SPEAKER ŞENTOP SPEAKS AT THE OPENING OF THE 8TH MIKTA SPEAKERS’ CONSULTATION

2023-03-09 - 18:03

MIKTA 8th Speakers' Consultation, the international platform consisting of Türkiye, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia, is held at the Sepetçiler Pavilion, hosted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, with the title of "Multilateralism, Global Interdependence and Parliaments".

Speaker of the GNAT, Mustafa Şentop, stated, in the opening speech of the conference, that he was honored to host the presidents in Istanbul.

Speaking about the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Şentop said, " We suffered great losses in these disasters, which we also call the 'disaster of the century'. We call it the 'disaster of the century', but in fact, we are faced with a disaster that has not been experienced for centuries, perhaps only once in 500 years. At times like these, our greatest comfort has been to know that our friends like you are with us. That is why we wanted to meet with you, even though there are hesitations about holding this meeting after the earthquake and we know that you will understand this situation. On this occasion, on behalf of our nation, I would like to express my gratitude to the MIKTA countries and peoples, who shared our pain and did not spare us their emergency search-rescue and humanitarian aid support. "<_o3a_p>

Speaker Şentop emphasized that he gladly observed that the cooperation between the parliaments on the axis of multilateralism and global interdependence is gradually developing, and continued as follows:<_o3a_p>

"We see effective multilateralism as one of the most important elements of our foreign policy. In this context, MIKTA has an exceptional place for Türkiye. We care about the structure of MIKTA based on international cooperation, dialogue and intercultural understanding. We consider that MIKTA has a high potential to contribute to the solution of regional and global problems. In this context, I would like to express my belief that cooperation and coordination will continue in a stronger way when we hand over the MIKTA term presidency, which we gladly assumed in 2022, to Indonesia in 2023."<_o3a_p>

Pointing out that we are living in a world that has become more interconnected and dependent, Şentop stated the following: "The challenges we face globally are becoming more complex and multifaceted in this respect. Multilateralism is among the basic principles of international relations as a key tool to overcome these difficulties and to find ways out of political, social and economic problems. Multilateralism envisages solidarity, respect and fair sharing between countries."<_o3a_p>

Şentop expressed that global interdependence which entails mutual need for each country and cooperation between them should also be evaluated together with multilateralism and stated "The problems we have experienced in recent years, such as epidemics, wars, natural disasters, and drought, have clearly shown how short and intricate ties are among each state and even each individual in the world. Therefore, global interdependence requires increased cooperation between countries and joint efforts to solve international problems."<_o3a_p>

Stating that countries can overcome global problems only through cooperation, Şentop expressed that no country can cope with these problems alone, and that parliaments as the representative organs of nations should play an active role in this context to develop international cooperation, share experiences and strengthen bridges between peoples.<_o3a_p>

"Our responsibility is to promote multilateralism by evaluating the power that parliaments receive from the people and being aware of global interdependence," said Şentop, adding that it is necessary to focus on issues that can be worked on and to explore ways of cooperation.<_o3a_p>

Explaining that they chose the title of the meeting as "Multilateralism, Global Interdependence and Parliaments" with this understanding, Şentop stated that they first discussed the international organizations, which are among the most important mechanisms that allow multilateralism, and the reforms needed for them to serve "effective multilateralism".<_o3a_p>

Şentop noted that they included topics such as migration, food safety, supply chains, new generation technologies and artificial intelligence on their agenda in order for MIKTA countries to share their experiences with each other on current issues that clearly reveal global interdependence, and said, "Ultimately, we wanted to consult with you about the duties of parliamentarians in a rapidly changing global environment. I hope that the intellectual exchanges we take today will be fruitful and meaningful and lead to concrete actions that will help us meet the challenges we face globally. I believe that this meeting will reveal alternative ideas and approaches in this sense."<_o3a_p>

The conference was attended by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Mustafa Şentop, as well as the Deputy Speaker of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, Noemi Berenice Luna Ayala, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Puan Maharani, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jin-Pyo and the Deputy President of Australian Senate, Andrew Mclachlan.After the opening speech of the 8th MIKTA Speakers' Consultation, the Speaker of the Parliament Şentop participated in the first session titled "Reform of the International System: Justice, Pluralism and Inclusion".<_o3a_p>

Speaking at the session, Şentop said that the world has gone through a critical period with disputes, conflicts and wars.<_o3a_p>

Şentop pointed out that the optimistic atmosphere in the international environment that started after the Cold War was completely dispersed and said that the international institutions established as tools of international law did not work and that they could not make contributions to global peace and stability.<_o3a_p>

Saying that the United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945 to protect the world from wars, Şentop commented "However, despite all the changes in the international environment, this institution, which is the most important column of international law, is still operating with the decision-making mechanisms established according to the old power balances. In the past 78 years, the world has gone through a very rapid transformation, new threats and tests have emerged, the balance of international power has changed, the bipolar system era of the world has ended, and the international system that was formulated according to the balance of the winners and losers of the Second World War has not changed."<_o3a_p>

Şentop, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, continued his criticism of the UN saying, "Moreover, even when first established, this system, with the antidemocratic veto right in the UN Security Council, which was the protection of global peace and stability of some countries that connect to the political interests of some countries, which transforms international law into the law of the powerful system, was born with dysfunction due to procedures that link the protection of global peace and stability to the political interests of some countries and transform international law into the law of strong, is now far from responding to today's needs. It should be underlined with thick lines, the need for reform of the international system is not a matter of the last few years. "<_o3a_p>

Şentop, who gave examples of the events taking place in the world, continued as follows:<_o3a_p>

"The genocide in Bosnia in the recent 1990s, is a dirty shame to be unforgotten for the current international system. Another embarrassment testimonial for the international community is undoubtedly the occupation in Palestine for 10 years. Civilians are being killed in Palestine and Israel has trampled on international law from every aspect. Violations of Israel, which has increased acceleration for years, are as if done by the allowance of the international community."<_o3a_p>

Şentop, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, said that the ongoing war in Ukraine affects the whole world and said that it caused a global energy crisis.<_o3a_p>

Şentop while emphasizing that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed a unique leadership example in the international environment and made some attempts with the UN on the basis of multi-sidedness, continued saying "Thus, as Türkiye, we have succeeded in reducing the effects of this war on both Ukraine and the global level. We are still making great efforts to put the sides on the table, provide ceasefire and finally establish peace. However, since there are no multilateral diplomatic efforts other than ours, and there are also those who prefer to fuel the war instead of stopping the flowing blood and preventing destruction, multilateral international institutions are ineffective as usual. So there is no foresight about when the war will end."<_o3a_p>

Stating that the current order should be reformed urgently, Şentop said the following statements:<_o3a_p>

"At this point, it is promising that some countries that have an advantageous position in today's system, with the right to veto peace and stability, also express the need for a comprehensive reform that our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had attracted attention upon with the slogan 'The world is greater than five' years ago, and are indicating that especially the structure of the UN Security Council is essential to change. Today, it is no longer acceptable and sustainable for a number of countries that do not exceed the fingers of a hand to decide about the issues that concern almost all countries, and the ideal of all humanity to live in a peaceful way cannot be sacrificed to the national interests of these countries and to the personal ambitions of their leaders."

Speaking at the second session titled "International Migration: Opportunities and Challenges", Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Mustafa Şentop, said that the issue of international migration is one of the most important issues that Türkiye focuses on sensitively and wishes the international community to discuss in every detail.<_o3a_p>

Reminding that Türkiye is the country hosting the highest number of refugees in the world, Şentop said, "Throughout history, our nation has considered it a duty to share what it has with the innocents who take refuge in it, regardless of language, religion, race or gender. For this reason, it is no surprise to anyone that many innocents fleeing Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and other war zones take refuge in Türkiye and cling to life here."<_o3a_p>

Şentop stated that according to the estimates of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 100 million people were displaced in 2022 by fleeing wars, conflicts, violence, human rights violations and persecution, and that international migration is a multidimensional phenomenon.<_o3a_p>

Noting that the biggest reasons for mass international migration are wars, turmoil and political instability, Şentop stated that countries that destabilize the source countries and that openly intervene in these countries should assume more responsibility and cost in the prevention of migration.<_o3a_p>

Şentop, who also took the floor in the third session of the conference titled "Food Safety, Supply Chains, Poverty and Climate Change: The Role of Parliaments in Good Governance", reminded the speech he made at the 6th Speakers' Consultation, and stated that considering the social, economic and political repercussions of the Covid-19 outbreak, he said that it would go far beyond being a "health crisis" and that his concerns were partially realized.<_o3a_p>

Şentop reminding the effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine, continued as follows:<_o3a_p>

"The matter of inflation, which is worsened due to increasing energy prices, is felt especially in the European continent and spread all over the world, is standing before us. Another outcome of the war has to do with food security. The fact that the agricultural production of Ukraine and Russia could not be taken out of the country until Türkiye's mediation led to an increase in food prices and took its place in the records as one of the factors that increased inflation."<_o3a_p>

Şentop stated that the most important initiative of Türkiye that is beneficial to the whole world in terms of food security is the "grain corridor" and added, "After the beginning of the Ukraine War, the grain corridor opened thanks to Türkiye's intense contributions and the mediation it made with the UN, contributed to the elimination of supply security concerns in terms of importing countries, and the products jammed in the Ukrainian ports were released to the countries in need. Thanks to the shipment of more than 15 million tons to date, food prices have decreased to some extent, and more humanitarian aid has been delivered to poor countries such as Afghanistan through this corridor."<_o3a_p>

Şentop mentioned that it is important for Türkiye, which is located between the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, to offer location and cost advantages for many global manufacturers in the face of production instability and the exponential increase in long-distance transportation costs and stated that another important issue is the "Middle Corridor Initiative", which is a product of Türkiye's multilateral transportation policy, and that this initiative is increasingly important in terms of supply chains.<_o3a_p>

Şentop stated that they have adopted an environmentalist approach to energy as a country, and concluded by saying, "We currently meet 55 percent of our installed capacity from renewable energy and we are working to increase this to 65 percent. We will be in the top 10 in the world in this field in the near future. I would like to say that the Parliament (GNAT) has also implemented some structural reforms so that Türkiye can be added to the supply chain of the whole world more and ensure production safety. We have strengthened our country's logistics and supply chain positions by adopting many law amendments covering production, employment and R&D incentives in the Parliament."<_o3a_p>

Speaking at the 4th session of the consultation titled "Responsible Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies: Opportunities and Risks", Speaker Şentop said that developing new technologies and artificial intelligence have started to affect daily life deeply even today, and that it has found uses in all areas of life.<_o3a_p>

Pointing out that everything from mobile phones to cars, from computers to household goods is equipped with artificial intelligence, Şentop emphasized that many fields such as health, education, economy, tourism, agriculture and security are redefined thanks to artificial intelligence.<_o3a_p>

Expressing that one of the most important problems today is the problem of integrating new technologies and artificial intelligence into human life by making sense, Şentop said that parliamentarians, that is, lawmakers, should focus on the legal aspect of this issue.<_o3a_p>

Noting that the legal regulations regarding artificial intelligence and other technologies should be made carefully, Şentop emphasized that an approach that will not hinder or slow down the development of these technologies should be adopted while focusing on eliminating all the risks brought by these technologies in the legislative work in these areas where serious expert support is needed.<_o3a_p>

Şentop stated that MIKTA countries should take the lead in determining the frameworks for the work of multinational technology companies and preparing international legislation, especially for this issue to be on the agenda of the international community.<_o3a_p>

In the last session of the consultation titled "Parliamentary Diplomacy and Interdependence in a Rapidly Changing Global Environment", Şentop stated that the dizzying development of technology with globalization has made the world a more interrelated place with new communication technologies.<_o3a_p>

Noting that new technologies and developing opportunities have removed the borders between countries to a large extent, Şentop emphasized that this situation brings with it some difficulties, and continued as follows:<_o3a_p>

"The difficulties of the international system, which we talked about in today's sessions, in establishing justice, increasing migration, the problems that arise due to climate change are just some of the difficulties posed by this new world. To meet these challenges, parliamentary diplomacy is critical as an effective tool. Because parliamentary diplomacy offers unique opportunities thanks to its flexibility and wider range of action.<_o3a_p>

Şentop stated that they are seeking global solutions to global challenges and deepening their relations with different cultures and countries in line with the principle of effective multilateralism and said, "We believe that co-ordinated and collaborative partnerships such as MIKTA can make an important contribution to a more holistic perspective on problems around the world by combining the different cultures and experiences of countries. Considering the issues we are exchanging ideas with, such as climate change, migration, natural disasters, and food security, it seems that we all have different experiences with the same global problems. Sharing these different experiences through parliamentary diplomacy will inspire us to produce more effective solutions."<_o3a_p>

Expressing his satisfaction that the conference has turned into a platform where MIKTA member countries offer the opportunity to share their perspectives and good practices within the framework of their unique political, social and economic characteristics, Speaker Şentop said, "I believe it is a good example of how the parliaments of MIKTA member countries can work together through parliamentary diplomacy to achieve common goals. In this framework, we should encourage our parliamentary delegations to hold coordination meetings so that they can act together in international parliamentary assemblies, our specialized commissions to make mutual visits and meet in joint meetings, and to foster a closer relationship between our friendship groups.<_o3a_p>

Şentop said that as Türkiye, they will continue to work to promote global cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy.<_o3a_p>