The Eastern Mediterranean region has just recently come to the forefront of political concern due to the complex factors causing turmoil in the Mediterranean and all around the world.
In view of the complexity of the problem, and the inherent difficulties for policy-makers to draft the necessary strategies, Near East University, Başkent University and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung collaboratively organized a two-day lasting workshop in Italy. The workshop themed on "Eastern Mediterranean and World in Turmoil” provided a scientific platform to scrutinize the future of the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria on a global scale through intensive discussions of possible scenarios, their implications and policy recommendations for regional solution.
The Directorate of Press and Public Relations Office of Near East University released that the workshop that organized collaboratively by Near East University, Başkent University and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung was held at Villa La Collina in Cadenabbia in Italy. It was stated that Ergün Olgun, the former Undersecretary of TRNC President and the former negotiator, Dr. Murat Tüzünkan, the Vice Rector of Near East University, Associate Professor Nur Köprülü, the Head of the Department of Politics, and Associate Professor Sait Akşit, the Head of the Department of International Relations, participated in the meeting as key-note speakers.
The opening remarks of the meeting, where policies that put into practice in line with new dynamics and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean were discussed, were delivered respectively by Kondrad Adenauer Foundation Turkey Director Walter Glos, Başkent University Strategic Research Center Chairperson and Near East Institute Chief Advisor Ercan Çitlioğlu, Near East University Vice Rector Associate Professor Murat Tüzünkan, and Başkent University Vice Rector Professor A. Kadir Varoğlu.
A high ranking scientists, policy makers, academics and experts representing different institutions and countries including Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Greece and the European Union gathered at Villa La Collina in Cadenabbia in Italy to discuss the emerging turmoil in the Eastern Mediterranean. Within the frame of the theme of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to discuss various issues including Russia's momentum in the international system in the last decade, EU's policies regarding asylum seekers and migrants, the dynamics of the ongoing war in Syria and the regional and global approaches of the actors involved in the issue.
In order to find out how the conflicts and contradictions experienced could be eliminated and transformed into a mutually beneficial cooperation process, specific issues such as the major geopolitical events, gas and oil discoveries that put the stability of the Eastern Mediterranean at risk, how the changing energy geopolitics affects the Eastern Mediterranean, migration caused by the civil war in Syria was discussed and analyzed by field experts during the last session of the meeting.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tüzünkan: “It is necessary to understand and internalize that Turkish Cypriot people will be the equal partner of any political, economic and social structure to be formed in the future…”
Delivering the opening speech of the workshop on behalf of Near East University, Vice Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Tüzünkan underlined that Near East University had adopted the principle of working, producing and serving for our people and the mankind as a pioneering institution not only for the students and the Near East family but also for everyone living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Underlining Near East University's commitment to continuing to leave the islander mark on the continent with her scientific studies, discoveries, technological innovations and medical developments as well as with her artistic and cultural activities, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tüzünkan stated that they felt great pride and happiness of contributing to Turkish Cypriots and the humanity in every field. Stating that Near East University with her developing capacity continued to serve with a devotion that increases every new day, Associate Professor Tüzünkan emphasized that education is a field transcending the borders in every sense. "Therefore, the future of universities, higher education and international students in TRNC should be taken into account in any final solution to be reached in Cyprus" noted he.
Underlining that both TRNC and Turkey had always been in a sincere and constructive approach to generate fair, lasting, viable and sustainable solution taking into account the interests of both sides, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tüzünkan stated that both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots should demonstrate such an approach in order to reach a permanent and fair solution. He pointed out the fact that ignoring the legitimate political equality rights of one of the sides would not contribute to the solution. Highlighting the necessity of understanding and internalizing that Turkish Cypriot people would be an equal partner of any political, economic and social structure to be formed in future, Assoc. Prof. Tüzünkan stated that all institutions and organizations of TRNC would continue to defend this principle on all international platforms and would never allow any violation of the rights of the Turkish Cypriot community.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sait Akşit: "Russia presents itself as a balancing force seeking for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean..."
Underlining that Russia increasingly strengthened its effect in the Eastern Mediterranean as an effective actor after abandoning the Mediterranean two decades ago, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sait Akşit, the Head of the Department of International Relations of Near East University, stated that the developments in the region and the ambiguous and complex messages of the US, European Union and the EU member major powers regarding the problems in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean reinforced Russia's position.
Associate Professor Akşit stated that the Arab uprisings, especially the developments emerged from the turmoil in Syria, provided Russia with an important opportunity to play a net role in the region as a major global power. Expressing that Russia, which strongly supported Assad regime, tried to portray itself as a reliable and experienced actor having diplomatic and military capabilities to settle conflicts by contributing as mediator free of ideological impositions, Associate Professor Akşit stated that the countries, which were disappointed with the indecisive attitude of the United States, began to diversify their foreign policies to take the stage as a major power. Expressing that the Eastern Mediterranean undoubtedly continued to remain a highly unstable region, where the interests of several major powers intersect, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akşit drew attention that Russia had paid visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recently and signed agreements envisioning technological, military, and commercial and energy resources cooperation. He added that Russia's softer reaction to the Turkey's gas exploration in the areas nearby the island and its explanations regarding joint gas exploration with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean could be assessed within this frame.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akşit ended his remarks by underlining that all developments confirmed that Russia was a major power that couldn't be ignored while evaluating the regional and global balances.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Köprülü: "The Dublin regulation, which is accepted as EU's refugee and asylum seeker legislation, fell short with the emergence of Syrian migrants issue..."
In her presentation, the Chairperson of the Department of Politics of Near East University, Associate Professor Nur Köprülü addressed the major challenges affecting the Mediterranean region and its surroundings and drew attention to the fact that the second largest immigration movement had been faced in the Middle East since the Palestinian refugee movement following the World War 2.
Expressing that public protests that started against Assad's regime in 2011 quickly escalated into a full-scale civil war between Assad regime that backed by Russia and Iran and anti-government groups that backed by the United States, Saudi Arabia and other actors, Associate Professor Nur Köprülü stated that the involvement of regional and global actors in the internal turmoil in Syria had not only limited the issue to Syria but had turned it into a kind of regional and international issue. Underlining that about 7 million people had fled the country and almost a same number of people had been internally displaced, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nur Köprülü stated that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 5.6 million people had left the country and over 6 million people had been internally displaced as of January 2019. She noted many Syrian refugees had fled to Jordan (almost 1 million) and Lebanon (almost 1 million), straining already weak infrastructure and limited resources, and more than 3.5 million Syrians had fled to Turkey.
Expressing that the Dublin system, which establishes the criteria and mechanisms for determining which EU Member State is responsible for examining an asylum application, placed the vast responsibility on a small number of Member States such as Italy, Greece and Malta that situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Associate Professor Köprülü stated that EU had an integral debate on migration and asylum policies following the turmoil in Syria.
Underlining that Dublin system, which is accepted as EU's refugee and asylum seeker legislation, fell short with the emergence of Syrian migrants issue, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nur Köprülü stated that EU had to develop a comprehensive strategy and an integrated approach for the region in order to secure its interests and human security in Syria. Associate Professor Nur Köprülü noted that such an approach was important in terms of supporting EU's future integration policies. She added that Germany hosted the most Syrian refugees among the EU member states.
She ended her remarks by stating that it was a necessity for the EU to display a normative approach regarding Syria issue in order to ensure the implementation of the principles and values that the Union grounded on.
