The first speaker of the sixth day of the Second Century Economics Congress, entitled “Invitation to Loyalty”, was Joschka Fischer, former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Germany. Expressing that Turkey should turn to the West instead of the Middle East, Fischer said, “Let’s roll up our sleeves and work together for the future, for peace.”
The Economics Congress of the Second Century started on its sixth day with sessions themed “Invitation to Loyalty”. The first speaker of the sixth day session, in which Deniz Dünyaoğulları Hünler made a presentation, was Joschka Fischer, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Germany. Joschka Fischer, who made a presentation titled “Democratization of the European Union and Turkey”, said, “When we look around us, we see a changing world. Turkey and Europe are close neighbors. Today, we see that Europe has also changed. Russia’s attitude towards Ukraine has changed many things in the world. The structure of our relationships is also changing. It would be a big mistake not to notice this. The EU is the result of the cold war of the second world war. Now this period is coming to an end. Security will now be the main point of a new EU. I cannot predict when this Ukraine war will end. No one could say that Finland and Sweden would knock on NATO’s door. This was not possible. This is now reflected in the changes,” he said.
“We must not give up on this path”
“The new EU is now more focused on security. Turkey has a lot to offer due to its location. We have a great opportunity for Turkey and we must not give up. Europe on one side and Turkey on the other. You will also have a very important benefit. I’m not trying to make you happy when I say this. I am a realist. We need to focus on concrete things, not abstract things. We must not give up on the EU. Being in Izmir, Turkey’s west-facing city, encourages me to be frank. We must not give up on these ways. Don’t be pessimistic. We need to talk more, we have to be honest. We must not make the mistakes of the past. Positive results can only be achieved with a collaborative approach. Not by confrontation,” he said.
“It would not be right to turn your face to the Middle East instead of the West”
Fischer said, “Turkey can achieve successful economic success by starting from difficulties. The future is not so bright, but together we can do it. First of all, we must stop this wrong way of thinking. Crises may come one after another, but we can work to find a total solution. We should see the world not as a form of confrontation, but as cooperation. We need to find a solution. It is possible to live together when solutions are found. If Turkey and Europe cooperate, they can achieve many things. If we cooperate instead of questioning full membership questions, we can establish a stronger bond. I am a friend of Turkey. It would not be right to turn your face to the Middle East instead of the West. There are so many missed opportunities. We must learn from them. The new EU offers great opportunities for Turkey. I am very hopeful. Maybe I was also influenced by İzmir. We can be very hopeful for the future. This is one of the main elements for the EU. We can start working together and let’s get started. Let’s roll up our sleeves and work together for the future. Let’s work together for peace,” he said.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
