Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu affirmed the important position of Turkey as a mediator and facilitator who enjoys confidence in various regions of the world, citing its mediation efforts in the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
This came on Saturday in a session entitled “Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: Shaping the Future of Global Leadership” within the work of the “TRT World” Forum 2022 in Istanbul, organized by the Turkish English-language “TRT World”.
Çavuşoğlu pointed out that Turkey is the only country that simultaneously holds the co-chairmanship of the Friends of Mediation groups in the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
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He pointed out that the Istanbul mediation conferences are the largest annual event that brings together mediation practitioners from all over the world.
He pointed out that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rehabilitating many future mediators coming from different countries.
He stressed that Turkey maintains its prestigious position as a mediator and facilitator that enjoys high confidence in many regions of the world, from Somalia to Venezuela and from the Balkans to the Middle East.
He pointed out that Turkey’s mediation efforts in the Russian-Ukrainian war are among the latest examples in this regard.
He stressed that “trust” and “leadership” are at the core of any successful mediation effort, according to the experiences Turkey has gained in this field.
And he added, “Without the diplomatic leadership of President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan, it would not have been possible to extend the grain agreement or the exchange of prisoners (between Russia and Ukraine).
Çavuşoğlu pointed out that there are two main opinions about the causes of the conflict, and that one of them links conflicts to “scarcity of resources” and “power relations.”
He said that according to this view, conflict is inevitable because the parties are trying to control a limited resource.
Çavuşoğlu pointed out that the second approach sees the cause of conflicts in “perceptions.” According to this point of view, the parties believe that their goals cannot be achieved at the same time.
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He explained that dealing with such conflicts is easier, as the mediator’s success depends on convincing the parties that their dispute revolves around “perceptions” rather than tangible issues.
He stressed the importance of encouraging the parties to accept “win-win” formulas and work to contain crises before they escalate and spiral out of control.
