremists wielding enough power to dictate policy.”
Fahrettin Altun indicated that the Turkish society, which is a model minority in Europe in every sense, also faced aggressive discrimination, and he said, "Even though Özlem Türeci and her husband, Uğur Şahin, discovered a promising vaccine."
“Anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe should be prevented”
Director of Communications Altun said, “For everyone’s sake, we urge our European friends, in particular, to get in front of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment before history repeats itself. Instead of rejecting comparisons to the demonization of the European Jewry in the 1920s, let us work together to reject racism and extremism.”
Noting that the key to preventing future tragedies was to shed light on the facts, Director of Communications Altun said, “In this regard, I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary work of TRT’s international channels. TRT World, along with TRT Arabic, Russian, and German, report the news with a focus on people and values. They have developed an authentic language in news reporting to give ‘voice to the voiceless’. "
Fahrettin Altun emphasized that efforts to combat disinformation and hatred with complementary steps in other areas – including foreign policy- must be augmented out.
"The EU should treat Turkey with respect"
Director of Communications Altun stated that Turkey believed in working together to overcome the COVID-19 challenge and to build a better future, and said "International cooperation, however, can only thrive on the basis of equality, mutual interests, and shared values. That is the message we send to our friends and allies, old and new, as humanity turns over a fresh leaf. "
Expressing that they desired and pursued a closer relationship with the European Union, Director of Communications Altun said, “Our cooperation and collaboration is key to countering the message of hate and discrimination in Europe. Treating Turkey with respect is the Union’s only way of proving that it has nothing against Muslims around the world. Friendship, however, is incompatible with double talk and condescension. Therefore, the idea that Turkey must earn Europe’s friendship by making concessions is both unfair and unrealistic. Instead, we tell our European counterparts that dialogue is the only way forward.”
"The US must repair its strained relations with its allies"
Stating that the same went for Turkey's long-standing strategic partner, Director of Communications Altun said, "In recent years, Turkey, a NATO ally, has been treated with unprecedented hostility in Washington. Our unwavering commitment to fighting terrorists, whether they call themselves PKK or Daesh, has been incomprehensibly misportrayed. Ironically, the U.S. foreign policy does not necessarily serve American interests either. It is our sincere hope that the United States, under its new administration, will repair its strained relationship with its traditional allies and show due respect to their vital interests.”
"We must build a new order that looks out for everyone’s rights and interests"
Director of Communications Altun stated a more resilient and more representative world order could only be established on the basis of respect, and he said, “As humanity becomes less dependent on any single nation for political leadership and economic growth, we must build a new order that looks out for everyone’s rights and interests."
Fahrettin Altun emphasized that, in this new period, it was necessary to promote interdependence against domination, solidarity against rivalry, and cooperation against competition.
Indicating that humanity must focus on two key areas of improvement in the upcoming period, Director of Communications Altun said:
“First, we must create new alternatives to the existing global supply chain to improve our economic order’s ability to absorb future shocks. There is no reason to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic will be the last public health emergency in history. As the world becomes more and more interconnected, there is a good chance that we will experience similar challenges in the future. In anticipation of those crises, we must establish mechanisms that improve our odds. Obviously, the new global supply chain should serve to create opportunities and empower disadvantaged nations – to serve as a ‘source of peace’.”
Director of Communications Altun noted that Turkey, with its young and skilled population, was more than ready to contribute to that process.
“We must all accept that ‘the world is bigger than five’”
Underlining the need to double down on multilateralism and international organizations, Director of Communications Altun said, “Starting with the United Nations, we must reform and improve our organizations so that they can keep the peace and facilitate human progress for decades to come. Needless to say, there is clear and overdue need to reform the United Nations Security Council. As our president repeatedly said in the past, the post-World War II balance of power no longer reflects the realities of our world. To bridge that gap and make the United Nations relevant again, we must all accept that “the world is bigger than five.” Only by reforming the Security Council can we ensure that change trickles down to other parts of our international system."
Fahrettin Altun stated that Turkey, as a long-standing advocate of UN reform, was willing and able to contribute to a meaningful reform agenda internationally.